DES MOINES, Iowa — Gov. Kim Reynolds on Tuesday night proposed a significant investment in teacher pay across Iowa: $96 million to increase pay by 50%.
The call to action for lawmakers includes increasing starting teacher pay to $50,000 while setting a minimum salary of $62,000 for teachers with at least 12 years of experience.
Reynolds also wants to set aside $10 million for a merit-based grant program that would reward teachers "who have gone above and beyond to help their students succeed."
"The governor has always brought bold proposals, especially when it comes to education. I think that is another one," said Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley. "And I think the legislature, you know, that was a pretty quick clap and applause and a rise by the body. I think you're going to see a lot of interest in wanting to do something when it comes to getting us into those higher levels across the country."
Molly Buck, a Democratic statehouse representative from Ankeny, believes the proposal sounds goods but thinks there are a lot of questions surrounding where that new money is coming from.
"If we're going to 'rob Peter to pay Paul' so to speak, that makes increased teacher pay less palatable if the trade-off is that we end up with class sizes, you know, 35 second graders in a class size. That's not such a great trade-off," she said.
At Des Moines Public Schools, Superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts spoke on the proposed increase.
"A first-year teacher with a bachelor's degree will probably start around $45,000, a teacher with a master's degree, somewhere just a little over $49,000," he said.
Roberts shares his excitement for Reynolds' plan to invest more in teachers.
"I think the governor's recognition of teachers and even her commitment to think about increasing teacher compensation shows how much she values, in partnership with the Department of Education, the work that teachers are doing," Roberts added.
Iowa ranks 36th in the nation in average starting salary for teachers and 27th in average teacher salary, according to the National Education Association.
"These investments will put Iowa in the top-five states for starting pay and help recruit more of the best and brightest to join the teaching profession," Reynolds said in her Condition of the State regarding the proposed increases.