BATON ROUGE (AP) — Gov. John Bel Edwards has reversed course and proposed a reworked K-12 budget proposal that would include a direct $500 pay hike for public school teachers.

The Democratic governor has been facing criticism that he broke a campaign promise to teachers by not including a salary increase in his budget recommendations for next year.

The governor’s education policy adviser, Richard Hartley, offered the $500 pay raise idea Thursday to a group packed with union leaders, Louisiana’s education superintendent, lawmakers, members of the state’s top school board and other stakeholders.

The debate over teacher pay is expected to stretch across the legislative session that begins March 9.