The question of whether or not our teachers get paid enough has been an ongoing issue. I remember first encountering this issue in 1995 as a freshman in high school. (Even in writing that stings a little.) The teachers in our district were in negotiations with the district and threatening to strike. Though that is not the case here in Austin at this time, it is not an unfamiliar tale for teachers across the nation.
Unfortunately, Texas is used to being ranked at the bottom of most nationwide polls on education. For being such a proud state, this was a surprise to me. A recent article in the Austin Chronicle, We’re 49th! ... Or Just Seventh out of 10, takes a look at an internal state poll that ranks Austin Independent School District (AISD) at the bottom ranking 49th out of the 50 top districts in Texas for basic teacher pay. With Austin being a major city in Texas, not to mention the capital, I expected more. AISD issued a statement arguing that the statistics were unfair and out of the top 10 districts in the state, AISD was ranked 7th. In my opinion, that is bending numbers to make yourself look better in a nasty situation. The worth of a teacher is not measured by how many people are in the district. But, looking at the other districts in comparison, Northside in San Antonio has a starting salary at $47,000 with an average teacher salary at $51,976. Houston has a starting teachers salary at $44,987 with an average teacher salary at $52,912. Austin has the starting salary at $42,025 with an average teacher salary at $44,987. The numbers have spoken. Shouldn’t it mean something, to the districts, that we put elected officials (themselves included) in charge of making sure that the people teaching the future of our state and country are paid competitively?
The Austin Chronicle article also mentions that twenty years ago, firefighters and teachers in Austin earned similar salaries; and now the average firefighter earns $61,000 while the average teacher makes $45,000. Money is not everything but it is necessary to survive. It has become a common awareness and understanding that if you become a teacher, you will be underappreciated and underpaid. Most people would look for the best situation for themselves and/or their family. It is common for AISD to loose teachers to surrounding school districts because of better pay with similar benefits.
Teachers help students develop their skills, test their limits and encourage their growth. Teachers are a key factor. Education is a key factor. This should be a nonissue. Pay our teachers more because more likely than not, they helped you get where you are today.
I totally agree with you that something needs to be done about the pay wage scale for Austin teachers. It’s sad to see that the old school district I lived in Cypress Fairbanks that is in North West Houston teachers get paid more then the entire city of Austin. I do believe that teachers here need to be paid like other cities in Texas. It is not like the city is hurting for money. Teachers are the growth of all states and nations giving students the knowledge they need to achieve their goals. You’d want happily paid teachers so that the kids today can achieve their goals and move on to getting higher degrees form college and so on. The days of just a high school degree is over and we need the teachers today get paid, so that they are happy and can help educate students to help reach and achieve their goals. I believe that AISD needs to take a good look at other cities and see what they can do to make Austin teachers happier.
ReplyDeleteIn blog seven, Lezlie Mills assessed Texas’ current teacher salary in her blog, Texas Politics: A Blue's Review, and whether they receive enough pay. Unfortunately, she observed that Texas does not fund our teachers well enough and states Austin Independent School District (AISD) is actually ranked extremely low, 49th out of 50 school districts, for basic teacher wages. Lezlie also pointed out that just twenty years ago firefighters and teachers received equal salaries, as oppose to now.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Lezlie that our state’s teachers are not being paid enough. She brings attention to the fact that our educators are known well for carrying such an important yet underpaid and under-appreciated job. We depend upon teachers to instruct us and instill individual growth. It is about time we recognized this.