US governors pushing for pay increases, bonuses, other perks for teachers as shortage continues

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As many schools struggle to find enough teachers, state governors across the U.S. are pushing for pay increases, bonuses and other perks in a growing competition to attract and retain educators.

The question of teacher compensation will receive heightened attention during Teacher Appreciation Week beginning May 8, a time when school systems and parent-teacher organizations coordinate expressions of gratitude for educators.

The strains of teaching through the COVID-19 pandemic have taken a toll on many teachers, with unions reporting low morale and many thinking of leaving the profession. Governors have pitched raises as a way to address teacher shortages and shore up staffing pipelines threatened by lackluster enrollments in teacher training programs.

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Shortages are most extreme in certain areas, including the poorest or most rural districts, researchers say. Districts also report particular difficulties in hiring for in-demand subjects like special education, math and science.

It’s not clear how far pay raises will go toward relieving the shortages, though. Some teachers say the pay raises are too little, too late to fix problems that are years in the making.

Shown are lockers at Penn Wood High School in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, on May 3, 2023. As schools across the country struggle to find teachers to hire, more governors are pushing for pay increases and bonuses. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

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In the past year, more than half of the states’ governors — 26 so far — have boosted teacher compensation or are talking about it. They are listed below, based on information from the Education Commission of the States and a forthcoming report called "Raising the Bar on Teacher Pay" by the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders at the American Institutes for Research and the Teacher Salary Project.

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States include Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.