Why Bloomberg Philanthropies Focuses on Teacher Salaries as A Key Component to Education Reform
Great teachers are critically important to raising student achievement. When Bloomberg Philanthropies looks for school systems around the country to support, one of the factors it examines is teacher salaries. Districts that refuse to pay their teachers adequately aren't well-positioned to raise student achievement levels.
Teacher salaries vary widely by district and state, but in too many places, teachers are grossly underpaid compared with comparable professionals — a gap that is widening. Before the walkout in West Virginia, starting teachers there made $31,000, with median pay at only $45,000. Teachers in some other states — including Oklahoma, where teachers are now walking out — make even less...