Top Miss. teachers lobby to keep pay supplement
Tammy Bragg went through a rigorous process of completing projects and passing exams to become a nationally certified teacher, and the extra academic credential entitles her to a $6,000 annual pay supplement.
On Tuesday, instead of enjoying one of her first days of summer break, Bragg joined about three dozen other nationally certified teachers at the Mississippi Capitol. They lobbied legislators to make sure the pay supplement doesn’t get cut as lawmakers look for ways to piece together a tight state budget.
“The bottom line is, we went over and above to make ourselves better,” said Bragg, a 3rd grade teacher at Madison County’s Highland Elementary School.
Budget writers showed few signs of progress Tuesday as the full House and Senate reconvened after a 2 1/2-week recess. With the state fiscal year starting July 1, school administrators and state agency directors want to know how much money they’ll receive so they can make basic decisions such as how many employees they’ll have on the payroll.
Miss. AP
5/26/9
Magnolia Tribune
