Teacher & Staff Support
Like many teachers in Albemarle County today, I could barely afford to support a growing family on a teacher’s salary in the 1990s. As our family grew, my decision to change careers was, in part, due to low compensation. I want to ensure that good teachers are being paid well enough to allow them to remain in the Albemarle County Public School (ACPS) system.
ACPS teachers are paid (on average) 7% less than Charlottesville teachers and less than many rural counties around the Commonwealth (Powhatan, Shenandoah, Tazewell) where the cost of living is significantly lower.
The ACPS annual budget is $259 million/year. With the current enrollment of 13,500 students, that is over $19,000 per student.
I recommend:
Shifting funding from central office personnel to teachers and aides and bus drivers.
Implementing a bonus system for effective teachers using a systematic evaluation process that incorporates improved test scores and feedback from parents, administrators, and other teachers.
Recruiting more teachers of color. Currently, students of color represent almost 40% of the school population but only 11% of teachers. I would encourage an aggressive recruiting program partnering with Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
“Stuck in the mud…”
Listen in to a November 2023 school board meeting in which an ACPS teacher and a student discuss the state of our schools in Albemarle County.