Candidates promise Va. teachers pay raises

HAMPTON -- Virginia's candidates for governor last night promised Virginia teachers what they wanted -- more money.

The three Democratic candidates, state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds of Bath County, former Del. Brian J. Moran of Alexandria and former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe of McLean, told the Virginia Education Association's annual convention here that they would work to bring the average teacher salary in Virginia up to the national average. It now is about $4,000 below the average.

"You can't expect excellence if you're not willing to pay for average," said Deeds, bringing loud applause from the audience of about 650 teachers and administrative personnel.

And McAuliffe warned that money for education would have to come from an improved economy. He said that if elected he would create more jobs than any governor in the United States.

"In a down economy, you put more money into education," McAuliffe said. He said he would create more jobs by improving Virginia's transportation system.

"Our roads are parking lots," he said.

Moran said he would work with the VEA to recruit and help elect more pro-education legislators to the General Assembly. The "other side of the aisle" -- Republicans -- is the problem, Moran said.

The three Democrats are competing in a June 9 primary for the right to take on presumed Republican nominee Bob McDonnell in the November general election.

McDonnell, who addressed the audience before the Democrats, said he would work to increase teacher salaries, but he voiced a couple of issues that the Democrat-leaning VEA has traditionally opposed. He said he favors merit pay for teachers and increased emphasis on charter schools.

McDonnell drew applause when he said he would work to decrease the administrative load of teachers.

McDonnell answered questions from the audience, then left. The three Democrats then shared the stage, answering the same questions, which the VEA had provided to the candidates four days in advance.

Deeds and McAuliffe promised to offer incentives to teachers to work in low-income communities and to teach math and science. McAuliffe drew a murmur from the audience when he said his proposed incentives would include waiving college loans.

"We can't expect to solve the challenges of tomorrow if we continue to fall behind the rest of the world in math and science," Deeds said.

In a fiery opening statement that drew frequent applause, McAuliffe said half of the inmates in Virginia prisons are high school dropouts. He said he would emphasize pre-kindergarten education to improve reading skills so there would be fewer dropouts.

McAuliffe said that if he served as governor no jurisdiction surrounding Virginia would have a higher average salary than those paid Virginia teachers at the end of his four-year term. Maryland now pays teachers $60,000 a year. Virginia's average salary is about $46,000.

Moran noted that his father taught high school government, but he said he still had to hold part-time jobs while in high school because his father's salary was so small.

"You know how I will lead because you can see how I have led," said Moran, emphasizing what he termed his pro-education record in the House of Delegates.

Moran was accompanied by the head of one of his children's PTAs. McDonnell noted that a sister of his is a public school teacher in Amherst County. Both of Deeds' grandmothers taught school.

The VEA has about 60,000 members, many of whom are stalwarts in Democratic campaigns.

Contact Tyler Whitley at (804) 649-6780 or .