Janet Stalling, Anna McClannahan, Polly Barron, Gwen Cheatham, and Janet Keller collectively “teachers” appeal from the trial court’s order dismissing their complaint against the State of Georgia, Cathy Cox, Superintendent of Schools, and the Georgia Department of Education collectively “the State” seeking a declaratory judgment, injunctive relief, and asserting a claim for detrimental reliance. The teachers filed the complaint after the General Assembly did not fund a ten percent pay increase to which the teachers claimed they were entitled. The State filed a motion to dismiss, raising numerous grounds. The trial court granted the motion on the grounds that the named defendants were not the proper parties to the case. For the following reasons, we affirm.
OCGA § 20-2-212.2 b provides in pertinent part: For initial national certification prior to July 1, 2006, and subsequent renewals anytime thereafter, 1 Any person who: A Is currently teaching full time in a Georgia public school and holds a valid Georgia teaching certificate; and B Has successfully completed the prerequisite portfolio of student work and examination and has received national certification shall receive not less than a 10 percent rate increase in state salary for each year he or she holds national certification. Such increase shall be awarded beginning on the date such certification is received. The 10 percent increase shall be computed based on the state salary for such individual when national certification is received and recomputed each subsequent year based on the individual’s state salary for that school year. In the case of a person who has received such national certification prior to July 1, 2000, and is receiving or is eligible to receive a 5 percent rate increase, the 5 percent rate increase shall be changed to a 10 percent rate increase effective with the commencement of the 2000-2001 school year. The increase in state salary provided by this Code section shall be in addition to any other increase for which the person is eligible. An individual receiving a salary increase pursuant to this subsection shall cease to receive such increase if he or she leaves a teaching position after March 1, 2009. This subsection shall be subject to appropriations by the General Assembly. And,
