THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 5, 1994 TAG: 9410050539
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF AND WIRE REPORT
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines
After 1993-94 pay raises that were the smallest in 35 years, teachers are negotiating slightly bigger salary increases this year, the nation's teachers unions said Tuesday.
Virginia's average teacher salary last year of $33,472 ranked 25th nationwide. But the state's teachers overall fared better than most in keeping up with inflation: Average teacher pay in 1993-94 increased by 3.6 percent in the commonwealth, nearly a full percentage point above the 1993 national rate of inflation.
American Federation of Teachers officials said contract settlements so far this year included raises of about 3 percent.
``The general economic climate is looking fairly good,'' said John Dunlop, director of collective bargaining and compensation for the National Education Association.
In its annual survey of federal and state departments of education, the 850,000-member AFT said the average teacher salary nationwide was $35,813 in 1993-94, a 2.3 percent increase that was the smallest in 35 years. The NEA, which has 2.2 million members, estimated the average 1993-94 raise at 2.7 percent.
As in every other state, the percentage of Virginia's education budget spent on teacher salaries has dropped over the past 30 years - from 60.7 percent in 1964-65 to 40.1 percent in 1993-94, the AFT report said. Virginia ranked 20th nationwide in the percentage spent on teacher salaries.
In South Hampton Roads, the average teacher salary in 1993-94 was highest in Norfolk, at $34,580, among the four school districts for which information was available Tuesday.
The average teacher salary was $33,691 in Chesapeake, $32,942 in Virginia Beach and $30,921 in Suffolk. Portsmouth figures could not be obtained Tuesday for 1993-94, but its average in 1992-93 was $30,212.
George Raiss, spokesman for Norfolk schools, said the higher average teacher salary in Norfolk reflected its veteran force of educators, many of whom hold master's degrees.
In Virginia Beach, by contrast, a larger percentage of its teachers are newer hires and thus earn less, lowering the salary average, said Donald Peccia, director of personnel services.
The AFT reported that teachers in Connecticut had the highest average salary, $50,389, and those in Mississippi had the lowest, $25,153.
But taking in account differences in the cost of living around the country, the AFT said Michigan teachers came out on top, and North Dakota teachers were on bottom. Virginia ranked 18th. MEMO: Staff writer Jon Glass contributed to this report. by CNB