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Though the problem has existed for years, recent strikes in many states around the country are shedding light on the low wages of teachers and sub-par benefits.
Teachers are taking a stand, saying enough is enough.
It started in Oklahoma, Alabama and West Virginia, teachers all over these states shut their schools down for pay raises and better health insurance, but now the movement has spread nationwide, Arizona, Illinois, Kentucky and others have joined in, all campaigning for the rights they believe they deserve.
“It’s a domino effect,” said science teacher Kolby Henrie. “One guy does it and gets what he wants, and everyone else hops on the bandwagon.”
So how does this affect the nation? Does this mean anything for our future and children?
“Nations that value education pay their teachers very well,” said business teacher Justin Morley, “because they realize that these are the people teaching their doctors and lawyers. They’re the first step.”
Not only do teachers have an incredible impact on students and future generations, but they put in hours of off the clock work.
“We have a lot of influence on the community, on the students we come in contact with,” said science teacher Brad Bentley, “and people don’t seem to realize all the work we put into what we do.”
Why is it? Virtually every person spends a large portion of their childhood in a classroom, and that time is vastly essential for who they become. Teachers are often the trailblazers for that change. No one denies the potential influence a teacher holds. Yet, no one goes into teaching for the money.
“To go into teaching, you have to understand that you are going into it to help others, and not to get rich,” Bentley said. “That’s why most teachers are innately kind hearted.”
While this problem is nothing new, it is getting worse. Teacher’s benefits are being reduced or removed, wages are stagnant, making teaching less and less financially safe and profitable by the year.
The average starting salary recently crossed $35,000 in Utah, and the money is near to impossible to support a family on. This forces many teachers to quit before their tenth year.
Teachers underpayment is no new issue; for nearly as long as teachers have existed, they have struggled to remain financially stable.
In a study done by the Economic Policy Institute, published in the Washington Post, it was found that public teacher weekly wages have dropped 30 dollars (inflation adjusted) from 1996 to 2015. It’s an important distinction to mention that this study compares teachers of similar standing from 1996 to those from 2015, not the same teacher in 1996 and 2015 (i.e a first year teacher in 1996 to a first year teacher in 2015).
“The rate of inflation is about 4 percent, and if a teacher gets a raise, its only about 1 or 2 percent, so we are falling behind the rate of inflation,” said math teacher Matt Syme.
In addition to the paycut, benefits are also becoming less appealing as time goes on. An attractive feature of teaching was the rather supportive retirement plan, which made up for some of the loss of salary.
In 2011, a rather significant change in teacher’s retirement plans in Utah was made. Under the retirement plan prior to the change, teachers after 30 years would receive around 60% of the annual average of their highest three years of pay for every year of their retirement. Now, any teacher hired need to work 35 years to receive around 52.5% of the annual average of their three highest years. They work longer to receive less.
“The retirement is not what it used to be,” Morley said, “and that negatively affects the compensation value.”
Perhaps the salary would be sufficient if teachers strictly worked the paid 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., five days a week, 187 days a year. However, teachers have to donate much personal time in order to succeed. Once a teacher packs up and goes home, it does not mean that the work is done. Assignments and quizzes must be created and graded and lesson plans laid out, creating hours more of unpaid and unnoticed labor.
“[The job benefits] is not a draw anymore,” Syme said. “It’s not going to attract teachers to teach in Utah; it’s just not that good anymore.”
There has been a significant drop in students entering the teaching field, and even fewer that enter, and stay in the education workforce. This means fewer options, less competition and therefore lower quality of teachers, which creates a sub-par learning environment for the children, and future of the United States.
“The less and less effective teachers are, the worse and worse the students perform, and the less and less prepared they are for the future,” Syme said.
But teaching does provide rewards that don’t involve money.
Many teachers feel that teaching is a selfless job, and one that while underappreciated, is noble and rewarding in ways that are indescribable.
“When you get that one student that grasps a concept, and excels at it,” Morley said, “that’s rewarding.”
