Just after this morning’s portion of the hearing on HB 222, the teacher career ladder bill – a hearing that will start back up again in the Lincoln Auditorium in just a few minutes – state schools Superintendent Sherri Ybarra, who sat in the front row through this morning’s hearing, said she opposes the bill. “What I question in this bill … is the oversight of the evaluation piece,” she said. “My solution is out there: It’s a pilot project. I would just encourage that we give all folks raises, just like we do with all state employees, and revisit this.”

State employees are getting 3 percent merit-based raises next year. Ybarra said, “I support giving educators a raise. That is something we all agree upon – making sure we’re treating all employees fairly. I say give everybody a raise … and we will revisit this. This is a large project.”