West Virginia
WV Voters Want Higher Pay for Teachers – WV MetroNews
One of the passages of the West Virginia Constitution that I often reference is Article XII: “The Legislature shall provide, by general law, for a thorough and efficient system of free schools.”
It stands out to me that the crafters of the state’s founding document included an unequivocal requirement that our state shall provide rigorous and well-planned public education. Clearly, they knew the value of an informed citizenry.
But West Virginia struggles to fulfill that constitutional obligation.
As our Brad McElhinny reported, “West Virginia’s scores on a national education bellwether this past year amount to the state’s lowest performance ever. West Virginia ranked 50th in fourth grade reading, 49th in eighth grade reading, 50th in fourth grade math and 50th in eighth grade math.”
The MetroNews West Virginia Poll* released this week found that the state’s registered voters have a dim view of primary and secondary education quality. Thirty-six percent of those questioned said public education is getting worse. Fifty-four percent said it’s about the same, while only 10 percent said it’s getting better.
Pollster Rex Repass said, “Ideally, in any kind of public endeavor where you are trying to serve the public, you want your satisfaction levels in the 70, 80, 90 percent range but it’s hard to get a very high percentage range when you are talking about something as broadly as public schools.”
Our poll listed a series of eight factors that “may help improve West Virginia’s primary and secondary education system.” An overwhelming majority, 57 percent, said “paying teachers more.” Next highest was “improving technology in schools” at 43 percent. Notably “providing charter schools” was at the bottom at 16 percent.
Figures released earlier this year by the National Education Association found that West Virginia teacher pay for the 2021-2022 school year averaged $50,315, which ranked 50th in the nation. The low pay contributes to the chronic shortage of certified teachers in the state, but it is not the only reason.
A comprehensive study by researchers at Brown University and the University at Albany released last November found that job satisfaction among teachers is at a 50 year low, and perceptions of teacher prestige have fallen between 20 percent and 47 percent in the last decade.
As salaries stagnate and dissatisfaction grows, fewer young people enter the field. The researchers found that “Interest in the teaching profession among high school seniors and college freshman has fallen 50 percent since the 1990s, and 38 percent since 2010, reaching the lowest level in the last 50 years.”
This feels like a death spiral.
The myriad challenges inside the classrooms with issues such as bad student behavior, chronic absenteeism, and bureaucracy, combined with low pay and other career options, discourage people from entering the profession, which then leads to teacher shortages that contribute the poorer outcomes. The underachievement of our students then results in public dissatisfaction with our schools.
There is no silver bullet solution, but one part of the equation would be to re-establish public education teaching as an honored profession, one where teachers are treated and paid as professionals, while simultaneously producing professional results.
Our poll indicates that most West Virginia voters—Democrats, Republicans and Independents—believe that would be a good place to start in an attempt to provide public education that is thorough and efficient.
*(The MetroNews West Virginia Poll is supported by The Health Plan—Known for exceptional customer service and support with a nationwide network of physicians, headquartered right here in West Virginia. The Health Plan—We are here for you. Learn more at healthplan.org.)