Jackson, Mississippi, March 31, 2022—Teach Plus Mississippi issued the following statement on the teacher pay raise legislation, signed today into law by Governor Reeves.
“Teach Plus Mississippi and Teach Plus teacher leaders are thrilled about the historic pay raise passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Governor Reeves. In a survey Teach Plus conducted before the start of the session, teachers in the state were clear that increasing their take home pay was a top priority. By listening to teachers and increasing starting salaries by $4,500, and by including significant increases of at least $1,200 every five years, lawmakers have made tremendous strides towards making Mississippi classrooms an attractive option for aspiring educators.
“After passing a modest pay raise during the 2021 legislative session, education leaders in the State Capitol promised to do more to improve teacher salaries and benefits in 2022. Teach Plus teacher leaders and educators from every corner of the Magnolia State are very appreciative that this promise was kept,” said Sanford Johnson, Teach Plus Mississippi Executive Director.
“Teachers deserve to focus on the one job that they have dedicated their lives to, without financial woes and worries. With the passing of this legislation, we are far more likely to attract and retain teachers in our classrooms. This is a very important step to ensuring that every student in Mississippi has an opportunity to be educated by a committed, highly effective teacher,” said Crystal Jackson, Teach Plus Policy Fellow who teaches at Warren Central Intermediate School in Vicksburg.”
About Teach Plus
The mission of Teach Plus is to empower excellent, experienced, and diverse teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that affect their students’ success. Since 2009, Teach Plus has trained thousands of teacher leaders across the country who are driving policy changes and improving the instructional practices of teachers to create an education system driven by equity, access, and excellence for all students. teachplus.org
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Contact: Anya Grottel-Brown, agrottelbrown@teachplus.org, 917-902-5902
