PTA, Teachers Want More School Funding

RICHMOND — The Virginia PTA and the Virginia Education Association fear proposed cuts in funding for public education will hurt the state’s students and teachers.

“Virginia must re-invest in K-12 public education,” the PTA’s legislative chair, Kathy Burcher, said at a news conference. “Class sizes are increasing, programs are being cut, teachers and staff are being laid off.”

In Fairfax County, there have not been layoffs, but teachers have not had a raise in two years.

Also at the news conference was Kitty Boitnott, president of the VEA, which represents Virginia’s teachers.

Boitnott said students, teachers and their learning environment would be drastically affected if the state does not increase school funding.

“These continuing state cuts, perhaps coupled with local reductions, mean that Virginia schools will see larger class sizes, deteriorating buildings, aging bus fleets, outdated technology, fewer curriculum offerings, layoffs of teachers and support staff, and lowered student achievement as teachers struggle to provide quality instruction with fewer resources,” Boitnott said.

The news conference, which also included representatives of the Virginia School Boards Association and the Virginia Association of Superintendents, was held last week, after Gov. Bob McDonnell announced his legislative initiatives for K-12 education.

McDonnell’s proposals included providing performance pay incentives of up to $5,000 for teachers in hard-to-staff schools and offering tax credits to businesses that fund scholarships for low-income students to attend private schools.

The groups at criticized the governor for not pumping more money into public education. They said that under budget amendments McDonnell proposed in December, the state’s public schools would lose $74 million in funding.

Virginia’s schools have been squeezed financially in recent years.

Since 2009, state funding has dropped 14 percent — from $5,274 per student to $4,519, according to the VEA.

According to Congressional Quarterly, Virginia’s per-pupil funding ranks 10th among the 12 states in the Southeast — ahead of only Florida and Tennessee.

Instead of McDonnell’s proposal to give select teachers performance pay incentives, the VEA wants a 3 percent pay increase for all teachers.

The group opposes the governor’s proposal to require teachers and other public employees to contribute toward their retirement plan.

* From Capital News Service.