Double-digit raises from coast to coast?

Reaching directly to the public. After a long campaign-with everything from rallies to rolling school employee walkouts-the Washington Education Association last November won passage of a ballot initiative to,provide annual cost-of-living raises for school district employees, academic employees of community and technical colleges, and certain technical college support staffers.

But WEA staffer Dale Folkerts stresses that there's much more work to be done on the pay issue.

"We're now seeking an additional catch-up and an urban housing allowance," he reports.

Last November, the Arizona Education Association teamed up with Republican Governor Jane Hull, the Republican state school superintendent, and legislators from both parties to win voter approval of a 0.6 percent sales tax increase that will raise some $445 million a year for public education.

Some $157 million of that money will be allocated for teacher raises.

"Our challenge now," says AEA President Penny Kotterman, "is to implement this program quickly and fairly."

Working behind the scenes. Six Nebraska State Education Association members recently served on a state Teacher Salary Task Force, which has produced recommendations for making teacher pay "regionally competitive."

The panel's report, now in the hands of legislators, calls for a state-funded salary supplement for every teacher, an annual stipend for National Board-certifled teachers, a college loan forgiveness plan, a mentoring program for all new educators, and extended contract pay.

The North Dakota Education Association, for its part, is now backing Governor John Hoeven's proposed soh tions for the state's teacher retention and recruitment problem-including a immediate $3,500 increase for every teacher over the next biennium and a loan forgiveness program for new educators who accept hard-to-fill position;

Pushing the envelope. Other NEA affiliates are working creatively t attract and keep educators in the profession. Several Massachusetts

Teachers Association locals are now negotiating contract language the would provide pa tial or total payment for required advanced degree work, while the Michigan Education Association has won funding to cover the cost for every teacher to attend up to four work days devote to professional development designed at the local level.

That will mean an added 2.4 percent raise on top of normal bargained increases.

In other key states, like California and Ohio, NEA affiliates have tackled the teacher retention problem by winning dramatic pension formula

improvements that make it attractive to stay put and teach for a long time.

But as long as other professions pay higher salaries-often for fewer responsibilities and less stress-more work needs to be done.

"Model schools should have strong, professional, and competitive salaries," stresses Bob Willoughby in New Jersey. "We want to see our profession grow by bringing in and keeping the best and brightest." V

For more on average teacher salaries, go to www.nea.org/publiced/ edstats/salaries.html.