Editorial

Editorial

Pay scale needs work

We believe that the compressed salary schedule proposed for teachers’ salaries next year may be a step in the wrong direction.

Of course. Rappahannock needs to get its starting salary up to a more competitive level, but it’s even more important to pay veteran teachers well enough so they won’t want to take their experience elsewhere.

In support of his proposal, Dr. Gangel has prepared a chart that shows the gap between beginning teachers’ salaries and maximum salaries has been growing under the index system. In fact, it has almost doubled from a differential of about $5,500 in 1983-84 to $10,600 this year, but of course, a constant percentage of a rising amount is a larger and larger number.

Does anyone doubt that fully experienced teachers are worth 60 percent more than raw beginners? It seems the only question ought to be the definition of “fully experienced.”

Under the current salary schedule a teacher, needs 25 years of experience to receive 60 percent more than a beginner. Under the proposed system, a teacher with 25 years’ experience would get only 52 percent more than a beginner.

Perhaps the compressed schedule is needed as an interim measure. In fact, a study of salary schedules in surrounding counties shows they have been doing similar things.

But then the School Board needs to work toward a more sensible schedule than the current mix of three through six percent steps — or the proposed mix which adds one and two percent steps.

A schedule of 20 steps with three percent between each, so that a teacher with 20 years’ experience would receive 60 percent more than a beginner, might be the most sensible solution. Then, if the School Board wants to give higher pay to those with 25 or more years of experience, it should be considered a “loyalty bonus” rather than a step on the regular salary scale, and it could be a fixed dollar amount.

Mark your calendar

County residents should mark two dates on their calendars.

The first is next Saturday, April 1, when the Rappahannock Anti-Litter League and You! (RALLY!) will sponsor its annual county-wide beautification day. There will be road-side cleanups, an aluminum can drive at the elementary school to benefit the seventh grade trip to Williamsburg, and food, drink and t-shirts for all participants.

Litter coordinator Njna Stamer requests that any residents with suggestions for particularly unsightly roads which need a good cleaning to call her (675-3810). Local scout troops and other community groups will, as in previous yers, participate in the cleanup.

The second date to remember is Saturday, May 13. That morning, from 9-11:30 a.m., RALLY! plans the official opening of the recycling center at the county landfill in Amissville.

Mrs. Stamer said that, for now, the site will accept aluminum cans and glass. Newspapers should still be taken to the trailer behind the Amissville fire hall, where they are recycled by the Amissville VFD.

These two important events will serve a double purpose; celebrating the coming of spring and getting the county back into the recycling habit.