Ga. Senate OKs more pay for math, science teachers

ATLANTA—Help Wanted: Math and science teachers. Pay: On the rise.

In the midst of a recession where jobs are vanishing at an alarming rate, a shortage of educators certified to teach math and science has Georgia sweetening the pot. The state Senate voted unanimously on Thursday to boost pay for the educators beginning in the 2010 school year.

The bill would allow new secondary school teachers with proper math or science certification to start at the salary of a fifth year teacher. That's a boost of about $4,561, to $37,985 a year, under the state salary schedule. The teacher's salary would then continue to rise a step every year for five years. After that, the increase would be tied to student performance.

The House has already passed the legislation but must reconsider it because of a minor change made by the Senate on Thursday. Gov. Sonny Perdue is pushing the measure, so it's unlikely to have a problem winning his signature.

Perdue said in January that Georgia faces a "critical shortage" of teachers certified in math and science, even as demand for such specialties rises.

In 2008, 14.3 percent of all Georgia math teachers were not fully certified, according to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. Another 18.6 percent of physical science teachers and 16.2 percent of life sciences teachers lacked full certification, the commission said.

The shortfall in Georgia mirrors what education officials say is a national trend.

The Georgia bill focuses on high schools but would also reward elementary school teachers who increase their competency in math and science by handing them a $1,000 annual bonus if they earn an endorsement from the Professional Standards Commission.

The incentives would together cost about $9.9 million a year. None of that money is included in the current budget, which carries a huge deficit due to plunging state tax collections. It will need to be in the fiscal year 2011 budget that Perdue will unveil next January.

Georgia currently has a record-high 9.3 percent unemployment rate.

Still, Jeff Hubbard, president of the Georgia Association of Educators, said the legislation is shortsighted and likely will lead to morale problems among teachers. Lawmakers should have included special education teachers and those in rural districts -- which are also in demand -- instead of just singling out math and science.

"The idea in concept was not bad, but they could have done a lot more with it," Hubbard said. "We had hoped they would have also looked at hard to reach areas. There's a geographic need."

Lawmakers could have also inserted other incentives aside from salary for teachers, including loan forgiveness programs and housing stipends, he said.

The bill which passed Thursday would hike the salaries of certified math and science teachers with less than five years experience to a fifth year pay level. But those teachers with more than five years in the classroom wouldn't see a bump.

The bill's sponsor, state Sen. Dan Weber acknowledged the bill isn't perfect.

"But it's a start," the Dunwoody Republican. "We're starting with one area where we know there's a critical need."

State Department of Education spokesman Dana Tofig said districts have been scrambling to staff math and science classrooms, especially advanced high school classes. Some districts have used teachers with provisional certification. Others have created partnerships with local colleges.

Tofig said a rising number of students are taking advanced math and science classes through Georgia Virtual Schools, which offers classes online.

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Associated Press Writer Dorie Turner contributed to this report