Teachers should be paid more to feel respected. The poor pay issue for teachers is nothing new. Teachers have protested low pay at state capitals around the nation, and the issue has influenced presidential candidates' platforms.
Offering competitive compensation is an obvious answer to this problem and will have many advantages. The first advantage is strengthening the pipeline. Getting teachers into classrooms has become more difficult in the last few years. This is largely due to people being dissatisfied with teacher salaries.
According to a poll done by TIME Magazine, 76% of respondents said that the low compensation for teachers discourages them from entering the field. As a result, fewer teachers are available to fill the classrooms, and fewer students are graduating from teacher education programs.
Raising teacher salaries can help to improve the interest in the industry overall and improve the quality of the workforce. It can also help to keep teachers in the classrooms. Many teachers have reported being dissatisfied with their jobs because they have to work multiple side jobs to pay their bills.
For many, this means less time at home with their loved ones and evenings and weekends filled with second (or third) jobs. This can also mean being unable to afford things like the homes and families that they dream about having. Some have reported that they feel like they are "being punished" for being a teacher.
Providing teachers with a livable wage will likely lead to less teacher turnover. On average, 8% of teachers leave the profession altogether rather than switch to another school. It is important to note that teachers in the Northeastern United States have the lowest turnover rate (10.3%) and the highest compensation rates.
Teachers will also be less likely to experience burnout because they will not be reliant on second jobs. Currently, 18% of teachers report having to rely on a side occupation, including anything from working retail to working as an online teacher. This is even more true for teachers working in urban districts.
By increasing compensation for teachers, we can create an environment where they are respected, appreciated, and motivated to stay and continue their teaching careers. As a result, students will also do better. Students will gain long-term advantages from teacher compensation.
Students complete more schooling, receive more assistance, and have an improved quality of teaching when their teachers earn more.
