Teacher Pay

In 2004-05, the national average for a teacher’s yearly salary was $47,602 according to the American Federation of Teachers.  Now, I am sure that amount is higher today but I am too lazy to see any further information as this data is sufficient to make my point.

In Texas, teacher pay greatly varies.  In the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area, it varies even further.  However, one theme seems to be clear, salaries are growing at an alarming rate.  For example, Northwest ISD, a fast growing, once rural school district in the northwest area of Tarrant County, north of Fort Worth, Texas, has announced that they will start their first year teachers–rookie teachers with zero years of experience in the classroom–$46,322.  Other districts are follwing suit and will offer between 2%-5% raises this coming school year.

 Now, take this information how you want to.  Some will say that this is great.  Teachers deserve the pay that they are getting for the job they do is difficult.  Others will say that this is not enough as despite Nortwest ISD’s efforts, it is still below the national average of 3 years ago.  And, others might say that teachers are overpaid when you consider the benefits they receive and the fact that teachers (at least in Texas) only work 187 contract days.  On a NWISD scale, that is $247 per day for a first year teacher who, realistically, can leave work everyday at 3:00 or 3:30.

So, what is the correct response to this growth in pay?  When I came into the profession back in 1999, my starting salary for my first year in Fort Worth ISD was $35,000.  Then, that was considered the highest in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and caused an influx of applicants to the district.  To be truthful, I thought I was doing quite well for myself.

Now, just 7 short years later, I have garnered an $11,000 raise.  To put it mathematically, that is a little less than a 32% raise in just 7 years.  Some people in this world are lucky to get the “standard” 3% per year in the business world.

To be plain, the driving force behind these raises is competition.  In our high stakes world of testing and meeting AYP, school districts are looking for the best of the best to make their schools a success.  Some will say that this is based purely on the “teacher shortage” that we are experiencing.  However, I don’t believe that is the problem (please see previous blog post on Teacher Shortages).

My question for the world, and for those who read this blog, is where is the future of education heading with raises?  How long will it be before we see a $50,000 per year first year teacher?  Is money a motivator? How long before we see merit based pay?

As education leaders, it will be our duty to address these questions as the teacher crunch bears down upon us. We will also need to consider the ramifications of paying teachers such high salaries as it will attract people to the profession that may not be as effective for our schools as we will need them to be.  Money is a powerful motivator but is it the motivator that we as educational leaders need it to be?