SC gov hopeful Cunningham proposes 10% teacher pay bump

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)– A Democrat running to unseat Republican Gov. Henry McMaster is proposing raising starting salaries for new K-12 teachers by nearly 40% over the next decade. Joe Cunningham says his plan is desperately needed to help South Carolina recruit and retain educators. He’s calling for an immediate 10% raise for all public school teachers across the state, and proposing to increase starting teacher salaries from $36,000 to $50,000 by 2030. The National Education Association says South Carolina’s average pay for a new teacher is ranked 40th in the country. Filing for South Carolina’s June 14 primary elections opened this month.