Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 4 · column 7 of 8 · from the scan, no model involved
Letters
To The
Editor
Position
Clarified
To the editor:
There was a statement published in the Rappahannock News last week that I believe needs to be clarified. The full meaning of my statement at the school board budget hearing was not printed when I asked the question, “Why do they all receive the same percentage increase?”
In the past in Rappahannock County, as well as in all school systems across the country, there has been a distinction made between professional employees and non-professional employees. Professional employees are those who have spent a considerable amount of time and money preparing themselves to be qualified for a job. They must return to school and earn six credit hours every five years in order to retain that certificate and qualification. Nonprofessional employees are those people who support the work of the system in a much needed capacity, but lack the professional training.
As compensation for the time and money spent by professional employees to train and retrain, they have been paid on a scale that pays a flat step increase or increment for each year of experience which has not been included as part of the cost of living percentage increase. Our school board has eliminated that amount for professional experience. Because of that the professional and nonprofessional employees are receiving exactly the same percentage increase, and I question that. 1 agree with Mrs. Massie that the cost of living has gone up for everybody; as it stands now our teachers will not receive their share next year. As a result we will see many of our teachers leave.
LYNNE B. BAINES *
87.7%