Alabama Education Association plans to lobby to get teachers a 10 percent raise over the next two years if the money is available.
AEA Executive Secretary Henry Mabry says it would be the first pay raise for teachers in five years. Mabry says inflation is hurting teacher incomes and good salaries help attract strong teachers and other personnel.
AEA estimates the average teacher makes about $48,000 per year. School support personnel, who would be included in the raise request, make about $16,000.
State school officials predict the education budget will increase $408 million in fiscal 2014. Superintendent Tommy Bice has said he'd like to give teachers a cost-of-living increase, hire about 1,400 more teachers and boost spending on textbooks, bus transportation and academic programs.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.