Columbia, S.C. — Governor Jim Hodges today announced a new initiative to increase teacher pay in South Carolina to the national average.

"We've asked our teachers to do more, so it's only fair to pay them more," Hodges said. "This pay increase will recognize the extra efforts our teachers are making to comply with the Education Accountability Act."

The six-year, $300 million plan will raise teacher pay to the national average by the 2006-07 school year.

In addition to an across-the-board pay increase, additional compensation bonuses will be targeted to address teaching shortages in certain academic subjects and geographic areas.

Additional incentives will boost teacher pay in school districts that show substantial increases in PACT scores.

"All teachers deserve better pay," Hodges said. "We want to provide additional financial incentives for teachers in school districts that show academic improvement."

Today's teacher pay announcement is Governor Hodges' latest initiative to improve teacher quality in South Carolina. In January, Hodges proposed a new initiative to encourage 500 teachers to obtain national certification by the year 2002. The General Assembly approved pay incentives of $7,500 per year over ten years for nationally certified teachers.