Teacher raises
Wow! As President of The American Federation of Teachers-Mississippi, I feel the need to apologize to the teachers and assistant teachers of Mississippi, on behalf of the State. Some of the teachers and assistants will be left out of the meager pay raise passed by the 2019 Legislature, through no fault of their own. So, how does the State justify the six-month wait? AFTMS appeals to the Governor to not penalize our teachers due to a mistake made by MDE. The Lt. Governor supporting a deficit appropriation at the beginning of the 2020 legislative session does not meet the needs of our teachers through the end of 2019.
It saddens us to know that we live in a time where the livelihood of our educators has become a pawn in the priority struggle of where to spend state funds. Even in the midst of this funding battle, the educators continue to shape the lives of our children.
Educators in Mississippi will continue to successfully teach our students at all levels, in whatever political environment. Whether special Ed or gifted, Mississippi looks to teachers to provide a quality education for our most precious resources-our children. However, the State has worked our guardians of that precious resource, without proper pay, (which has been a long-standing battle), for far too long.
Now is the time for change!
Geraldine Bender
AFTMS State President
Jackson
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
