Show Us the Money! VEA Members Speak Up about Their Paychecks

VEA leaders and members have been speaking up around the state, letting local school boards, city councils, and media outlets know that increasing teacher pay is not only an essential component to overcoming teacher shortages, but also a long overdue sign of respect for an amazingly important profession. Here’s a sampling of the messages they’ve shared.

How can we expect our educators to be at their best for our students if they are preoccupied with making their mortgage payment? If they are having to choose between continuing to teach and the rising cost of childcare? If they come in everyday exhausted from working their second, or even third job the night before? If they are under constant threat from outside groups crying, “Indoctrination!”, constant threat of verbal and physical harassment from students, and constant threat of rampant gun violence plaguing our schools? How can we expect our educators to be at their best when they don’t get paid enough for this?

Katie Seidemann, Montgomery County Education Association

People don’t leave our district angry. They leave hurt. They want to stay, they want to do the job, they love the people they work with, they love their students, but they cannot pay their bills.

Helen Pryor, Education Association of Norfolk discouraging Black youth from truly learning about their history and experiences. “

In addition to Dr. Love and Pierson, conference attendees also heard presentations from Peggy Brookins, president and CEO of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards; VEA member Anthony Swann, Virginia’s 2021 Teacher of the Year; Dr. Ronald White of the Spartans Teach Program at Norfolk State University; and La-Neka S. Brown, director of the Teacher in Residence Program at Old Dominion University; and heard a panel of VEA members who are National Board Certified Teachers discuss what that process is like for teachers of color.

Participants also had breakout sessions on a wide range of topics, including equity audits, working toward visible inclusion, increasing retention rates among Black boys, the power of a teacher, hip-hop pedagogy and literacy instruction, and White educators and cultural humility.l

While we’re definitely grateful for a 5 percent raise, any raise that’s below the rate of inflation will make our staff feel like we are making less money next year.

Mary McIntyre, Albemarle Education Association

There are employees who are leaving our school district to work for other school districts for two main reasons, low salary, and no room to advance in their careers.

Margaret Migas, Waynesboro Education Association

For the last 31 years, I have been a teaching assistant and I didn’t even make $31,000 until this past year. I went to our school board and told them, ‘You don’t even pay me $31,000 a year and I also drive a school bus, am a part-time custodian, and I’m in school to get my degree to be a teacher in your school system.’

Arthur Anderson, Chesapeake Education Association

They say that love is priceless. But it’s kind of nifty that on this day—Valentine’s Day, the day we celebrate love, I’m able to calculate the value of my love for Stafford County Public Schools. It’s $27,517…I know that I’d make $27,517 more if I taught at a Prince William school next year than I will make at my current job…I stay because I really do love Stafford County Public Schools. I love my students, my school, my co-workers, my curriculum…but I can’t say it doesn’t sting.

Sarah Taylor, Stafford Education Association

VEA Adds Organizing Staff

Wesley Gibson, is VEA’s new Organizing Specialist in Alexandria, and comes to us from New Hampshire, where he was working as a regional organizing director for the NH Democratic Party’s coordinated campaign. He has experience as a chief steward and in leading card-signing drives, contract negotiations, and member representation.

Justin Johnson is now the Organizing Specialist in Hampton/ Tidewater, joining VEA from the NEA Organizing Fellowship Academy, where he is a Fellow. Prior to that, he was a business teacher in Georgia, as well as the treasurer for the Georgia Association of Educators, where he helped create the Georgia Association of Millennial Educators.

Adjua Lafleur is now a UniServ Director serving the Prince William Education Association. She brings seven years of classroom experience, has served her New Jersey local three times as a delegate to the NEA convention, and is a graduate of the NEA Pre-UniServ Academy.l