2005 Legislation
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SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 111 – Teachers, pay increase goal

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 111

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Bill Status



SCR111.........................................................by EDUCATION
PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEES - Stating findings of the Legislature and
establishing a goal to provide increased compensation for Idaho's public
school employees.
                                                                        
02/14    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/15    Rpt prt - to Educ
03/10    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 10th Ord
03/16    10th Ord - FAILED - 15-19-0, 1 vacancy
      AYES -- Andreason, Broadsword, Burkett, Coiner, Corder, Darrington,
      Gannon, Kelly, Keough, Langhorst, Malepeai, Marley, Schroeder,
      Stennett, Werk
      NAYS -- Brandt, Bunderson, Burtenshaw, Cameron, Compton, Davis,
      Geddes, Goedde, Hill, Jorgenson, Little, Lodge, McGee, McKenzie,
      Pearce, Richardson, Stegner, Sweet, Williams
      Absent and excused -- (District 21 seat vacant)
    Floor Sponsor - Marley
    Filed in Office of the Secretary of Senate

Bill Text


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ]]]]              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ]]]]
 Fifty-eighth Legislature                   First Regular Session - 2005
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                       IN THE SENATE
                                                                        
                            SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 111
                                                                        
                                   BY EDUCATION COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                               A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
  2    STATING FINDINGS OF  THE  LEGISLATURE  AND  ESTABLISHING  A  GOAL  TO  PROVIDE
  3        INCREASED COMPENSATION FOR IDAHO'S PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEES.
                                                                        
  4    Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
  5        WHEREAS,  Idaho's public schools are the cornerstone of our state's democ-
  6    racy, as well as a critical component of our economic vitality; and
  7        WHEREAS, research indicates that, next to  a  child's  parents,  the  most
  8    critical factor in a student's educational life is the student's teacher; and
  9        WHEREAS,  Idaho's  public  school employees are an essential ingredient in
 10    ensuring that our schools are successful by educating and mentoring into citi-
 11    zenship the overwhelming majority of our state's children; and
 12        WHEREAS, the Legislature wishes to recognize the dedication of all  public
 13    school employees and to assure them that their well-being is among our highest
 14    priorities; and
 15        WHEREAS, the federal No Child Left Behind Act requires school districts to
 16    employ highly qualified teachers; and
 17        WHEREAS,  the  Legislature  has,  in the past, taken steps to increase the
 18    minimum entry level salary paid to teachers and allocated funds sufficient  to
 19    raising  the  average  salary of Idaho teachers but has been unable to sustain
 20    that commitment over an extended period of time; and
 21        WHEREAS, the competition for knowledge and skilled workers  has  increased
 22    to  the  point  where  young people considering their futures have an array of
 23    choices that are economically more attractive than entering the teaching field
 24    including, for example, the average entry wage for nursing is $36,800,  postal
 25    service clerks is $37,800, and dental hygienists is $44,800; and
 26        WHEREAS, the compensation public school educators receive is a significant
 27    contributor  to the decision whether to undertake a career in public education
 28    and then whether to remain in that profession; and
 29        WHEREAS, the Governor's 2020 Blue Ribbon Task Force provided a recommenda-
 30    tion to the Governor in October, 2003, establishing a  goal  to  "attract  the
 31    brightest  new  educators,  retain  skilled,  veteran  educators, and increase
 32    expectations for performance" by, in part, adopting the following  recommenda-
 33    tion:
 34        "Raise  the  beginning teacher salary starting in 2004 to reach $35,000 by
 35        2008 and adjust the current scale to reflect this increased base  to  pro-
 36        vide a professional wage for teachers and principals. Provide funding from
 37        the state to meet this salary increase."; and
 38        WHEREAS,  due to difficult economic circumstances, the Legislature has not
 39    increased the state's salary allocation base since fiscal year 2001; and
 40        WHEREAS, during that same time frame inflation increased  more  than  16%;
 41    and
 42        WHEREAS,  the Legislature recognizes that our state's economy is beginning
 43    to rebound from several years of challenging times; and
 44        WHEREAS, it is the prerogative of the Legislature to establish for  itself
                                                                        
                                           2
                                                                        
  1    a  goal  to  guide  its decisions in the future, to measure its progress on an
  2    annual basis, and to ensure that appropriate decisions are  made  during  each
  3    legislative session.
  4        NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the members of the First Regular Session
  5    of the Fifty-eighth Idaho Legislature, the Senate and the House of Representa-
  6    tives   concurring therein, that we establish for ourselves a goal of increas-
  7    ing Idaho's beginning teacher salary to $35,000 by the 2008-2009 school year.
  8        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, by that same year, our goal is  to  fund  the
  9    state's  salary  allocation,  based  on the experience and education table, so
 10    that the average salary for Idaho teachers will be no less than $55,000.
 11        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, by that same year, state  funding  for  other
 12    categories  of public school employees will have received increases of similar
 13    proportions.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact



                       STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

                             RS 14938

The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to establish a
legislative goal for increasing the beginning and average salary
levels for Idaho public school teachers, as well as other
categories of public school employees.


                           FISCAL NOTE

The estimated impact of reaching the average salary included in
this resolution is $180 million.



Contact
Name:  Bert Marley 
Phone: 208-332-1407
       Mike Burkett 332-1351
       Gary Schroeder 332-1323


STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE                 SCR 111