Recently, I read the following articles regarding teaching salaries and school districts in Michigan. As a lifelong educator, these articles piqued my interest. Additionally, as a professor teaching future teachers who will soon be pursuing jobs and careers in these districts, I wanted to familiarize myself with this data. (read: 20 best school districts in Michigan for 2024) (read: Michigan School Districts with the highest average teaching salaries)
If you live or teach in one of these districts, I am sure you will view these lists positively, and some will even view them with pride. Since home values and other statistics are impacted by lists such as these, if your district lands on the list, it is easy to feel good about this acknowledgment. Conversely, these lists can be incredibly disappointing, particularly regarding teacher salaries. If your district is not on the list, you wonder why, and in some cases, you know why.
After reviewing these lists, one cannot help but compare the “teacher pay” list to the “best school districts” list. Teacher pay has always been a complex issue. Even those outside of the profession have much to say about it. However, those of us who have spent our careers within the U.S. educational system have wrestled with the reality of working within systems that vary according to resources and pay based on geography and not necessarily need. You will never know the percentage of a teacher’s salary that goes into funding the resources and materials each teacher provides for their students. According to the 2023 nationwide Teacher Spending Survey from Adopt a Classroom, the average teacher spent $860 out-of-pocket on classroom education materials during the last school year. For this coming year, 84% say they need the basics. (read: Study: More than 90 percent of teachers spend out of pocket for back-to-school supplies) I cannot tell you how much of my income I spent over the years to provide necessities and extras for my students. Hint: It was more than the $860.00 per year quoted in the survey. I recently read the following article, which details one teacher’s quest to provide the necessary resources for her students at a personal cost of over $4,000. (read: A teacher who spent over $4,000 of her own money to outfit her classroom explains why funding from schools for supplies just isn't enough). While you may think this is excessive, take a moment to appreciate this teacher's dedication and those like her in the teaching profession. (*Note: This teacher spent $4,000 since 2019) Add to this the burden of student loan debt, the challenge of teaching students at various stages of mental and emotional health, and the dysfunctional systems many educators are forced to work within, and you have an educator who carries a tremendous amount of stress each day. As a result, some choose to leave the profession altogether.
As it relates to teacher pay, many question educators’ requests and motives for a fair wage, even though teaching is arguably one of the most important professions. Educators literally shape the minds of the future! There are others who not only question the desire for fair wages for teachers but have much to say about “how” and “what” we teach our students. While many factors have contributed to the nationwide teacher shortage, the pressures mentioned above definitely have had an impact.
With all of this in mind, educators are forced to choose between making a difference in the lives of students in districts that do not have the necessary resources needed to support them OR choosing their OWN livelihoods and moving to districts that pay them what they are worth. Not to mention the impact of the stress, the pressure, and the toll of operating within dysfunctional systems.
In spite of this, many choose to stay in this profession. These are the unsung heroes in our profession who work to overcome obstacles each day, not for personal recognition but because they care about every young person who walks through their classroom doors. Are there a few who should permanently put their crayons and dry-erase markers because the stress has become too much? YES, but I am hopeful that one day, all educators will be paid their worth and given a chance to eradicate dysfunctional and broken systems for the good of their students and for their own mental, emotional, physical, and financial health. DPB
