How Do We Attract And Retain Teachers?
I was always one of those people who thought teachers had an easy job. Especially since they got 6 to 8 weeks off over the summer. However, I have come to really respect the profession and the effort it takes. Most of the teachers I know don’t leave their job when they go home. They have to grade papers and prepare. They are not given the opportunity to do this during their regular day. Also, the number of students in each class that a teacher has to work with has been increasing. There are multiple studies that show 15-18 students is optimal, but some classes have 25 or more.
Teachers spend more time with the student then a parent does. They have a tremendous amount of impact on a student. People are willing to spend a lot of money on quality day care, however, when it comes to paying teachers we do not look at it as an investment. You do get what you pay for. If you want to attract the best and brightest and retain them, you have to make the necessary financial compensation. Nobody wants their taxes to go up. But as a society we have to look at where the dollars go to provide the best use of it. I know there are a lot of competing areas for tax dollars like police and fire and infrastructure.
I do not have a child in the school system. However, I would be willing to pay more in taxes if it went directly the teacher salaries and just teacher salaries and not management. In fact, I want to pay a premium for teachers for the first five years. It is not just their salary that is important, it is class size, facilities, and materials.
If we really want our children to have the opportunity to excel, we have to be willing to pay what it takes to make that happen. There is no easy way around this. We are facing a massive loss of teachers due to pay, facilities, and other issues. You either want great schools or you don’t. There is no gray area here. It is time we make the choice to make education a priority.
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