Video: Teacher Pay To Be On 2014 Agenda

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JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn says he wants lawmakers to consider a pay raise for teachers in 2014.

Gunn said Thursday that he’d like to see an across-the-board pay raise for those in the classroom.

But, he says if merit pay is the only option acceptable to Gov. Phil Bryant, he’d be willing to go with that. Both are Republicans.

Bryant says he wants to base any teacher pay raises on test scores and job evaluations.

It’s been several years since Mississippi teachers have received an across-the-board raise. Four districts are trying merit pay.

A national education group says that in 2011-12, Mississippi teachers were paid an average of $41,646, the second-lowest rate in the country.

The Mississippi Association of Educators says it wants lawmakers to approve an across-the-board raise.