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After lunch, I sat down and answered emails. Not surprisingly, my inbox was filled with messages about Frankfort’s current Legislature. Halfway through this year’s legislative session, we find ourselves in the all-too-familiar position of having to fight for adequate funding for schools, not just educators. Ta. One particular email encouraged me to contact my legislators and plead with them to adjust the current state budget bill (HB 6) so that teachers across the state can get raises (the state currently has There is no funding allocated for educator pay raises). I have contacted a “representative” and will contact them again. The question remains why this is necessary.
Teacher shortages have been an issue for some time. However, since 2019, the number of vacant teaching positions has continued to increase. While there are numerous studies examining the causes of retention and overall turnover, one factor that remains constant is the lack of compensation that professionals receive. Our General Assembly has worked to make significant contributions to the once-shaky teacher retirement system in the past few budgets. Despite the fact that these are compulsory donations, their efforts are commendable. The question remains: why are we not providing important people in our communities with the compensation they deserve?
Wes Cottongim (provided photo)
Our Governor has repeatedly expressed support for an 11% raise for educators across the commonwealth. Do educators deserve such raises? yes! Will the educator be satisfied with the proposed reasonable/reasonable salary increase that falls within her 11% figure? Yes! The reality is that our state is fortunate to have surplus revenue that we haven’t had in some time. It’s time (actually, it’s past time) to properly fund our schools and educators. You’d be hard-pressed to find an educator who doesn’t have to take on a side job to make ends meet. These are people who have one, two, maybe even three university degrees and are facing these difficulties. Did we mention that most teachers source their own classroom supplies? There are few professions that require employees to provide their own materials and tools for the job. Do doctors buy their own scalpels? Do administrators provide their own cleaning supplies? Do legislators buy their own paper, pens, staplers, etc.? These people protect, nurture, guide, correct, and sometimes feed our children. He gives them things, sometimes clothes, and teaches them. But we have not been able to bring their salaries at least on par with surrounding states.
The Legislative Research Commission recently reported its findings in Research Report No. 486 to the Educational Accounting Office. The report focused on the understaffing dilemma of Kentucky’s public school staff. According to the report, at the beginning of the 2023 school year, there were 277 teacher job openings posted on his website for the Kentucky Educator Placement Service (OEA, 2023). This is a 260% increase from what was posted at the beginning of the 2019 academic year and remained unpublished. An investment in educators is an investment in children. It’s hard to argue against doing what’s best for the children.
The need for adequate school funding goes beyond teacher salaries. The current budget proposes funding at her 80% level for student transportation costs. By 2026, this funding is expected to reach a level of 100%. That is wonderful! But shouldn’t we be funding student transportation anyway? The need to revisit the SEEK formula (the formula used to fund school districts) is long past due. Rural districts can’t compete with the salaries that larger districts can offer (albeit too low). In fact, classified personnel earned approximately $9,000 less in rural areas than in urban areas (OEA, 2023).
The Kentucky School Superintendents Association is asking Frankfort lawmakers to restore funding to 2008 levels. Yes…at 2008 levels. The fact that our state’s education funding has declined to the point where we yearn for funding levels from 16 years ago is unfortunate.
To put this into further perspective, an OEA report found that when classified employees leave their school jobs for other jobs, their private sector earnings increase by as much as 115% ( OEA, 2023). In fact, the OEA compared average wages for classified employees in 2022 to those in similar positions in the private sector. It was found that private sector transport workers earn 115% more than school transport workers. Private sector food service workers’ incomes have increased by 96%. Secretarial/clerk income increased by 31%. Operations staff income increased by 30%.
Every parent wants their child to be coached by the best and brightest person every day. To achieve this, we need to invest in educators themselves. Salary has always been a drawback to being an educator, but these people understand the impact their work has on their communities. You’ve heard the phrase, “They knew what they were signing up for.” Let me assure you, they did not sign up for the challenges they face every day. They just want to teach and be able to support their families in doing so.
Would raising educator salaries by 11% solve the educator/teacher shortage problem? No, but it would definitely slow the mass exodus from the profession. Kentucky, we can do more.
Wes Cottongim is an assistant professor of educational administration in the School of Leadership and Professional Studies at Western Kentucky University.
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