OLYMPIA — State lawmakers are considering legislation that would reduce the pay of more than 8,000 highly trained Washington teachers by thousands of dollars annually.
Educators certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards earn $6,324 annual stipends. If they work in high-poverty schools, they earn an extra $5,000 on top of that.
Washington started offering stipends in the early 2000s. But with the state facing a $12 billion budget deficit, state lawmakers may suspend the payments for the next four years.
The budget cut proposed by companion bills in the state House and Senate would save the state an estimated $239 million during that period.
Twenty-nine states pay stipends to national board certified teachers; Washington and Texas are the only two states currently considering suspending the payments.
“Cutting the pay for thousands of Washington’s most accomplished teachers would ultimately hurt students and risk losing talent, especially in low-income schools,” said Peggy Brookins, CEO & president of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, which oversees the teacher certification process.
Roughly 12.5% of Washington teachers, about 8,650, are national board certified and earn a stipend of just over $6,324 annually. About 4,800 receive over $11,000 yearly from the state because they work at high-poverty schools.
Another 1,300 teachers in the state have started the certification process.
In a 2018 study commissioned by the state legislature, the Washington State Institute for Public Policy found that, on average, exposure to a national board certified teacher increases student test scores and attendance. However, the researchers also found that while board certification identifies effective teachers, earning certification did not make teachers more effective.
Gov. Bob Ferguson has repeatedly said he will not cut K-12 funding during this budget cycle. Ferguson’s office did not respond to requests for comment about the legislation.
Washington Education Association’s spokesperson Julie Popper said the union would view suspending the stipend as a K-12 funding cut. Still, she noted that previous Gov. Jay Inslee initially introduced the bill in his budget proposal.
“The state budget should not be balanced on the backs of teachers and the students we serve,” Popper said.
Democratic Sen. June Robinson, the chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, said the state’s looming budget shortfall has left legislators with few options.
“We’re at the point where we’re honestly looking for any viable option,” Robinson said. “I realize that teachers are relying on this money to balance their household budgets, so I think we need to be mindful of that.”
Robinson said lawmakers could amend the bill to soften the blow.
“There would be other ways to perhaps reduce them or phase them out,” Robinson said.
Andrea Gamboa, a Tukwila School District teacher, is among them. Having her pay cut by $11,000 per year could force her to leave West Seattle and relocate to an area with a lower cost of living.
“I’ve lived in my current neighborhood for 12 years, I don’t want to have to leave,” Gamboa said.
Gamboa also wonders whether colleagues with long commutes to Foster High School will look for work elsewhere. She and other national board certified teachers there benefit from the $5,000 stipend because many students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
According to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, the average teacher salary in Washington, including the stipend for certified teachers, is $106,364. However, if a teacher in small district such as Waterville makes $65,000, losing the $11,000 would result in a 17% pay cut, according to the Washington Education Association.
Washington has the second-highest number of NBCT teachers in the country, behind North Carolina, which has approximately 13,000.
Fewer than 500 educators in Oregon have earned board certification. The state does not guarantee a stipend to those who complete the certification process, which can take anywhere from one to three years to complete and requires educators to compile portfolios and pass an online test.
The portfolio entries include student work samples. Candidates must also evaluate their classroom performance and demonstrate that they can effectively interact with students, assess student performance, and collaborate with colleagues, parents and school communities.
The computer-based test includes three sections that evaluate candidates’ knowledge and teaching practices within a chosen certification field.
“NBCT forced me to slow down and understand why I was doing what I was doing and to be able to articulate it,” said Gamboa, the Tukwila School District teacher.
“It’s a thousand percent made me a better teacher,” said Sally Baer, an elementary teacher in the Renton School District.
Baer worries that suspending the stipend will make it more challenging for teachers to pay for extra classroom materials, training and graduate studies. In the past, the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and school districts have helped educators cover some of the cost of board certification.
“There is very little money in our school districts’ budgets for us to undergo professional development that continues to educate us and elevate our practice,” Baer said.
Teachers must submit additional materials every five years to maintain their certification and stay current with changes in teaching practices. Baer used her stipend to reimburse herself for nearly $2,000 in NBCT registration fees and plans to use the rest for her doctoral studies.
The Senate Ways and Means Committee will host a public hearing on its bill at 4 p.m. Thursday.
