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Teachers, parents urge Chatham County board to reinstate master's pay and add EC/bilingual incentives
Summary
Multiple public commenters — including teachers and parents — urged the board to reinstate master's pay and to include incentive pay for EC and bilingual staff in the upcoming budget to retain specialized educators.
Several teachers, parents and union representatives used the board’s public-comment period to press Chatham County leaders to restore master's pay and add incentive pay to retain special-education (EC) and bilingual staff.
Brandy Varner, who addressed the board as a union leader, teacher and parent, said the district must protect supports for EC and multilingual students and asked the board to prioritize restoring master's pay in its budget discussions. "We're here to be the voice that tells you in Chatham, we always want to care about all our kids," she said.
Jennifer Keener, a teacher, told the board that EC teacher shortages are acute and that nearby districts have faced legal and financial consequences tied to EC staffing shortages. She thanked the board for including master's pay in the proposed budget and urged additional steps to attract and retain EC teachers.
Sunika Haywood, an EC teacher, described classroom responsibilities and urged a $2,500 incentive for EC teachers and assistants, saying higher pay would improve retention and the quality of services for high-needs students. "We implore you to consider the $2,500 incentive pay for all hardworking ECS teachers and assistants in the upcoming budget," she said.
Other parents and community members echoed the requests and credited recent county pay increases with persuading some families to enroll their children in district schools. Board members acknowledged comments and later moved forward with agenda items; no budget vote occurred at the meeting.
