Latest news with #HouseBill192
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Charlotte Mecklenburg School Board to vote on superintendent's budget
The Charlotte Mecklenburg School Board will vote on the superintendent's budget on Tuesday. Some school advocates and educators said it doesn't give enough money to teachers, according to the Charlotte Observer. Advocates said they want to see a 10% increase. However, Dr. Crystal Hill's budget only includes 8% more for teacher salaries. ALSO READ: This is all contingent on a 3% state salary increase, with both the county and state projecting budget shortfalls. At the state level, House Bill 192 calls for an average educator salary increase of 22% over two years. However, that is stuck in committee. Governor Josh Stein's budget proposal lists an increase of 10.6% over the same time period. VIDEO: CMS $1.95B operating budget aims to increase teacher pay, improve literacy
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CMS $1.95B budget aims to increase teacher pay, improve literacy
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Crystal Hill has proposed a new budget that aims to raise the minimum teacher salary to $50,000, but it comes at the cost of not filling 40 positions. The proposed budget for the next school year amounts to $1.95 billion, which is less than a percent increase from last year's budget. It prioritizes improving literacy, math performance, and post-graduation readiness while ensuring fiscal responsibility. 'While this budget is certainly tight, I believe that this recommendation reflects a balanced approach,' said Superintendent Crystal Hill. The budget proposal assumes a 3% increase in state-funded salaries, and CMS is closely monitoring state legislative actions. House Bill 192 suggests a 22% salary increase over two years, while Governor Stein's budget proposal includes a 10.6% increase. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Teacher says subs are getting overlooked in proposed CMS budget Kelly Kluttz, CMS Chief Financial Officer, noted that both state proposals would raise the minimum state teacher salary to $50,000, which would enhance recruitment and retention efforts. To manage costs, CMS plans to save $3.4 million by not filling 40 positions and an additional $3.8 million by repurposing central office resources. These savings will help enhance pay for assistant principals, specialists, and the professional development platform. Beth Thompson, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, stated, 'We've taken those dollars and are contributing it toward other things in the district.' Superintendent Hill emphasized that the goal is to maintain the student experience without impacting the workforce, stating, 'So any cut that we've made, students will not feel it, families will not feel it.' The CMS Board of Education will hold a public hearing on the recommended budget on April 8th, with a vote scheduled for April 22nd. The proposed budget aims to balance fiscal responsibility with the district's educational goals. VIDEO: Teacher says subs are getting overlooked in proposed CMS budget
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Carolina teacher salaries could increase by $9,000 to $12,000 if new bill passes
RALEIGH, N.C. (WGHP) — North Carolina lawmakers have filed a bill proposing thousands of dollars in teacher pay increases across the state. House Bill 192 was filed on Tuesday, and the primary sponsors of the bill are Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth), Rep. Erin Pare (R-Wake), Rep. Mike Schietzelt (R-Wake) and Rep. Tricia Cotham (R-Mecklenburg). It aims to increase teacher salaries, reinstate education-based salary supplements and direct the North Carolina Collaboratory to assess the proposal's feasibility and impact on school districts. The bill would increase starting salaries for teachers based on their experience and education level, but a new teacher could expect to bring in around $50,000, up from the current starting pay of $41,000. Teachers with over 25 years of experience would see an increase from $55,950 to $68,230. Here is the proposed monthly pay included in the bill: The bill would also provide salary supplements for board-certified teachers and teachers with advanced degrees. A National Board Certification would net a teacher a 12% supplement, and a master's degree would provide 10%, so those amounts would be in addition to the monthly salaries proposed in the above table. Other school staff, such as nurses, counselors and audiologists, could also receive salary supplements. The salary supplements proposed are a return to pre-2013 policies that had been in place in North Carolina. If passed, the bill would take effect on July 1, 2025. State employee pay tends to be included with the broader budget, so a separate bill addressing it might not gain much traction. However, Lambeth, notably, is part of the House Budget Committee, so his support of the bill could signal an interest in making North Carolina's educator pay more competitive in the coming years. North Carolina ranks near the bottom, 38th, in teacher pay, according to the National Education Association. The average teacher's salary in North Carolina is $13,000 below the national average. Read the full text of the bill here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NC teachers could make more money under new bill filed
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Teachers in North Carolina could see a big bump in their pay if a House bill recently introduced becomes law. 'This is really a bill to be competitive, we want to be able to attract and retain the best teachers,' Representative Erin Pare said. She's the primary sponsor of House Bill 192, which would raise base pay for teachers statewide. 'This is a public school bill, so this is for the state portion of a teacher salary,' Representative Pare said. The bill would increase starting pay for teachers statewide to $50,000 a year. Right now, it's $41,000. That does not include district supplements and the bill leaves that open to individual districts. It would take some budget negotiations, but sponsors say it's all about setting priorities. 'This $50,000 starting pay is what a lot of the larger school districts in North Carolina are asking for, and I think it makes a lot of sense, it's where we should be,' Representative Pare said. Sponsors say they haven't heard from the North Carolina Association of Educators on the bill yet and whether they support it. But in the General Assembly, it's getting wide support. 'I think there is a shared interest in doing more with regard to teacher pay among a lot of my colleagues,' Representative Pare said. That's despite debates over funding public or private schools in the state. 'I'm a big supporter of public schools and school choice, you can do both, and you should do both, we should fund both,' Representative Pare said. The bill was just filed this week so it doesn't have a committee hearing yet. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dialing up a solution: Bills would require all school systems in state to cell phone policies
