Dear US School System,

          Did you know the average clown makes around the same as the average teacher in America? While this statistic seems absurd, it is actually true. I am currently a student enrolled in the Highly Gifted Magnet at North Hollywood High School which allows me to meet some of the highest level teachers in the country and makes me inclined to argue for a raise in their pay even on a national scale. Despite their invaluable role in shaping the minds of future generations, teachers in the US education system remain underpaid and undervalued; it’s time to recognize their contributions and provide them with the compensation they deserve.

As of 2021, 97.3% of public K-12 teachers had at least a bachelor’s degree and only 38.7% of US earners have such an education. Why is it, then, that Hawaii is the only state where the average teacher is paid more than the average salary? Is a graduate level education overrated? Have we lost the societal value in the education students today still strive to achieve? The answer is likely the feminization of the industry and its original sexist roots, but in a day where there is progress being made around the nation to address these types of issues, why have teacher wages been left untouched?

The annual turnover rate for teachers in America is about 16%, and an estimated two thirds of those who leave the field do so to pursue a higher paying career. Is this not an issue? Is it ok that in October 2022 45% of public schools had a missing teacher with nobody to fill in? Why should our national education be run like this, almost like a nonprofit asking for volunteers. Is this really what we think of our teachers? In a 2021 survey across the US, 27% of teachers said they were experiencing depression. Why do you think that is? If we focus more funding into increasing the salaries of those who sacrifice so much for the next generation, maybe the field will grow with each generation. Maybe more people will be interested in teaching, increasing the pool of employees in the industry and in turn the quality of our education system. Maybe our teachers won’t be depressed and instead will be happy to follow their passion of passing on wisdom to our youth. Maybe we should stop for a moment and realize that we are failing to invest in our country’s future.

With the wages of teachers dangerously low and schools located mostly in more urban areas, how could they be expected to live close for their commute. When housing prices in places such as Los Angeles are increasing by around 5% a year due to a spike in demand, how are teachers meant to afford a reasonable living space near their work? The answer is that they aren’t. Today, the average commute time for a teacher in America is about 44 minutes both ways, which makes everything much more difficult. For example, less teachers are available to participate in after school activities, which is important because it is shown that juvenile crime peaks in the hour right after school, and these numbers would noticeably drop if more students had extracurriculars to attend. While the issue itself is prominent, it is also important to focus on what solutions have been brought to the table. In San Mateo county, California, the Jefferson Union high school district opened a 122-unit apartment building for teachers and other school employees to live in. This seems like a great idea and one that should be implemented around the nation until we look a little deeper. What happens if a teacher is fired? Not only do they lose their job, their income, their stability, but also their home? Why should it be ok for school districts to control the living spaces of their employees instead of paying them more to afford their own housing. If we implement this around the nation teachers will become binded to their employers and their whole life will revolve around keeping their jobs. Rather than gaining more financial freedom as it seems, they will be put in financial slavery, losing all of their already minimal leverage in the industry. This is where we’re headed. A world in which teachers become indentured servants under the rule of large, wealthy, school districts controlling their lives. It’s time we take our heads out of the sand and focus on sustainable and reliable solutions to the issue of teacher wages.