Teacher pay bill sails through House

By JENNIFER JACOBS
REGISTER STAFF WRITER

Additional $145 million over two years approved

Iowa teachers will likely each get an extra $3,600, on average, next school year.

The year after that, each of the state's 36,000 teachers will see about $5,400 more in their annual salaries.

The Iowa House on Thursday voted 90-7 in favor of spending an extra $70 million on teacher salaries in the fiscal year that starts July 1, then another $75 million the next year.

"That's a lot of money. I'm just elated," said B.J. Garrison, 56, a Norwalk Middle School art teacher of 28 years. "It's about time Iowa got with the program."

Garrison said both of his parents had died by the time he was 13.

"I can remember when I was a little kid, all the people I respected the most were teachers," he said.

The plan had already passed the Iowa Senate but because the House amended it slightly, it now bounces back to the Senate.

By the 2008-09 school year, the total spending for teacher salaries, mentoring, professional development, and voluntary training for national board certification would be $249 million, up from $104 million this year.

The new spending in Senate File 277 could bring Iowa teacher salaries from 40th in the nation to 25th by the 2008-09 school year - as long as other states maintain current spending, said Rep. Cindy Winckler, a Democrat from Davenport.

Another goal of the bill is to ensure that all children have access to a school nurse, librarian and counselor, she said.

If districts can't afford to hire those three positions at least part time, schools could opt to ask for permission for a property tax increase.

"The 365 school districts in Iowa collectively have $635 million in cash reserves, so we think they can afford that," Winckler said.

Republicans were critical of the plan, saying they don't believe higher pay equals better teachers or higher student achievement.

Teachers who are not meeting teacher-quality standards will still get a pay raise above a cost-of-living increase, said Rep. Jodi Tymeson, a Republican from Winterset.

"It's too bad the bill rewards good teachers and ineffective teachers equally," she said.

Winckler said that's inaccurate. Districts have the authority to keep the pay level the same for teachers who are not meeting expectations, she said.

House Minority Leader Christopher Rants said the legislation has nothing to do with helping children become better students but instead is all about paying back the teachers' unions for pouring money into Democratic campaigns.

"That certainly wasn't my motivation in working so hard on this bill," Winckler said. "To me the bill is about great opportunities for our kids when they have quality teachers in the classroom."

All Democrats and 37 out of 46 Republicans in the House voted in favor of the bill. Opponents, all Republicans, were Reps. Dwayne Alons, Betty De Boef, Sandy Greiner, Polly Granzow, Scott Raecker, Jim Van Engelenhoven and Ralph Watts.

Three people were absent: Democrat Ray Zirkelbach, who's deployed in Iraq, and Republicans Royd Chambers and Dan Clute.

Reporter Jennifer Janeczko Jacobs can be reached at (515) 284-8127 or jejacobs@dmreg.com