Ask most of Mississippi’s 30,000 teachers what grade they would give to the state Legislature this year and you’d likely hear low letter grades. State teachers received some disappointing news on Wednesday. Because of decreased tax collections, the teachers will likely have to wait another year before receiving new pay raises.

Politically it’s disappointing to newly elected governor, Ronnie Musgrove.

But for teachers and their families, it’s much more than a political loss. The loss of the promised pay raises means serious business for the grossly underpaid teachers.

No one will argue that our teachers need more compensation.

A few years ago their pay was abysmal.

And in the last few years, the Legislature has begun to right the wrong.

Each of the last three years teachers have received pay raises.

The first two years they received 3 percent increases. Last year they received an 8 percent boost.

And they are still below the Southeastern average.

But changing such a wrong is akin to turning a heavily laden barge in the middle of the Mississippi River.

Doing so will take time and patience.

What legislators do not need to do is rush things and appropriate funds that they will be forced to withdraw in a year when times get tougher.

Lawmakers should continue to focus on the problem. With slow, steady effort the goal of increasing our teachers’ compensation can be reached.

And we wish it was something that was achievable overnight, but it isn’t that simple.