Teachers are essential to society as they shape the future minds of our nation. Unfortunately, teachers are generally paid less than individuals with the same qualifications in different fields. Rebecca Klein, a senior reporter for the HuffPost, finds that “American public school teachers are underpaid compared to workers in the U.S. with similar education levels, the OECD found. High school teachers earn 71 percent of what other college-educated workers make. Yet even though American teachers make comparatively less money, all evidence points to the fact that they work their butts off.” Increasing teacher salaries can bring many benefits.
Improving teacher quality
Higher salaries attract teachers who are more qualified. Madeline Will finds that students are more likely to perform better when teachers have higher cognitive abilities. An increase in teacher pay would greatly expand the recruitment of prospective teachers. There is a decrease in interest in the teaching profession for higher-achieving students.
Reducing teacher turnover rate
The teacher turnover rate is largely affected by the low salary. It has been shown that the teacher turnover rate is lower in areas that have a higher teacher salary. Samantha Cleaver, an educator in Charlotte, NC, reports that the current turnover rate is 16% each year. Of those, 8% of teachers leave the profession entirely per year. The teacher turnover rate is the lowest in the Northeast, where the teacher salary is higher.
Increasing interest in the teaching profession
Teachers are undeniably the backbone of our society. Unfortunately, there is less and less interest in the profession as teachers are underpaid for the work they do. The Center for American Progress reports that fewer children are showing interest in the teaching profession. There has been a decrease in teacher preparation program participants in around 45 states.
Works Cited:
"6 Proven Benefits to Increasing Teacher Pay." WeAreTeachers, 18 Feb. 2020, www.weareteachers.com/benefits-to-increasing-teacher-pay/#:~:text=%20Here%20are%20the%20top%20six%3A%20%201,have%20a%20particularly%20difficult%20time%20staffing...%20More%20. Accessed 26 Dec. 2020.
"Fact Sheet: Yes, Increase the Salaries of All Teachers." Center for American Progress, 14 June 2018, www.americanprogress.org/issues/education-k-12/reports/2018/06/14/452130/fact-sheet-yes-increase-salaries-teachers/. Accessed 26 Dec. 2020.
"Higher Pay Leads to Smarter Teachers, Global Study Says." Education Week, 19 Nov. 2020, www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/higher-pay-leads-to-smarter-teachers-global-study-says/2019/02. Accessed 26 Dec. 2020.
"More Proof That American Teachers Are Underpaid And Deserve More Respect." HuffPost, 24 Nov. 2015, www.huffpost.com/entry/us-teacher-pay_n_56536f5be4b0258edb327d8f?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmluZy5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAE_uJDdKO4bM9CsNSu5-BDavJBr2dmRJ2nbi3zI4r0NyNa6-OlB9dqm1IL5DuHVttnKgNA1-iRQ1PGn8ih1ImDXWt-rGxTltGc60czwuuLqeXZ4JzXauHg7vnmn7_MTCZB4D50j6Kk-GnmMm00tIMuloA7Y3pXMOEnErPKGTiIgu.
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