Patrick Hayes: Restore Teacher Salaries Update

Patrick Hayes is a teacher in Charleston working on getting teaches' salaries increased/restored. Here is his latest update:

I called on you to act.
You called on them to act.
We made things better.

Two weeks ago, the Senate Finance Committee budgeted a 2% raise for teachers while offering other state workers 3% and 5%.
At the end of a week of overwhelming pressure from you, the Senate approved a budget amendment giving teachers a 2% raise AND requiring districts to add a year’s experience credit (2%)to their salaries.
Tens of thousands of teachers could see a 4% raise next year, after years of broken promises.
It’s not close to perfect. There is fine print. It still needs to survive reconciliation with the House and the veto pen.
It beats the stuffing out of, "Take 2% and like it."
For years, I wrote letters and called legislators on my own. They never had any impact. What a difference 9,000 friends make. Thank you so much!

Here’s another gem the Senate passed after 4 months of your emails, phone calls, and petitions:
70.29. (LEG: Teacher Salary Study Committee)…The committee shall examine the
current teacher salary schedule... The committee
will examine potential changes to the salary schedule that may include
a pay for performance model, step increases, frozen salary schedules,
National Board Certification Incentive, or anything else related to
teacher salaries…No later than December 1, 2012, the committee shall prepare and
deliver a report...
Many people assume that this petition represents 9,000 teachers. Nothing could be further from the truth.
We have broad community support, because there is a majority in SC that has been silent for too long, a majority that wants to see our schools reprioritized.
We’ve made a wonderful beginning. Thank you all so much for your hard work.

Best regards,
Patrick Hayes
Director
Restore Teacher Salaries

P.S.
I am especially heartened to see that Amendment 49 was sponsored by Sen. Hayes (R-York), Sen. Setzler (D-Lexington), and Sen. Matthews (D-Orangeburg).
This bipartisan group shows that education issues belong to all of us. Thank you Senators! Please remember those names in November.