Without education, there is no progress. So why are our nation’s teachers being severely underpaid? According to research recorded by the Pew Research Center, one out of every six teachers works a secondary job to make ends meet, sometimes even during the school year. To further understand the severity of low teacher wages, we dove deeper into the numbers.
This has been a lingering issue for teachers, with 16 percent of all teachers working a secondary job during the summer in 2015, a number that has remained consistent through the next nearly five years. Now it can be seen as teachers looking to make some extra cash while they are on summer vacation, however 18 percent of teachers in 2015 were also working a non-education jobs during the school year. Breaking this down even further into smaller demographics, nearly one-third of all teachers with less than one year of teaching experience worked a second job, while male teachers (25 percent) were more likely to work another job while teaching.
It is apparent that teachers are picking up extra jobs in order to live comfortably, with their secondary jobs making up almost 10 percent of their annual income, but is it such a far cry for us to allot more funds to those who are educating the future of our nation? With teachers taking jobs during the school year as well to meet their financial needs, it can also potentially take their focus away from the classroom and lead to students not receiving a proper learning experience. Do you think teachers should be paid more or do you think they should continue to pick up other jobs over school vacations and beyond? Let us know in the comments below!