Angela Drope, Northern Regional Vice-President, CSU Sacramento
As a single person, we have a small voice that can be heard by few, as a group we have a voice that echoes loud and can be heard by many. The only way change is going to happen is if we make change happen. Statistically, teachers are paid less than those who work in other professions requiring similar education and responsibilities. Low teacher pay comes at a high cost for schools and kids, who lose good teachers to better-paying professions. Some 20 percent of new public school teachers leave the profession by the end of the first year, and almost half leave within five years. Pay-related turnover is especially high for minorities, males, and teachers under the age of 30.
Having highly qualified teachers is essential to student success — but who in the future will be lured into a profession with wages that start low and fail to keep pace with comparable careers? A National Education Association (NEA) report comparing teachers' weekly wages to those of other workers with similar education and experience shows that, since 1993, female teacher wages have fallen behind 13% and male teacher wages 12.5% (11.5% among all teachers). Since 1979 teacher wages relative to those of other similar workers have dropped 18.5% among women, 9.3% among men, and 13.1% among both combined. According to a recent study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the teaching profession has an average national starting salary of $30,377. Meanwhile, computer programmers start at an average of $43,635, public accounting professionals at $44,668, and registered nurses at $45,570. This is clear evidence that as future educators we must speak up for change, but we must have a loud voice to be heard, therefore I urge you to join Student CTA at: www.cta.org.