Make that 2%

In Governor Bill Lee’s initial budget address, he proposed a 4% adjustment to the BEP salary component (effectively a 2% raise for teachers). Now, in the face of the coronavirus threat, his revised budget adjusts that to a 2% increase. That effectively means most teachers will see a raise of less than 1% or, in many cases, no raise at all.

Here’s the budget amendment.

It reduces the BEP inflationary adjustment and cuts in half the initial proposed increase in the teacher salary component. It also completely deletes the charter school slush fund.

Also, according to Chalkbeat, the budget proposal retains $37 million to fund the first year of Lee’s voucher scheme:


Lee retained $37 million for education savings accounts, a controversial program set to start this fall to let eligible families in Memphis and Nashville use taxpayer money to pay for private school tuition.

Meanwhile, the proposal adds significantly to the Rainy Day fund.

Yes, instead of using the state’s billions in reserves to keep schools and other services moving forward, this budget proposal actually ADDS to the rainy day fund while cutting improvements to teacher pay.

It’s up to the General Assembly to approve this measure, of course, but there’s little indication Lee’s moves will be challenged.

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2 thoughts on “Make that 2%

  1. As teacher, I have been stiffed for so many years. I have bought a lot of classroom materials out of my own pocket: space heater because my room is cold year-round, furniture, posters, cleaning materials (Clorox Wipes, Purell, 409), pens, pencils, paper, online lesson plans. I am done. No more! I am so sick of being chronically underpaid. I also used to work a lot of unpaid overtime. No more.

  2. I don’t understand how “Conservative” politicians repeatedly poop on our public school system and its teachers instead of investing the tax dollars into it and them! Public schools are where the majority of the children go, and the only way to improve our state as a whole is to improve our children’s education!
    Conservative politicians lose votes because of this every year! When will they learn!?! Get behind your public schools and its teachers! Get rid of vouchers! Improve the public schools and pay our teachers what they are worth! Let them teach, and stop the insane testing! Testing time takes away from learning time!!!!

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