Politicians enjoy last place. Think I’m wrong?
When influential Americans go to other less fortunate countries, what do they tell them to do? Invest in your future. Educate your people.
Are politicians following this advice? That’s an emphatic, NO!
The Pew Research Center reported the United States actually ranked 38th in educational performance.
Are we investing in our future?
A CBS News report stated, “12 states that made especially deep cuts after the Great Recession haven’t yet restored school funding.”
On top of that, that same report said, “Teachers are earning less in 42 states than they did a decade ago.”
Do you want to know why that matters? If you could go to school for the same amount of time (or less) and go into another field and earn more money, why wouldn’t you?!
Multiple guys I graduated college with decided not to pursue an education career because they could go into a baseline factory job and earn more money.
One of my close friends chose this path because he could go to work and come home without the mental stress, no lesson plans, no after school duties, no grading papers…and MAKE MORE MONEY.
This especially hits close to home because in Mississippi, my home state, teachers can drive across the state line in any direction and earn thousands more per year.
CBS reported that Mississippi’s teachers are earning 16 percent less, the steepest pay decline among all
Low teacher pay is cited as a primary reason that MS is experiencing a teacher shortage. # of teacher licenses issued by MDE: 3447 in 2013/1624 in 2018. Legislators tell our teachers we value their work with a teacher pay raise! #40days40facts #pastors4mskids #thankateacher— Pastors for MS Children (@pastors4mskids) March 9, 2019
Ok. Ok. But are they educating their people?
Adjusted for inflation, Mississippi actually spends 3 percent less per-student than they did in 2008. It isn’t the only state either. You can find the list here.
MS public schools educate MORE children n poverty than any other state, but get less funding than almost all other states (47th n per pupil funding/US census 2018). Studies show children n low wealth homes need more of everything. #ThinkAboutThat #40days40facts #pastors4mskids— Pastors for MS Children (@pastors4mskids) March 12, 2019
Ironically, however, Mississippi has the highest paid state superintendent of education in the country. According to Education Week, Carey Wright earns an annual salary of $300,000 which is near twice the national average.
In addition, Mississippi has more school districts than all of its surrounding states which means A LOT of highly paid administrators in each of those school districts.
Tennessee has 137. Alabama has 138. Louisiana has 80. Florida has 74. Mississippi has 151 school districts that serve a significantly smaller student population than each of the previously mentioned states.
So why does all of this matter?
Politicians enjoy last place, but now that it is nearing election season, they are willing to talk about what might make “the people” happy.
According to some, Mississippi could see more political turnover this election cycle than it has seen in decades. Therefore, in hopes of making people happy, politicians are talking pay raises.
Quite frankly, most of these talks are superficial. Pass something to show “they are trying,” but passing something that they know won’t pass.
I’m not sure about everyone else, but I’m tired of being a political pawn. I’m too competitive to be last in anything. And, I’m tired of my students not getting what others are getting whether that be supplies, technology, or respect.
I’ll put my students against any students in the country.
I hope you enjoyed my blog this week. If you’d like to help me, share this on any of your preferred social media outlets.
If you want to help out teachers, contact your local political representative and tell them how you feel about teacher pay raises and educational funding.
