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AJC.com > Legislature > Blog > Archives > 2009 > February > 24 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USTeacher bonuses still in play
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The fight over whether to keep bonuses for Georgia teachers with national board certification continues.
The House academic support education subcommittee tabled HB 243, which would eliminate the 10 percent salary increase about 2,500 Georgia teachers currently receive.
Rep. Jimmy Pruett (R-Eastman) filed the legislation on behalf of Gov. Sonny Perdue, who has said eliminating the bonuses could save the state about $12 million. The state is facing a $2 billion deficit.
But House Education Committee Chairman Brooks Coleman (R-Duluth) offered a substitute bill to continue the bonuses for teachers who already receive it. No new certificate recipients would get the money, under Coleman’s bill.
“I guarantee you, we think you deserve it,” he said to the nationally certified teachers who packed the meeting. “We’re trying to stop what is happening.”
Coleman was unsure where the $12 million would come from to pay for the bonuses.
Teachers overcrowded Tuesday’s meeting asking Legislators to vote again the bill filed by Pruett and requested time to study Coleman’s substitute bill.
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards runs that certification program. The rigorous program often takes more than a year to complete.
Comments
By Carolyn Byrd
February 25, 2009 12:33 PM | Link to this
I believe that continuing the bonuses for teachers who already receive the National Board bonus, but not extending it to new recipients is a fair decision. The Governor has to understand that teachers are planners, and that those of us who have been promised the bonus for our entire 10 year term have made financial decisions based on the term of our certification. As a single teacher who works very hard to keep a roof over her head and has recently had to purchase a new car (after the 10 year old one died completely), I can tell you that losing the bonus now will be a financial nightmare. However, if I have time to plan for a non-renewal, I can make it work. That’s fair. Legislators, thank you in advance for keeping your word, Carolyn Byrd
By Scott Heaton
March 4, 2009 4:33 PM | Link to this
Beware, it is my understanding that the revision states that any NBCT supplement to be paid at anytime is contigent upon available funding. You are not safe regarding your supplement until the law reads as is prior to the repeal.
Do not settle, you earned your place and deserve to be treated fairly.
We need the terminology of HB 243 to clearly state that all of Georgia’s NBCT’s shall receive the 10% supplement as is stated in the Georgia Code - Education - Title 20, Section 20-2-212.2 which states:
(1) Any person who:
(A) Is currently teaching full time in a Georgia public school and holds a valid Georgia teaching certificate; and
(B) Has successfully completed the prerequisite portfolio of student work and examination and has received national certification
shall receive not less than a 10 percent rate increase in state salary for each year he or she holds national certification. Such increase shall be awarded beginning on the date such certification is received. The 10 percent increase shall be computed based on the state salary for such individual when national certification is received and recomputed each subsequent year based on the individuaĺs state salary for that school year. In the case of a person who has received such national certification prior to July 1, 2000, and is receiving or is eligible to receive a 5 percent rate increase, the 5 percent rate increase shall be changed to a 10 percent rate increase effective with the commencement of the 2000-2001 school year. The increase in state salary provided by this Code section shall be in addition to any other increase for which the person is eligible.