Low Paid Teachers In Oklahoma

As explained in Diane Ravitch's article, “American Schools in CRISIS,” educators are provided with little job security under Bush's No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Obama's Race to the Top educational reform initiatives; where teachers can be fired based on poor standardized test scores from their students (50). The majority of new teachers already quit within five years of entering the field; “demoralized” (Ravitch 50) by the effects of such high stakes and low resources (Ravitch 52). To combat this figure, many states have decreased the requirements for becoming a teacher, even allowing online licensure in Texas (Ravitch 51). To lower the standards of the “conservators of our common future” (Barber 122) is an irresponsible practice that must be reversed if students are to succeed. Barber proposes paying early childhood educators as much as lawyers to attract better teachers. Higher wages would encourage more ambitious individuals to enter the fields of primary and secondary education. Without highly-trained and intelligent educators, who are dedicated to progress and change, students will continue to stumble through a broken system, woefully unprepared for the task of becoming productive citizens.

What will Oklahoma look like in 2040, will we be thriving in student education or will we even have an education program for Oklahoma students to thrive in? Oklahoma is already ranked 48th overall in education, what does the future entail if we don’t start trying to build our education system back up. Teacher salaries in the state of Oklahoma are a hot issue right now and need to be discussed. Low teacher salaries don’t just affect teachers they have a huge impact on students and their education. The people of Oklahoma don’t want to raise their taxes to increase teacher salaries but something must change for the future and sake of Oklahoma’s education system.

In taking a brief look at the Oklahoma education system, one need not look far before issues of significant underfunding and understaffing come directly into view. Many different proposals regarding what Oklahoma needs to do to resolve this problem have been suggested in the past, but very few of these proposals outline an answer regarding how these fixes will be implemented. How Oklahoma's educational system can increase the effectiveness of its limited funding is something that can be addressed with simple cost-effective steps and strategies that have proven their effectiveness in other states. Additionally, the issue of understaffing can be looked at from a fresh perspective in order to understand what the Oklahoma education system can do to bring in new teachers and keep these teachers. Finally, in joining with national-level movements and interest groups such as the National Education Association which can help with budgetary issues and Teach for America which can help to bring in new, trained and enthusiastic teachers into areas of Oklahoma that have seen poor performance from students in the past.

Does Oklahoma want to make the people with the biggest impact on the state’s children’s futures, and thus the future of its communities, struggle to get by day to day? Gina Cattaneo, a teacher at Tulsa Central High School, was recently interviewed by Janna Clark of Fox23 about the struggles of teachers to make ends meet. Cattaneo is a divorced mother of 2 who earns approximately $2,155 a month but after all her household bills are paid, she is left with roughly $268 a month for food, gas, clothing and doctor bills. (Clark). Cattaneo loves her job and does not want to find another job but she feels, “The state needs to come up with a plan…so we can have a lifestyle that we’re not constantly stressed and struggling.” (Clark). Other teachers have had to take on other part time jobs in order to make ends meet. For example, Summer Lyons, a four- year Pre-K teacher in Tulsa, earns $34,100 a year but works an additional 15 hours each weekend at a Chinese restaurant to make ends meet. (Robson). Lyons has considered moving to New York because the average teacher salary there is $75,279 and she feels the extra $31,000 each year would offset the cost of living differences. (Robson). Summer Lyons is a great example of a good teacher feeling underappreciated and looking at options out of state. Teachers significantly enhance the future of our state yet most Oklahomans do not realize the struggles teachers make each day in trying provide students their best education while worrying about how to pay their basic

The vast majority of people in the United States wouldn’t even have the job they have today if at least one specific career didn’t already exist. Without teachers, there would be no students, and without students, there would be no diplomas or degrees. Without proper education, people would not be qualified to work in their career field. It is unfortunate that such an important career has dropped to a six percent increase in growth for each year (“High School Teachers: Occupational Outlook Handbook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), and it is probably due to how difficult it is to get into the teaching profession and stay in it. Teaching requires a Bachelor’s degree, specific training, and a great deal of patience.

