Here is a little something I found this A.M., 4:30 27 February 2018:
Here's how much teachers earn in every state
Money Talks News Krystal Steinmetz 7/3/2017
45. West Virginia Average wage: $45,520
Granted, this is a bit dated by about 8 months, but still surprisingly is higher than the numbers being put out by Union Officials? Is it excessive- NO, but it is far more than many people earn in this State. And it would also seem to possibly/ probably not include items that have popped up like the Attendance Bonus that were noted being paid.
Here is some more data on how/ what they are paid by specialty. This is from the following site: http://www.teachingdegree.org/
As in many states, those who are interested in teaching certification in West Virginia are often interested in the salaries they may receive from their prospective employers. Current state-mandated minimum salary schedules for those fulfilling different criteria are available online for those who are interested in this aspect of becoming a teacher in West Virginia. A West Virginia certified teacher is primarily paid depending on years of experience on the job. Also an important factor is the number of educational hours completed, as well as highest degree completed, by a West Virginia educator. While teachers with bachelor’s degrees meet the minimum teaching requirements in West Virginia, those teachers may also be interested in completing higher degrees to increase their pay.
The following spreadsheet contains data on how educator salaries in West Virginia compare to the national average. In most cases, a teacher in West Virginia will make less money than a teacher in another part of the country, though discrepancies in the cost of living between regions may mitigate this issue.
Occupation Annual mean wage Annual mean wage
in West Virginia in U.S.
Business Teachers, Postsecondary $64,050 $119,410
Physics Teachers Postsecondary $81,230 $90,570
Psychology Teachers Postsecondary $75,100 $76,060
Education Teachers Postsecondary $51,230 $65,630
English Language and Literature
Teachers Postsecondary $58,870 $68,360
Preschool Teachers
Except Special Education $28,640 $31,420
Kindergarten Teachers
Except Special Education $47,330 $52,840
Elementary School Teachers
Except Special Education $44,710 $56,320
Middle School Teachers
Except Special and Career/Technical Education
$44,270 $56,630
Secondary School Teachers
Except Special and Career/Technical Education
$45,000 $58,260
Special Education Teachers Kindergarten and Elementary School
$41,260 $56,690
Special Education Teachers Middle School
$38,980 $39,370
Special Education Teachers Secondary School
$42,260 $39,370
And finally:
West Virginia Department of Education
Office of School Finance
TEACHERS' STATE MINIMUM SALARY SCHEDULE
STATE BASIC SALARY WITHOUT EQUITY
FOR THE 2012-13 YEAR
Years
Exp. 4th 3rd 2nd A.B. M.A. M.A. M.A. Doctorate
Class Class Class A.B. +15 M.A. +15 +30 +45
0 26,917 27,606 27,872 29,315 30,076 31,843 32,604 33,365 34,126 35,161
Where am I going with all this? Very simply, that the above chart is five (5), years old and the first chart shows an average salary as of 8 months ago was $45,520. I am going to suggest that these folks have come a long damn ways in 5 years. And I again suspect that some of the bells and whistles are not showing up in the last chart either? Again, the infamous Attendance Bonus? And this is for first year Teacher's with NO experience. And they are primarily paid depending on years of experience on the job.
It does not seem things are as dire as is being presented? In Truth, it again, may well be a scam is being perpetrated on the folks to stampede the House of Delegates into raises that as noted before are actually 8 1/2% over the next three years instead of 4%?
Am I saying they don't deserve a raise? NO, just that the 2% is a fair one, PLUS do a complete evaluation of PAY and BENEFITS together.. 'nuff said'.