Mississippi teacher pay raise: Where do candidates stand?

As public educators across the state work second, and even third jobs, to make ends meet, Republican and Democratic hopefuls for statewide office are running on platforms of increasing teacher pay.

Although teacher groups have long lobbied in the campaign off season for boosting teacher salaries to the Southeastern average of about $51,000, the issue takes on a renewed sense of urgency in election years. Mississippi teachers on average earn $44,659, according to the state Department of Education. 

Gov. Phil Bryant on Tuesday signed a bill increasing teacher pay by $1,500 starting July 1. And most candidates have gone on the record to say, if elected, they'll push the Legislature for a better deal.

For some teachers the pay raise, coupled with a last-minute $2 million funding increase for the state's controversial school choice program, has further fractured relationships with Republican leadership that were already fragile due to underfunding of the state's adequate education formula.

Funding shortfalls also occurred Democratic leadership. But criticism has been more acute against Republican leaders who campaigned against a ballot initiative that sought funding mandates that advocates said could have boosted teacher salaries. 

The $1,500 pay raise, in part, even prompted the first talk in decades about a teacher walk out. That idea has effectively cooled, but educators have a strong interest in candidates' platforms concerning public education.

Here's what candidates for lieutenant governor and governor — the positions most in line to influence education policy — told the Clarion Ledger about teacher raises. 

Governor

State Rep. Robert Foster, Republican

"As a businessman I understand basic economics and the law of supply and demand well. There is a high demand for teachers and a short supply," Foster said in a statement. "We can not not just look at teacher salary compared to the salary of the average Mississippian. That is narrow minded and missing the big picture. We must also look at what our surrounding states are paying teachers. We are losing many teachers across state lines and our teacher shortage is becoming a bigger and bigger problem.  We must address it with a long term budgeting plan and increase their salary to the Southeastern average." 

Attorney General Jim Hood, Democrat

"Improving Mississippi schools is a top priority for Jim Hood," Hood's campaign said in a statement. "Under Lt. Governor Reeves, Mississippi has severely underpaid its teachers compared to neighboring states, putting Mississippi children at a disadvantage. The $1,500 teacher pay increase approved  by the Legislature falls way short of what our teachers deserve. Jim Hood supports raising average Mississippi teacher pay over the next several years to the Southeastern regional average so Mississippi schools can retain and recruit the best teachers. Mississippi children deserve no less."

Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, Republican

“Every teacher that was working when I ran for lieutenant governor is going to make $8,000 more next year. We’ve made a lot of progress," Reeves told reporters at his April 8 campaign kickoff. "We have more work to do and I’m committed to doing more work to continue to raise teacher pay. The best way for every kid to get a quality education is to have a quality teacher in every classroom. And the best way to have a quality teacher in every classroom is to spend more money in the classroom and less money in the district office..Look, the fact is even though every teacher is going to make $8,000 more next year—we’re still not paying any of our teachers what they’re worth. They’re doing great work. We’re seeing outcomes improve and that’s something we ought to all be bragging about.” 

A 2014 $2,500 teacher pay raise and the more recent $1,500 teacher pay raise passed by lawmakers in March accounts for $4,000 of the $8,000 Reeves has referenced. The remaining $4,000 is comprised of the state's annual $495 pay increase provided to teachers for each year of experience.

Bill Waller Jr., Republican

“Students, parents, and teachers deserve more focus than they’re getting now," Waller said in a statement. "Currently, Mississippi has the lowest teacher salary in America, and as Governor, I will work to increase teacher pay every year, not just election years, until we get our teacher salaries up to the Southeastern average."

Lieutenant Governor

Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, Republican

“Our teachers are the professionals with whom we trust our children for eight or more hours a day, and their pay should reflect the critical importance of this calling," Hosemann said in a statement. "We have more work to do on raising our teacher salaries, and we will not just focus on the issue during election years. We also have to review strategies to end the teacher shortage impacting many of our districts. Pay is also part of this equation.” 

The Associated Press reported that Hosemann also committed to annual teacher pay raises during an event by the Mississippi Professional Educators.

Rep. Jay Hughes, Democrat

 "The one thing teachers missed that they really want is respect," Hughes told the Clarion Ledger. "If you would fully fund MAEP, teachers would rather have that than the raise, then they wouldn’t be short on resources to educate the children. Wouldn’t be so short on resources to educate the children.

Money isn’t the only answer and won’t fix public education, but less money will certainly hurt it."

Contact Bracey Harris at 601-961-7248 or bharris2@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter.

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