Added responsibilities, wages are driving teachers out of the profession- a K12Leaders’ Summary

The teaching profession in the United States has been facing significant challenges in recent years, with teacher shortages and stagnant wages becoming a major concern. A new report from the ADP Research Institute, authored by Jeff Nezaj, sheds light on this troubling issue.

The U.S. has long struggled with a teacher shortage, a problem that worsened during and after the pandemic. Today, classroom professionals are in high demand but short supply – a classic economic imbalance that should lead to higher wages for teachers. However, Nezaj’s research shows that teacher pay has lagged behind that of other U.S. workers, and this pay gap is widening.

Using employment and wage data for public and private K-12 teachers, the ADP Research Institute built indexes to track employment trends. They found that openings for educators have increased dramatically since 2021, while employment levels remained relatively flat. In fact, teacher employment even fell in the months following the pandemic outbreak due to retirements and resignations.

As of October 2023, teachers were earning an average of $68,000 a year, which is 8 percent less than the average for all U.S. workers. This pay gap has been widening, as it was only 3 percent in January 2018. Nezaj notes that this comparison doesn’t even consider differences in education levels, which are generally higher among teachers, making the shrinking pay premium even more concerning.

The ramifications of this imbalance and stagnant wages are clear, as Nezaj states: “Stagnant wages and a stressful work environment are pushing classroom experts to the exits and discouraging young people from joining the profession.” The salary competitiveness has eroded particularly for younger teachers aged 20 to 30, which could create or exacerbate labor shortages by discouraging potential educators from entering the field.

In an article for District Administration, Micah Ward highlights the added responsibilities driving teachers out of the profession. Major culprits are the increased focus on student mental health and integrating edtech since the pandemic. Ward cites the ADP report, noting this imbalance between demand and supply is a “classic economic imbalance” that should lead to higher wages. However, teacher pay continues to lag, making it difficult for districts to retain and recruit qualified educators.

Alia Wong, writing for USA Today, further emphasizes the supply-demand imbalance. Despite efforts to hire more teachers after the pandemic, the supply of prospective educators hasn’t kept up with demand. The number of teacher job openings surged since 2021, but employed educator numbers remained flat. For months after the pandemic’s onset, the teaching force even shrank due to resignations and retirements.

K12Leaders conducted a survey in early 2022 that captured real-time teacher dissatisfaction data. Out of over 500 responses nationwide, a staggering 67 percent reported moderate or high job dissatisfaction. Even more troubling, 88 percent said they would give less than one month’s notice before leaving for another job.

The top cited concerns were lack of respect (77 percent), compensation (74 percent), scheduling/flexibility issues (70 percent), and lack of professional growth opportunities (65 percent). Student behavior was also a major stress factor for 62 percent of respondents.

The collective findings from ADP, District Administration, USA Today, and K12Leaders paint a worrisome picture. Urgent action is needed to address the imbalance between teacher demand and supply, stagnant wages driving educators away, and added responsibilities exacerbating the retention crisis.

Ward, from District Administration, cites some hopeful developments however.

Despite the grim perspective, many states and school districts have made efforts this budgeting season to bolster the teaching profession by offering more meaningful wages.

This week, senators in Missouri are voting to expand a state program that would pay for private school expenses and boost teacher salaries, the Columbia Missourian  reports. If the measure becomes law, the minimum teacher salary would rise from $25,000 to $40,000. A teacher with a master’s degree and more than a decade of experience is paid around $33,000 a year.  Under the new law, that would increase to $46,000, the news outlet adds.

South Dakota Searchlight  reports that in South Dakota, school districts may soon be raising their teacher salaries each year at a rate equal to the state’s increase in education funding. Last week, the state’s legislature approved Senate Bill 127, which aims to raise average teacher pay, including salary and benefits. Compensation would increase by 97% of the increase approved by the legislature and the governor each year beginning July 1.

“Right now we are 49th in the nation for average teacher salaries. This is unacceptable,” Sen, Sydney Davis, R-Burbank, declared on the Senate floor. “We need real accountability. It’s time to keep our promise to teachers.”