Teachers Need Better Pay
By: Cameron Kile
Do you think you’re being underpaid? Well if you’re teaching you definitely are. This situation has worsened over time. It’s also a big concern to not just teachers themselves, but a lot of other adults too. Teachers are working way too hard for the money they’re being paid.
Weekly wages have been flat since 1996 while the wage penalty (the difference between the average pay and the wage paid to covered employees) is still growing. The wage penalty in 1996 was 6.1 percent, but in 2021 it was 23.5 percent. In 2019 the average earnings for full-time workers increased by 2.6% from 2010. Public school elementary and middle school teacher’s average earnings decreased by 8.4% from 2010 to 2019, and high schools teachers have also decreased by 4.4%. To go along with that, Hawaii is the only state in the U.S. where the average teacher pay rate is higher than the average pay rate across all professionals. This financial penalty is stopping students from entering teaching positions.
Public school teachers typically earn more than private school teachers, but their pay rate is still very low. The average salary for public school teachers is 65,090 dollars a year while the average pay rate for a full-time worker is 75,203 dollars. The average teacher pay rate range is 48,000 dollars (Mississippi) to 88,000 dollars (New York). Teachers earn money and then turn right around and spend it all because they need the money for things like appliances, bills, groceries, and other household items.Teacher strikes are a big problem too. In 2018 300 school districts participated in a strike. The movement was called #RedforEd, and it was for higher wages. In 2022 teachers in many states went on strike for higher wages and better teaching conditions. Some of the bad teaching conditions teachers teach in are: lack of funding when teachers are expected to make do with the resources they have, burnout, meaning that they are lacking motivation, dreading to go to work, and teaching being one of the most demanding jobs or professions there is. Movements like this are dangerous for schools and students because there are no teachers there to teach.
Teachers also go through years of college and earn their degrees just to be underpaid. 97.3 percent of public school teachers grades kindergarten to 12th have at least a bachelor's degree, and 58 percent of public school teachers grades kindergarten to 12th have at least a master’s degree. Most teachers also work extra hours and spend about 50 working a week. They also spend around 300 dollars of their personal money on school supplies for their students.
Low wages and teacher pay is a big problem and needs to be fixed. Although teachers face low wages and in some cases bad teaching conditions, it is important to have teachers around, and that includes higher pay and better teaching conditions for them. Teachers have a big impact on how kids learn, whether it’s how helpful they are, the way they teach, or just how kind they are. We need to think more about how we treat teachers.
Cameron, your problem that you discuss is probably one of the biggest problems faced all over the world. It’s a hge problem for every teaching industry. And the way you bring out the problem about Underpaid workers is amazing. And, I strongly agree with you. As a kid that has a mom that works for the school, I can relate. She gets paid pretty well, but sometimes she has to do more work than she is supposed to, and she doesn’t get paid more, so I definitely agree with you. Another reason I agree with you is because of the facts that you state. Like when you said, “The average teacher pay rate range is 48,000 dollars (Mississippi) to 88,000 dollars (New York). Teachers earn money and then turn right around and spend it all because they need the money for things like appliances, bills, groceries, and other household items.” Honestly, this editorial was amazing, so keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteCameron, your strong opinion on how teachers need better pay shows the reader how much you care about this topic. Your data really helps to understand how underpaid teachers are. I agree with your opinion and also think that teacher need better pay for their personal needs. I agree because if I want to be a teacher when I’m older I want to be ensured that I will be making enough. I also agree because in your data you state, “The average salary for public school teachers is 65,090 dollars a year while the average pay rate for a full-time worker is 75,203 dollars.” This data shows that teachers pay is below average. Teacher educate our younger generations and prepare them for their future. They help kids from their toddler years into adulthood, they deserve to get paid equal or more then the average wages. I also like how you provided enough data that I could thoroughly look through your writing and form an opinion.
ReplyDeleteCameron k
ReplyDeleteI like how you used good punctuation and the organization in the paragraphs. I like how you used a lot of detail in the paragraphs. I agree on everything and I agree that teachers need a raise.