The primary consequence of these low salaries is an undersupply of skilled persons. The idea of leaving teaching to sympathetic-hearted people to supply the labor for schools has proven to be the wrong path, especially in an economy in which salaries are climbing sharply for other educated workers. A strong union is really important, because when you're trying to define the worth of what you're doing, in a climate where the market economy is idealized, you need articulate spokespersons. Also, we need to restructure how education is financed. The fact that districts depend on property taxes is a formula for inequity.
Poor schools pay low salaries, so the lack of quality is reinforced.
For Better Pay, Alliances Pay Off T hings didn't look good for NEA members in Omaha last September. Contract talks on the pay hike they were seeking seemed to be dragging endlessly. Teachers in Omaha had a strong case for higher pay. With nearly half of the current staff set to retire over the next decade, the district needs to attract new teachers. That will be difficult.