I have also required state agencies to tighten their belts in order to fix higher education. We've been making progress over the last few years, but its not enough. I believe we must pay teachers the national average. This pay increase will recognize the extra efforts our teachers are making to comply with the Education Accountability Act. Additional incentives will also boost teacher pay in school districts that show substantial increases in PACT scores.
All teachers deserve better pay.
We want to provide additional financial incentives for teachers in school districts that show academic improvement. In South Carolina, we've set the ambitious goal of training 500 nationally certified teachers by the year 2002. I have also proposed a new loan program for teachers to pay for the cost of national certification. These loans would be forgiven once a teacher successfully completes national certification. Our state should also reward outstanding achievement in teaching with performance bonuses.