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ACROSS SESSIONS
- Subject Index: Since 1995
- Bills & Resolutions: Since 1994
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Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.
1995 SESSION
LD5980148Patrons--Christian, Barlow, Behm, Connally, Cooper, Copeland, Crittenden, Crouch, Cunningham, Darner, Diamonstein, Dillard, Grayson, Guest, Hamilton, Jones, J.C., Keating, Morgan, Plum, Purkey, Putney, Rhodes, Robinson, Van Landingham and Van Yahres; Senators: Andrews, Howell, Lucas, Maxwell and Miller, Y.B.
WHEREAS, the teaching profession has been called "the most public of all the professions," its ranks swelling nationwide to nearly 2.8 million; and
WHEREAS, although the teaching profession has been plagued by shortages, depressed salaries, and sometimes difficult working conditions, many agree that no other profession brings similar personal and professional rewards and satisfaction; and
WHEREAS, as increasingly complex technology and a fiercely competitive global workplace challenge our public education system to produce skilled, motivated graduates, teachers arguably remain one of the most important resources in the educational development of Virginia’s children; and
WHEREAS, the Governor's Commission on Excellence in Education recognized in 1986 that teacher compensation must be "competitive in the marketplace" and recommended the establishment of guidelines for teacher compensation and a biennial review by the Department of Personnel and Training (DPT); and
WHEREAS, the 1987 General Assembly acted on these recommendations, codifying the biennial review requirement and stating that "it is a goal of the Commonwealth that its public school teachers be compensated at a rate that is competitive in order to attract and keep competent teachers"; and
WHEREAS, in its 1990 report, DPT determined that while "substantial progress" had been made in raising teacher salaries since 1985, the average entry-level teaching salary was about six percent behind that of a comparable private-sector position; and
WHEREAS, the average actual salary for Virginia public school teachers in 1993-94 was $33,144, compared to a nationwide average of $35,958; and
WHEREAS, the actual average salary of Virginia classroom teachers declined in ranking from 18th in the nation in 1989-90 to 26th in the nation in 1993-94; and
WHEREAS, because the quality of public education is dependent in large part upon the quality of its teaching personnel, competitive salaries for Virginia’s teachers may enhance the recruitment and retention of the most qualified instructional personnel; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Commonwealth reaffirm its commitment to achieve parity with the national average for public elementary and secondary school teachers.