Democratic lawmakers in Colorado are making legislation to attract more people to become teachers. They are expanding a program that provides student teachers with stipends of up to $22,000 and loan forgiveness of $5,000 if they become teachers.
At first blush, it sounds good.
It's not.
The National Education Association reports that among educators with 11 or more years of experience who have taken out student loans, 42% still need to pay them off fully. Of this group, almost 40% have a remaining balance of less than $25,000, 14% have at least $105,000 remaining to pay off, and the average current debt for this group is $56,500.
According to a Colorado Department of Education study, teacher salaries are not enough to cover the cost of living or support a family.
We have gotten away with not answering a few essential questions as a society.
Why should there be any cost associated with becoming a teacher who serves the public, especially if we truly value the crucial role of teachers as we claim to do?
Why do we pay teachers so poorly?
Why can we always find funding for other priorities, yet we tend to underfund the one occupation that plays the most crucial role in shaping our young people?
The solution: tell your legislatures to get real. Make teacher education free, and pay them as if you love the children they will serve.
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Quick thought: pay teachers as if they matter
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Democratic lawmakers in Colorado are making legislation to attract more people to become teachers. They are expanding a program that provides student teachers with stipends of up to $22,000 and loan forgiveness of $5,000 if they become teachers.
At first blush, it sounds good.
It's not.
The National Education Association reports that among educators with 11 or more years of experience who have taken out student loans, 42% still need to pay them off fully. Of this group, almost 40% have a remaining balance of less than $25,000, 14% have at least $105,000 remaining to pay off, and the average current debt for this group is $56,500.
According to a Colorado Department of Education study, teacher salaries are not enough to cover the cost of living or support a family.
We have gotten away with not answering a few essential questions as a society.
Why should there be any cost associated with becoming a teacher who serves the public, especially if we truly value the crucial role of teachers as we claim to do?
Why do we pay teachers so poorly?
Why can we always find funding for other priorities, yet we tend to underfund the one occupation that plays the most crucial role in shaping our young people?
The solution: tell your legislatures to get real. Make teacher education free, and pay them as if you love the children they will serve.
What do you think?