Equalizing teacher pay is long overdue
The news coming from Nashville yesterday is news local teachers should greet with ice cream, cake and a celebratory dance.
Gov. Phil Bredesen, showing his determination to uphold a Supreme Court mandate, has said Tennessee’s poorer counties will get “tens of millions” of dollars in an effort to equalize teacher pay.
This is a long overdue move and one which will benefit local teachers and the local school system. In recent years, Warren County has been fighting two battles in trying to retain its current teachers and recruit new ones.
The first battle has been fought against other states. For too long, Tennessee has lost quality teachers to other states, with Georgia being the most alluring destination.
In the Southeast – an area hardly known for paying teachers well – the average teacher’s salary is $42,000. The average in Tennessee is $38,515.
The second battle has been against nearby counties. For too long, Warren County has lost quality teachers to the likes of Murfreesboro and Tullahoma because the pay and benefits are so much better. This is a trend which must halt.
To help bridge what is more than a $16,000 gap between Tennessee’s highest- and lowest-paying districts, the state Supreme Court ruled last fall that teacher pay needed to be equalized. It was the court’s opinion such a pay discrepancy was unconstitutional because it does not provide equal educational opportunities for all children.
Equalizing teacher pay is certainly a step in the right direction. And Bredesen appears dedicated to keeping the momentum going on the educational front by saying he will not propose cuts to education despite an anticipated $780 million state budget deficit next year.
It’s gratifying to see a governor with his priorities in order. Too often school programs are first on the chopping block when legislators feel the financial pinch in Nashville. That’s not doing justice to our children, what politicians are quick to call our most valuable resource when they’re looking for votes.
If children are in fact our most valuable resource, as the Standard believes they are, it’s time for state leaders to stop singing the blues and begin dipping into the state’s piggy bank.
It’s not fair for a teacher in Bledsoe County to make $31,102 a year while a teacher in Oak Ridge brings home $47,536. That’s not giving the children in Bledsoe County the educational opportunities they deserve.
As a state, Tennessee cannot afford to cater to the rich while throwing scraps to the poor. Every child should have access to a quality education and equalizing teacher pay is the first step in accomplishing that goal.