TEACHER PAY IS ABOUT STUDENT SUCCESS

Education | February 2021 | Nain Christopherson

Teacher pay is not just about teachers. Of course, it starts out being about teachers. Like all other professionals, educators deserve to be compensated for their skills and expertise. They should have the resources they need to be successful in their jobs. But the benefits of improving teacher pay extend far beyond teachers’ own finances—all the way to students’ academic performance and even their attitudes about education. If we raise teacher pay, more people—and, importantly, more highly qualified people—will want to become teachers. From there, classroom instruction will improve, and since teachers are the single most impactful factor in a child’s school experience, so will student outcomes.