Hunter: Teachers deserve pay increase

In his latest Capital Report, Rep. Steve Hunter, R-Joplin, states his case that Missouri teachers deserve more pay. Hunter's column backs legislation that would increase the minimum salary for teachers from $23,000 per year to $31,000:

While every job has value and serves a purpose, we can all agree some occupations carry with them a duty and responsibility that raises their level of importance. Typically we see people who work in these vital jobs paid well for the services they render. Whether they are surgeons or scientists, they make a healthy wage that befits the high level of skill and dedication required to perform their duties. This is true in almost every case except for a very few. One of the most glaring examples is seen in the wages earned by individuals charged with the important responsibility of molding the minds of young people – our teachers.

Here in Missouri we have placed an emphasis on improving our system of education to give our students the tools they need to succeed in the future. We have gone from a state that saw education funding withheld to balance the budget to one that currently has the largest education budget in state history. The hundreds of millions of additional dollars we have poured into the system have resulted in better facilities and more materials such as books and computers for our students. However, shiny new buildings and the latest technology can only get you so far when it comes to educating young minds. All the bells and whistles mean nothing if we don’t have quality teachers to utilize those tools to teach our students.

The teachers we have in our state are doing an amazing job of providing a quality education but they are doing it while being paid far less than they are worth. Right now Missouri is ranked 44^th in the nation when it comes to average teacher pay. There are only six states that pay their teachers less on average than we do. Meanwhile our neighboring states rank ahead of us with Illinois sitting near the top of the charts. Experienced and qualified teachers can choose to stay here working for low pay or they can move across the state line to get the kind of salaries they deserve. We can’t allow this to happen and it is time to bring our pay for teachers up to par with what other states are doing.

Legislation we are working on this year would give our teachers this much-needed increase. House Bill 2040 would increase our minimum teacher salary from $23,000 annually to $31,000. It also would establish a salary floor that would rise as teachers gain experience. With this we would make Missouri teacher salaries more competitive with other those of other states. More importantly, we would give our teachers the pay they deserve for the monumental task they undertake in providing our children with a quality education.

Being a teacher is a difficult job and I have the greatest admiration for the men and women who choose to go into this profession. They are doing more for less but I believe it is time we change that. Teachers shouldn’t need to work part-time jobs to make ends meet. They should be paid a salary commensurate with their skill level and job responsibilities. The teaching profession should be one that offers a salary that can entice the brightest minds. It also should be one that rewards the dedicated individuals who have worked long and hard under a system that paid them far too little.

This year we hope to right this wrong and finally offer teachers the salaries they deserve. We have done a great deal to enhance our education funding and improve the quality of education we provide to our young people. However, the best way to ensure we are providing a quality education for our young people is by also ensuring they have the best teachers possible. By providing a much-needed pay increase we can do exactly that.