Finding replacements would be tough under the best of circumstances. But Iowa goes into the market at a time when the state has slipped from 25th to 35th among the 50 states in teachers salaries. That s bad enough. But Iowa s rate is roughly twice that. Neighboring states are luring our teachers away with everything from higher pay to signing bonuses to housing assistance.
Respect involves far more than pay.
But in a capitalist society, like it or not, it s a major measure. Couple the low pay with the often inferior physical facilities, shortages of supplies and equipment, restrictive rules, lack of opportunities for professional development, large class sizes, and abuse from parents and students. You begin to understand why the ISEA includes respect among the three Rs proposals for the program it calls Achieving Quality Education in Iowa. Fortunately for us, our school district is better off than most. Of the state s 375 school districts 258 have fewer than 1000 students each.