In the U.S., the conversation around teacher pay often sparks strong opinions but the numbers tell a clear story. Nationwide, teacher salaries have barely kept pace with inflation, and in many states, they’ve actually declined in real terms over the past decade.
This pay gap doesn’t just affect educators. It drives high turnover, a shrinking pipeline of qualified teachers, and wider achievement gaps between wealthy and low-income districts. Well-funded schools can attract top talent with competitive salaries and benefits, while underfunded schools struggle to fill vacancies, sometimes resorting to long-term substitutes.
The result? Students in struggling districts face larger class sizes, less experienced educators, and fewer extracurricular or advanced programs. It’s a chain reaction and it starts with compensation.
In his book, Politics, Education, and the Future of K-12, Lonnie Palmer explains how political priorities, tax structures, and outdated funding models have trapped public education in a cycle of inequity. His recent blog post on teacher pay and benefits digs deeper into the numbers and shows what reforms could actually make a difference.
Read the full blog here: Teacher Pay and Benefits in Public Schools
Check out the book here: Politics, Education, and the Future of K-12
