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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
]]]] 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
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