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U.S. gender wage gap grows for first time in a decade; Trump has embraced NC's Mark Robinson, calling him 'Martin Luther King on steroids'; Volunteers sought as early voting kicks off in MN; Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's.

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Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

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A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

VA Falls in Teacher-Pay Rank

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Thursday, July 20, 2017   

RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia teachers make almost $8,000 a year less than the national average. And educators say many have to keep second or even third jobs to make ends meet.

The latest annual survey just released by the National Education Association found Virginia has fallen to 32nd in the country for educator pay. Steven Lavery teaches government, including advanced placement classes, in Pulaski County. He said even after fourteen years as a public school teacher, he still has to take work at summer camps to support his family.

"My wife is also an educator and she has had to take on pretty regular work as well,” Lavery said. “So it's a family of four, two people with advanced degrees, and we have to take on additional work."

The governor and General Assembly agreed to budget for a 2 percent statewide raise this year. Many lawmakers said a budget shortfall made anything more than that impossible.

The state Department of Education estimates Virginia may have as many as 4,000 unfilled teaching positions.

Critics of pay raises for teachers sometimes argue that educators don't deserve more because they only work nine months a year. But Lavery said that's no longer true. He said for years the summer break has been continually eroded by additional classes, class preparation and professional development.

"Traditionally, what would have been viewed as summer vacation is getting shorter and shorter,” he contended. "No teacher I know takes off three months and decides to go back to work the day before school. That's just ridiculous."

He said asking professional educators to shortchange their families is unfair to the teachers, and unwise for the impact it can have on students and their communities.

"Teachers who have to go wait tables in the evening, think about how a teacher can establish a professional rapport with a parent when that parent comes into a local eatery and sees the teacher having to wait tables,” Lavery said.

According to the NEA survey, Virginia teachers make $7,900 than the national average. Lavery said if you take out the wealthier school districts in Northern Virginia and around Richmond, the state average is even below that.


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