Losing quality teachers shouldn’t be acceptable
You don’t have to do much homework to determine the children of today will be the leaders of tomorrow. That reasoning is as simple to follow as first-grade reading where we “See Spot run.”
Unfortunately, Tennessee is still at the back of the line when it comes to funding education. We were reminded of that yet again last week when Ge-Anne Bowdoin informed the newspaper she’s leaving the state to take a teaching position in Georgia. She joins a growing list of local teachers who have left the county for greener pay days in Georgia.
Bowdoin perhaps summed up the situation of Tennessee teachers best when she said, “Education’s not a priority here. I wish I could stay, but it goes back to the legislature and the people in this state who don’t want to pay taxes to support education.”
While Bowdoin is absolutely correct in asserting Tennesseans don’t like to pay taxes, we should also be careful not to sabotage our future. And what’s important to emphasize is this state is nowhere close to comparing to Georgia’s pay scale if Bowdoin’s figures are accurate.
For starters, she says she will receive close to a $10,000 raise in base salary – up to $40,500 a year from the $31,000 she earns in Tennessee. She has also indicated her health insurance will be completely paid. That translates to a $178 savings a month, or $2,136 a year.
If those aren’t enough perks, Bowdoin will be able to continue her education and earn her master’s degree. And the state of Georgia will pick up the bill for that.
All things considered, it’s easy to justify moving to Georgia. The willingness to sacrifice for the home team, to teach in Warren County for far less money, only goes so far.
What’s hard to believe is not that Tennessee pays its teachers less than Georgia – it’s how much Tennessee pays its teachers less. We’re talking a savings of around $15,000 a year while Bowdoin works on her master’s degree.
That’s not losing by a hair at the finish. Those figures are so far apart, it’s not even in the same ballpark.
The need to cut expenses and keep a watchful eye on taxpayer dollars is a never-ending concern. But our children – our most valuable resources – shouldn’t be made to walk the plank as a result.
If Tennessee is serious about competing with other states for top-notch jobs, we need to make a little bit of an investment. We need to make sure our school systems – and our teachers – receive the funding required for a quality education. Anything less is selling this state, and our children, short.