States

Ga. Union Sues Over Salary For Nationally Certified Teachers

By Linda Jacobson — September 05, 2001 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The Georgia Association of Educators is suing the state education department over what it sees as a misinterpretation of a law designed to reward teachers for becoming nationally certified.

According to the National Education Association affiliate, the law gives teachers an additional 10 percent of their salaries for each of the 10 years they are certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. And when their salaries climb, the state association says, the supplement should rise as well.

But in a memorandum from the education department, local districts were instructed that the bonus should be 10 percent of what the teacher was earning in the year that he or she was certified by the national board.

“That’s not the spirit of the law,” argued Drew Allbritten, the executive director of the teachers’ group.

The lawsuit, filed in Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta, is on behalf of a Rockdale County teacher, Carolyn Kay Cribbs, who became nationally certified in 1995. But a decision in the case could affect the more than 100 teachers in the state who have earned the credential, according to the GAE.

Schrenko Backs Teachers

The incentive program began as a 5 percent bonus under then-Gov. Zell Miller. His successor, Gov. Roy E. Barnes, won approval to increase it to 10 percent last year. The current state budget includes $490,000 to help teachers pay the cost of applying for national certification and for mentors to help them through the process. Another $560,000 is budgeted for the salary supplements.

Even though she is named as a defendant in the lawsuit, state schools Superintendent Linda C. Schrenko has indicated that she agrees with the union’s position. A Republican candidate for governor in next year’s election, the superintendent has recently sided with the GAE against the Democratic governor on a variety of issues.

According to the teaching-standards board, based in Arlington, Va., 30 states help applicants pay the fees for board certification, and 31 provide salary supplements. In addition, close to 300 districts reward teachers for becoming nationally certified, the board reports.

Related Tags:

Events

Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Privacy & Security Webinar
Navigating Cybersecurity: Securing District Documents and Data
Learn how K-12 districts are addressing the challenges of maintaining a secure tech environment, managing documents and data, automating critical processes, and doing it all with limited resources.
Content provided by Softdocs

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

States School Chaplain Bills Multiply, Stirring Debate on Faith-Based Counseling
Proponents say school chaplains could help address a mental health crisis. Opponents raise concerns about religious coercion.
6 min read
Image of a bible sitting on top of a school backpack.
Canva
States What's on the K-12 Agenda for States This Year? 4 Takeaways
Reading instruction, private school choice, and teacher pay are among the issues leading governors' K-12 education agendas.
6 min read
Gov. Brad Little provides his vision for the 2024 Idaho Legislative session during his State of the State address on Jan. 8, 2024, at the Statehouse in Boise.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little outlines his priorities during his State of the State address before lawmakers on Jan. 8, 2024, at the capitol in Boise.
Darin Oswald/Idaho Statesman via AP
States Q&A How Districts Can Navigate Tricky Questions Raised by Parents' Rights Laws
Where does a parent's authority stop and a school's authority begin? A constitutional law scholar weighs in.
6 min read
Illustration of dice with arrows and court/law building icons: conceptual idea of laws and authority.
Andrii Yalanskyi/iStock/Getty
States What 2024 Will Bring for K-12 Policy: 5 Issues to Watch
School choice, teacher pay, and AI will likely dominate education policy debates.
7 min read
The U.S. Capitol is seen in Washington, Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. President Joe Biden on Tuesday night will stand before a joint session of Congress for the first time since voters in the midterm elections handed control of the House to Republicans.
The rising role of artificial intelligence in education and other sectors will likely be a hot topic in 2024 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, as well as in state legislatures across the country.
Mariam Zuhaib/AP