6 Benefits to Increasing Teacher Pay
The poor remuneration for teachers is nothing new. Teachers have protested low pay at state capitals around the nation, and the issue has influenced presidential candidates’ platforms. A competitive salary is an evident and significant method to recognize the hard work teachers put in every day, but raising teacher pay has even more advantages supported by research. The top six are as follows:
- Increasing teacher pay strengthens the pipeline
Few people desire to become teachers when there are issues with teacher salaries. That’s how easy it is. According to a TIME poll, most respondents (76 percent) agreed that the low compensation for teaching discourages many people from entering the field. As a result, fewer teachers will be looking to fill the increased need for teachers and fewer teacher education program graduates.
A better future workforce may result from raising teacher salaries. Only 23% of teachers in the US received a college degree from the top third of their class. On the contrary, practically all teachers graduate at the top of their class in Singapore, Finland, and Korea. Overall, a profession in teaching would be more enticing if the income was increased.
- It keeps teachers in the classroom
Unsurprisingly, research has found that teacher salary lowers turnover (which, in turn, increases student performance). An average of 8% of instructors annually leave the profession rather than switching to another school, and there is an annual employee turnover of roughly 16%. It’s fascinating to observe that in the United States, the Northeast, where compensation is higher, and there is more investment in education, has the lowest teacher turnover rate (10.3 percent).
- It helps to staff urban districts
It is exceptionally challenging for schools in urban areas to fill every vacant position. Increasing teacher salaries in regions with significant needs can encourage teachers to work in those institutions. For instance, a San Francisco study discovered that the quantity and caliber of teacher candidates increased when the pay for teaching was raised.
- It means fewer teachers working second jobs
18% of American teachers had side occupations in 2015–2016, including retail and online teaching. Compared to non-teachers, teachers are 30% more likely to work a second job. It suffices to say that increasing teacher salaries would help them maintain their focus in the classroom and improve their morale as they wouldn’t need to work part-time.
- It means less dependence on government programs
Teachers in several places regularly qualify for public assistance programs like food stamps or general health care plans (like kids’ health insurance programs) because their incomes are so low. This is particularly true for teachers who are the family’s primary source of income or who have big families. For instance, from Minnesota through Maine, mid-career teachers were eligible for up to seven government benefit schemes in 2014.
- Higher pay for teachers means students do better
When teachers receive greater pay, students perform better. According to one study, a 10% increase in teacher salary would result in a 5–10% improvement in student performance. Students also gain long-term advantages from teacher compensation. For each of the 12 years of schooling, a 10% increase in per-pupil spending leads to students finishing more coursework, earning 7% more in salaries, and having a lower adult poverty rate. For low-income families, these benefits are considerably more significant.
It’s unclear why pupils perform so much better when instructors are paid more, possibly because of improved teacher quality or adult assistance. Whatever the cause, it’s evident that teacher salary needs to rise.
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https://www.theedadvocate.org/ – Education News and Opinion
https://www.thetechedvocate.org/ – Edtech News and Opinion
https://pedagogue.app/ – Social Media Site for Teachers
https://edrater.com/ – User Generated School and College Reviews
https://entelechy.app/ – AI-Powered Personal Tutor