The group Hamilton Flourishing has released "the most comprehensive, third party, review of teacher compensation of teachers in Hamilton County Schools (HCDE) in recent memory."
It said the results show that the average teacher salary for Hamilton County Public School Teachers is $52,649 - higher than any surrounding Tennessee county. Comparable counties such as Knox average $50,504.00. Williamson County teachers average $51,225.00.
The study says veteran salaries are at an average of $64,399.00. Tennessee’s average salary is $50,998.00. Hamilton County teachers with a doctorate top out at $71,209.00 after 25 years of teaching.
The study said county teachers "also receive a generous health and dental insurance package worth about $10,000."
The 15-page report, available on the Hamilton Flourishing website www.hamiltonflourishing.org, under the heading “Education” was put together by Batiwalla Consulting of Nashville.
The group said, "Mary Batiwalla has over a decade in education, including her recent role as Assistant Commissioner at the Tennessee Department of Education. She has also been a practitioner, researcher, and executive leader. Her other roles at the state were: Executive Director of Accountability, Research and Policy Analyst and Research Project Manager. She holds a Master in Public Policy from Vanderbilt’s Peabody College and a BA in Sociology from Loyola University. She is a graduate of Tennessee public schools."
Doug Daugherty, president of Hamilton Flourishing, an organization in Chattanooga whose mission “is to seek the well-being of Hamilton County and Chattanooga through effective Public Policy”, wrote in a letter to community leaders that, “The current administration should get a pat on the back for creating compensation packages that are above average, significantly in some comparisons.”
He added, “The issue of teacher compensation has been thrown around like a political hot potato year after year. Our aim is to publish factual, researched documents, easily read, that make it plain to every taxpayer, citizen and voter in Hamilton County as to what the facts are on issues within our mission, so that when opinions are expressed, they are backed up by reliable third party data. This will allow politicians, voters, taxpayers and citizens of Hamilton County to be more knowledgeable and less open to arm-twisting from one side or the other.
"Good teachers and a good support network make the best educators. Good pay is an incentive for recruiting and retention."
The report says Hamilton County Schools "retained only 86 percent of their 2017-18 teachers to their 2018-2019 school year; this rate was lower than all surrounding Tennessee districts."
Mr. Daughterty said, "Citizens are invited to read the entire report themselves and follow the many references to cited available data."