Peter Boyko, far left, responds to a question during a House Ways and Means Committee bill hearing on cell phones. Next to Boyko is the bill's sponsor, Del. David Fraser-Hildago (D-Montgomery), and James J. York, past president of the Maryland State Medical Society. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters) They differ in the details of what to prohibit and when, but several bills on student use of cell phones all agree on one thing — schools across the state need to have some ground rules for students. 'Our teachers do not need another challenge in our classrooms and do not need any more distractions,' said Del. Nino Mangione (R-Baltimore County), in testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee. 'There is no need for cell phones as an instructional tool. We do not need cell phones in the classroom.' Mangione sponsored one of two bills heard by Ways and Means on Wednesday, the same day that three bills were considered in the Senate Education, Energy and the Environment Committee. A sixth bill, by Del. Adrian Boafo (D-Prince George's), is set for a hearing Feb. 12 in Ways and means. Mangione and Del. David Fraser-Hildago (D-Montgomery), who sponsored the second bill heard by Ways and Means, acknowledged that several school systems already implemented cell phone policies or pilot programs, but said their bills are to ensure all 24 school systems have policies in place. Mangione's House Bill 192 would allow high school students to use cell phones during lunch periods but would otherwise prohibit use in school, including between classes. Elementary and middle school students would not be allowed to use their cell phones at all during the school day. The bill also lays out disciplinary steps: A first violation would bring a written warning; second violation would see the cell phone taken away; and three or more violations would bring disciplinary action, as set by the local school board. Fraser-Hildago's bill, HB 57, seeks to require that school boards implement a cell phone policy that would allow students to use them during lunch, but would otherwise prohibit their use 'during instructional time.' The policy would require that students store their phones in a 'secure place' when not in use, such as in a locker, closed backpack or a storage container provided by the school. Fraser-Hidalgo's bill does not differentiate between high school students and those in lower grades. 'I think there's a statewide goal and I think it's also important for the school systems to have some policy, but they're incremental,' Fraser-Hildago said in an interview. 'This is a moving target. I think the school systems are trying to figure out how to fix it as they go.' Both measures would allow students with an IEP, or individualized education program, to use a cell phone during school hours, as well as students with a documented health issue. The bills do not specify when school systems should have policies in place. Two Montgomery County high school students who testified Wednesday – Jariane Martinez, 15, and Peter Boyko, 16 – said the bills overlook an important item: school safety. They testified cell phone use should be allowed for students to notify their parents and guardians during emergency situations such as a school shooting. 'I believe that if phones are banned, school safety is threatened,' Martinez, a 10th grader at Seneca Valley High School, said in an interview after she testified. 'I've realized that a lot of school systems kind of have an issue with clear transparency about what is going on during those situations,' she said. 'So without that transparency and without contact with their child, parents are in the dark about what is going on.' Del. Vanessa Atterbeary (D-Howard), the Ways and Means chair, said students should not use cell phones during instructional time, but that she also understands why parents allow their children to have them. 'I want my kids to have a phone because they're so active. They do so many things. Plans change. That's how I communicate with them, so I do think it's important that they have a cell phone,' she said after Wednesday's bill hearings. 'But again, they shouldn't whip it out in the middle of the day when they're in math or science class. They should be focused,' Atterbeary said. 'It's big issue this year because we have multiple bills.' Boafo's bill, HB 630, has similarities to the other two measures, but it would allow students to use cell phones 'during an emergency event' or 'when directed by an educator or administrator for educational purposes.' His bill would also require school boards to develop a policy to limit cell phone use during 'instructional time' by the 2026-27 school year. The policy must prohibit a student from using social media applications and websites during school hours. A Senate companion bill to Boafo's, sponsored by Sen. Ron Watson (D-Prince George's), was heard Wednesday by the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee, which also heard bills from Sen. Joanne C. Benson (D-Prince George's) and one co-sponsored by Senate Minority Whip Justin Ready (R-Frederick and Carroll) and Sen. Jeff Waldstreicher (D-Montgomery). SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Benson's bill is similar to the other four proposed, but without a specific implementation date or disciplinary actions. The Waldstreicher-Ready bill would create a phone-free pilot program in Carroll and Montgomery counties. Each school system would choose one middle and high school to participate and collect data on academic achievement, student engagement, student and teacher feedback. School officials would have to submit a report on their progress by September 2026. The Maryland Education Coalition, which is comprised of advocacy groups, said cell phone policies should be strictly left up to local school systems, with guidance by the state Department of Education. The department has a cell phone task force of administrators, teachers, students and other school officials to conduct research and assess various policies implemented in other parts of the country. 'I think that the state Department of Ed has a role in providing guidance to the [school] districts about what their policy should look like … with stakeholder input,' Ellie Mitchell, co-chair of the coalition, said Wednesday. 'I don't think it's time now for a blanket state rule.'
