Last week, the Alabama Senate passed the largest Education Trust Fund (ETF) budget in state history totaling $8.2 billion.
Included in the budget are record pay increases for experienced public school teachers, including a raise in minimum salaries for teachers with nine or more years of experience. Additionally, the measure calls for a 1% pay raise for all educators.
During a recent appearance on Alabama Public Television’s “Capitol Journal,” House Majority Leader Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) outlined why lawmakers placed an emphasis on increased teacher pay in the proposed budget.
Ledbetter, a member of the House Ways and Means Education Committee, said he was glad that the legislature was “financially able” to act on pay increases for teachers.
“[Y]ou know it seems like we’ve had a downturn in losing teachers,” said Ledbetter. “And as you know we’ve had a hard time retaining teachers and hiring teachers. And I think this is going to fill that gap. I think with the things that’s happened this session — I really believe this — I think with the things that’s going on this session and what’s going to be going on in the future, we’re going to see our education system start to really move up in the numbers.”
He continued, “And I think having somebody that teaches your children that’s got the base and the knowledge to do it that’s been there year after year, instead of them leaving and taking another job, because the state recognizes the need for experienced teachers. I think this is going to benefit our children.”
The House GOP leader went on to speak of the hardships teachers had faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“[W]e’ve put the teachers in a situation over the past two years and a pandemic — one year we didn’t give them a raise,” continued Ledbetter. “We come back this year and give them a four percent raise. And now our goal is to retain good teachers so we can educate our children at the pace they need to be educated.”
Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
