National Report Cites Large Teacher Pay Gap
A new national report that identifies a large
disparity in pay between teachers and other professionals with similar
training should serve as "a wake-up call," WEAC President Terry Craney
said Wednesday (January 12, 2000).
Citing Education Week's 2000 "Quality Counts"
report, Craney said:
“Here in Wisconsin, teachers made $10,000
less in 1998 than other college graduates with at least bachelor’s
degrees. This pay gap widens over time, so that veteran teachers fall
seriously behind their colleagues in other professions. It is no surprise
the teaching profession is having difficulty attracting and keeping the
best and brightest.”
Craney called on the Legislature to repeal the
Qualified Economic Offer law, which limits teacher compensation.
“Wisconsin’s schools are among the best
in the nation, but laws like the QEO and revenue controls continue to
harm the quality of education and destroy our reputation for having great
schools and great teachers,” Craney said. “Wisconsin teachers
are dedicated to children and their schools, and it is time our elected
officials get involved with our efforts to support education and create
great schools for all children in every community in the state.”
According to the report, Wisconsin teachers made
an average of $40,092 in 1998, compared to $50,025 for others with college
degrees.
Teachers with bachelor’s degrees made $34,839,
while non-teachers with bachelor’s degrees earned $43,141.
Teachers with master’s degrees earned $48,596,
compared to non-teachers with master’s degrees who earned $65,881.
The Education Week report also gave states report
cards on various educational issues. Wisconsin was among the top states
on student achievement.
Wisconsin received a low grade for state policies
designed to improve teacher quality, but the report noted the grade will
increase after proposed teacher licensing rules, strongly supported by
WEAC, are put into place.
“The education community has been working
on revising teacher preparation and licensing rules for several years,
and the Legislature’s education committees are reviewing them now,”
Craney said. “The rules will create the opportunity for teachers
to assume responsibility for the quality of their profession, ensuring
great schools for our children for years to come.”
Craney said the annual “Quality Counts”
report looks at state policies, and not at the real quality of education.
“No one from Education Week set a foot in
a classroom to judge the quality of education in the states,” he
said.
Wisconsin received an A-minus for the adequacy
of school resources, a C for allocation of resources, and a B-minus for
equity of resources. Education Week noted it is changing its system of
assessing resources.
Under the more sophisticated and accurate methodology
to be used in next year’s report, Wisconsin would have received a
D-minus for its state equalization effort, and a C-minus for its overall
equity grade.
WEAC is part of a lawsuit challenging the state’s
school finance system.
Posted January 13, 2000