Nationally, teacher turnover is 50 percent higher in high poverty schools than in more affluent schools (Allen, 2005). He indicated that 20 percent of teachers in high poverty schools have three or less years of teaching experience, compared with 11 percent in low poverty schools. Hanushek, Kain, and Rivkin (2004) discovered that Texas teachers tended to move from high to lower poverty schools. It was discovered

The census data over many decades showed that teachers’ wages around the U.S. have been declining about 20% from 1960 to 2000 and still continuously diminishing compared to other comparable workers’ wages in other fields which in turn leading to the feeling of overburdened that may result in, loss of teacher quality, and student achievement (Mishel, 2012). Students are also overburdened. In a study about teacher and teaching quality influence students ' achievement the researchers investigated the impact of specific aspects of teacher quality (experience, certification, professional development,.. etc.) and teaching quality (time spent on teaching, basic practical…etc.) influence students’ achievement in math (Desimone & Long, 2010). Evidence indicated that low achiever students tend to be taught by teachers who are scarcely prepared and spend less time teaching. Therefore, the researchers found that the utilization of advanced procedural teaching and time spent on class teaching were correlated to achievement development for normal disadvantaged student populations such as students of color and low-SES students (Desimone & Long, 2010). In addition to this, the system is profoundly underfunded. In Kansas alone, there some broadly known trouble with the mass education system. In a 2015 article from the Kansas City gives a good brief vignette about what teachers and students have to work

According to Census data, teachers receive salaries around 20 percent lower than similarly educated private-sector workers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says teachers’ benefits are about the same as benefits in the private sector. But both the salary and benefits figures are dubious.” (Biggs) This supports the underpaid teacher because they have the support of other. Biggs did research on the salary and it is true that teachers are underpaid. With the increasing expense of school going to class to be an instructor is gradually turning into a less and less searched out occupation.

For the individual, increased educational attainment is closely linked with personal improvements in earning potential and a substantial reduction in unemployment probability (Kusmin, 2016). At the community level, educational opportunities increase economic stability, improve the retention of young families, and are closely linked to the livability of a community (Larsen, 2017). Teachers are an essential factor that dictates the school's culture (Supovitz & Turner 2000), and the extent of yearly student growth (McCaffery et al, 2003). By enhancing the teaching capacity of the district’s teachers and investing in new teachers, it should be possible to establish a significantly high-quality teaching staff, reduce challenges in finding suitable teachers, and change the culture of not only the school but also the community.

There are over 3.6 million teachers in the United States, and that ranges from pre-k all the way to college professors. (http://www.nsta.org/about/clpa/faq.aspx) One of the reason’s I chose this career was because I love to help people. Ever since I was little I use to play school with my brothers and sisters. Even as a senior in high school I tutor kids in my off time. I enjoy the satisfaction of knowing I made a difference in someone 's life. In this essay I will be writing about how much a teacher makes in the United States, and what it takes to be one.

“Challenges such as lack of autonomy, teacher isolation, and inadequate administrative support, are easier to solve them teacher pay, yet they also fall on the top reasons why many teachers...leave, and why those of

The American public-school system is receiving less and less money causing teachers to flee to new higher paying jobs. Teachers cannot live a healthy lifestyle with the payment they receive. The average salary teachers in Oklahoma receive is $44,373 annually ("Oklahoma Teacher Salary"), which is $3725 less than the national

Over the past several years, Oklahoma’s educational systems has struggled and faltered with the low budget given to them by the Oklahoman government. Teachers leave the state to find work elsewhere, students are pulled out of school and some classrooms are packed full with students to compensate for the lack of teachers. Many have suggested solutions to solve the budget crises educators are experiencing. Despite the differences in approach to fixing the issue, all can agree that education is important to future generations. School funding is a tough topic for teachers and Oklahomans. Some people the Oklahoman government needs to stop cutting taxes and needs to increase the funding for schools. Others believe Oklahoma needs to continue to cut taxes and allocate the proper number of funds to schools. Yet some believe teachers have enough funding. There is evidence to support several different solutions and evidence that address people that believe teachers make enough money.

For one, the Federal Government should subsidize teachers pay in each state. Many teachers have to get second jobs since their current pay is too low. More than 10% of American teachers rely on a second job. Many new teachers have a lack of guidance and resources needed. Old teachers aren’t encouraged to help the new teachers but with more money, we can help provide the guidance they need.

Every year when the schools close in June, the question on every parent’s mind is whether the teacher teaching their child is competent, whether they will inspire them or whether they shall concentrate on their individual needs. The question whether teachers help students in developing the necessary basic skills, think and solve problems and have a good knowledge of what they teach and their students, is important. This is because in the hands of the teacher is where every parent entrusts their children. Though much progress has been made in answering the above stated questions, more work is needed in the improvement of the education sector in America. More parents are required to demand that their children are handled by competent teachers and educationists. Business leaders need to demand the investment in teacher development by schools and show them an example by how they invest in their employees. The law and policy makers need to make the quality of teaching and the recruitment of competent teachers a first priority in their legislations (Thomas, 2002).