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Parents and teachers urge Chatham board to restore master's pay, add incentives for EC and bilingual staff
Summary
Multiple teachers, EC staff and parents urged the Chatham County Schools Board of Education to restore master's-degree pay and to add incentive pay for exceptional children (EC) staff and bilingual office staff ahead of the district budget process.
Multiple teachers, paraprofessionals and parents used the board’s public-comment period to press the Chatham County Board of Education to restore master’s-degree pay and to add incentive pay for EC (exceptional children) staff and bilingual staff as the district prepares a budget to send to county commissioners.
Speakers noted statewide staffing pressures and urged local steps to retain and recruit staff. Brandy Varner, identifying herself as a union leader, teacher and parent, urged the board to include “incentive pay for EC staff, especially support staff, and for bilingual office staff” so multilingual families and students receive needed services.
The requests came in a series of public comments that emphasized classroom continuity and legal risk. Jennifer Keener, a Northwood teacher, said EC teachers are in short supply and cited Wake County’s experience with lawsuits over EC services; she told the board that “Northwood currently has 50% of their EC teachers fully licensed” and argued higher pay is required to attract certified staff.
Other commenters described personal experience and the burden of low pay. Laura Gerard, a parent, and Laura Newman, an art teacher who thanked the board for placing a master’s-pay reinstatement in the proposed budget, described the time and expense required to earn an advanced degree and urged the board to restore pay differentials. Seneca Haywood, a teacher at Matthews High School who leads an EC class, asked the board to consider a $2,500 incentive for EC teachers and assistants to reduce turnover and maintain program quality.
Why it matters: Speakers said pay and targeted incentives influence whether qualified EC and bilingual staff remain in the district. Several commenters tied staffing to student outcomes and to the district’s legal exposure if EC services are not adequately provided.
Board response and next steps: The board did not take formal action during the public-comment period. Several speakers thanked the board for placing a master’s-pay reinstatement in the proposed budget; the board will consider the budget in advance of submission to county commissioners, as noted by multiple speakers and in district remarks.
Context: The public-comment block ran at the meeting’s designated comment period and included teachers from multiple schools, parents, and union representatives. The meeting packet referenced a proposed budget item for reinstating master’s pay (discussed earlier in the meeting), but no formal vote on pay scales occurred during the session.
