Teachers could see raise if Senate bill passes

Jennifer Coleman

Tuesday, Feb. 23, 1999 | 8:23 a.m.

CARSON CITY - Nevada teachers who meet tough national accreditation standards could get a 5 percent raise under a bill debated in the Senate Finance Committee.

Only 44 percent of teachers who apply for certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards are approved, deputy state schools chief Keith Rheault said Monday in arguing for SB46.

"To get certified, teachers must complete a demanding demonstration of skills and knowledge," Rheault said. That includes submitting videos of lessons, samples of students' work and an essay exam.

The process to get certified takes a year and costs $2,000. To encourage more participation, another bill, SB47, would reimburse teachers for the costs of applying.

Currently, there are no teachers in Nevada who are applying for certification, Rheault said.

While the 5 percent raise would provide an incentive, Debbie Cahill of the Nevada State Education Association said a 10 percent raise would be more in line with what other states offer.

"We know that in Los Angeles, when they negotiated their latest contract, they included a 15 percent raise for teachers with national credentials," she said. "This would also help in trying to recruit teachers to this state."

But Senate Finance Chairman Bill Raggio, R-Reno, wasn't convinced, saying, "Five percent is better than nothing."

The Senate money committee also heard testimony from Raggio and Rheault on a bill to establish a nine-member advisory committee to create proficiency tests for high school juniors.

The committee would review test questions, develop standards for passing scores, and determine whether the test adequately measures student knowledge. It also would measure the costs of administering the test.

The committee would be exempt from open meeting laws to ensure the security of the test questions.

Raggio said the panel would differ from others formed to oversee proficiency testing because it would include parents and business and community leaders - four appointed by the Legislature and five appointed by the governor.