Is Financial Growth Possible for Educators?

Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

I was thrilled with my first teaching contract. I was hired to teach fourth grade for $22,000 a year. I now had a regular paycheck, health insurance, and my own classroom. The year was 1995.

I held a Masters Degree, two state teaching certificates, and a two-year teaching internship under my belt. And over $30,000 in student loan debt from all of these experiences.

Many of my college friends had accepted roles starting at $30,000 right after graduation-no additional certificates, no additional degrees, and no additional debts. And by the time I entered my profession, they were making close to $40,000. Of course, I understand there are industry and location differences in salaries. But at the start of my career, I was already nearly $20,000 behind those who graduated with me and entered the business world.

Already, I hear many of you saying-oh, but teachers don’t do their jobs for the money. It’s a calling. It’s a passion. Why do you think that? Why do we have to view teachers as financial martyrs?

Why can’t teaching be a career that provides financial growth?

I am here to tell you, teaching can be. We simply have to choose for it to be. We must value what teachers do. We must value the result of teachers’ work. And, we must value an education.

It’s that simple.

When I created the four pillars that I believe must uphold the profession of teaching, financial growth was the first. The lack of growth here is one of the main reasons young people do not even consider the profession as a viable option for their future.

But here’s the thing, society has a failure of imagination when it comes to financial growth and teachers. We believe that must mean salary. But, what if financial growth could mean more than just paid salary? What if there were more benefits for teachers that related to financial growth?

What if teachers were offered-

• Housing subsidies/stipends

• No income taxes

• Free internet (or other necessary) services

• Subsidized or free childcare

• Grocery/restaurant allowances

• Transportation allowances

• No-cost health insurance

Many will view my ideas as impossible. Unrealistic, they will say, these ideas are too “pie in the sky” for education. How could we even begin to incorporate these as options? Maybe, these people simply lack the willingness and grit to think creatively and to innovate.

I do not share my ideas for these people. And, I am not here to defend my ideas or convince them to shift their mindsets.

Instead, I speak to the believer, the builder, the innovator. The educator who can imagine a better system and a career filled with opportunities. The educator who knows an elevated profession is possible.

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You can download The Profession Reimagined and bring fresh and actionable ideas to the table at your school today.