Landes: House budget to include 5 percent pay raise for teachers

Del. Steve Landes, R-Weyers Cave, said today that the House budget to be released on Sunday will include a 5 percent pay raise for public school teachers.

“Virginia has some of the finest teachers in the country and that has led to Virginia students consistently outperforming nationwide peers on standardized tests, college admissions, and graduate rates,” said Landes, the vice chair of the House Appropriations Committee. “To maintain that success we must ensure our teachers are fairly compensated and know the hard work they do each and every day is greatly appreciated.

“Providing teacher pay raises does not have to come with a tax on the middle class attached to it,” said Del. Chris Jones (R-Suffolk), Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. “Under conservative leadership in the House of Delegates, this will be the fourth teacher pay raise in the last six years.”

“I am proud of Chairman Jones and Vice-Chairman Landes for the hard work and dedication they have shown to ensuring our teachers know how much they are appreciated in the Commonwealth,” said Speaker Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights). “As a public school teacher for 30 years, I know how hard teachers work to educate Virginia’s future leaders. We must make it a priority to keep great teachers in the classroom and that starts with making sure our teachers a fairly compensated.”