Kemp announces $3,000 in teacher raises
The new governor alludes to more for teachers down the road.
The day before his State of the State Address, Georgia’s new governor pledged $5,000 raises for each teacher in the state, a fully funded education formula and $30,000 for every school to beef up security measures as administrators see fit.
On Thursday however, Governor Brian Kemp put forth a proposal for a $3,000 teacher pay increase alluding to more to come. He called the proposal a “sizeable down payment” on his promise of $5,000.
The announcement came from Thursday’s State of the State addressed where Kemp reinforced his plan to send $30,000 to each of the state’s public schools for security.
In an interview with Times Journal Inc. at the Georgia State Capitol on Wednesday, Kemp, who was sworn in as the state’s 83rd governor on Monday, talked about his new job and outlined some of his plans for his first 100 days in office.
In addition to creating a task force of prosecutors and investigators aimed at cracking down on street gangs and drug cartels throughout the state, Kemp vowed to follow through on his campaign promise of giving teachers raises, which he said are projected to cost the state an estimated $600 million.
“Forty-four percent of our teachers are leaving the field within the first five years. That’s a huge problem, especially in more rural parts of our state, but it’s a problem (everywhere),” he said, adding his team is budgeting “a historic pay raise for our educators.”
Kemp said maintaining his commitment to fully funding public education in Georgia is contingent on two things: a strong economy and the Legislature’s ability to budget conservatively.
“It’s easy to spend a lot of money in good times and when you get to tough times you have to start cutting,” Kemp said, calling it a matter of time before the economy slows down again.
“Our plan is to keep fully funding education and work on lowering taxes.”
As far as local schools go, Superintendent of Floyd County Schools Jeff Wilson said on Wednesday he would rather see that pay raise given as a percentage consistently over the next few years, that way teachers won’t receive just one pay raise.
“(I’m) all about pay raises,” he said. “It is better to do it over time.”
Wilson argued that making the raise a onetime thing may not be as effective since the money may not be there in the future. With Kemp referring to the $3,000 pay raise for teachers as a “down payment” on his campaign promises, it is possible the additional $2,000 may come at a later date.
Rome City Schools Superintendent Lou Byars said he will follow the state salary schedule as it is put out.
“As long as they fund it, we will follow it,” he said. Staff Writer John Popham and the Associated Press contributed to this report