tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/teachers-pay-25464/articlesteachers' pay – The Conversation2023-11-21T16:54:07Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2169632023-11-21T16:54:07Z2023-11-21T16:54:07ZWhy are so many graduates shunning teaching? Pay – but not bonuses – could be the answer<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560001/original/file-20231116-29-zj42q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6230%2C3502&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/horizontal-photo-diverse-employees-team-discussing-1449672428">fizkes/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>There is a <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england">persistent shortage</a> of teachers in England. Numbers of new recruits fail to meet targets, and too many teachers are leaving their jobs. It’s clear that more new teachers are needed – but apparently not enough people are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2019.1568535">choosing the profession</a>. </p>
<p>Much of the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03055698.2021.1915751">existing evidence</a> about why people become teachers is based only on the views of existing or prospective trainee teachers. This is interesting, but says nothing about why other people do not become teachers. And if we need to increase the number of applications to teacher training, it is the people who decide against teaching that matter.</p>
<p>These people are the subject of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03055698.2021.1915751">our research</a>. We asked 4,500 undergraduate students in 53 universities in England about their career decisions generally and whether they had thought about teaching. Our findings suggest that rather than putting money into bonuses for new teachers, the government should focus on improving the overall financial rewards of teaching.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/early-career-payments-guidance-for-teachers-and-schools">Incentive payments</a> are one of the main ways the government seeks to recruit people to teaching. They are currently offered to trainees and early career teachers in hard to recruit for subjects, such as maths and physics. </p>
<p>Understandably, these payments are attractive to people who have already decided they want to be teachers. But we do not know whether they have much pull for people who choose not to become teachers. We don’t know what it is that could lead people who might have considered and rejected the idea of becoming a teacher to think about this career path more seriously. </p>
<p>This lack of information could explain why a succession of policies and initiatives have not remedied the problem. In fact, when we asked all the students we surveyed – including those planning to be teachers – what drew them to a career, getting an introductory bonus was one of the least significant incentives. </p>
<p>For all of the students we surveyed, the biggest deterrent to teaching as a career was that teacher salaries are not high enough.</p>
<h2>Identifying potential teachers</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03055698.2021.1915751">We asked students</a> about their career choices, including whether they had ever considered teaching as a job and what they thought now. We also asked them about their parents’ jobs, their A-level or other pre-university qualification results, and the class of degree they expected to get. </p>
<p>A significant finding was that the students most likely to choose a career as a teacher were those who had somewhat lower prior results and lower expected degree awards than their peers. They were less likely to have a parent with a degree. </p>
<p>On the other hand, the students who were the highest academic achievers had the least interest in teaching. </p>
<p>Between the two groups – those intending to be teachers and those with no interest – was a third group. This was students who had considered teaching as a career option and then rejected it. </p>
<p>These students tend to study humanities, social science, sports science or languages subjects. They were, like those who planned to be teachers, motivated by interest in their subject and a chance to share their knowledge. </p>
<p>This group of students could make excellent teachers. But we found that their interest in teaching declines with every year at university. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Teacher with group of children at table" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560369/original/file-20231120-29-88l79t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560369/original/file-20231120-29-88l79t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=349&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560369/original/file-20231120-29-88l79t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=349&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560369/original/file-20231120-29-88l79t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=349&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560369/original/file-20231120-29-88l79t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=438&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560369/original/file-20231120-29-88l79t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=438&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560369/original/file-20231120-29-88l79t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=438&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Better pay over the course of a teaching career could lead more students to choose it as a profession.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/students-doing-creativity-project-their-teacher-2294917535">Jacob Lund/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We also found that the students who planned to become teachers were less concerned about pay and promotion prospects than other students. Instead, they were more interested in job security than other students, as well as the chance to give back to society. </p>
<p>Findings like this might suggest that while low pay may not matter too much to people who were set on being a teacher, it might be the factor putting other potential teachers off. </p>
<p>One sociology student who had considered teaching, only to decide against it, said: “It’s the pay as well … It’s not a nine to five. It’s like a nine to five, plus your weekends and plus hours afterwards.”</p>
<p>Our findings showed that career intentions are reportedly set for most students by the time they have chosen their subject at university. Once at university, incentives such as golden hellos, training salaries, or grants, make little difference. They are popular with intending teachers, of course, but do not appear to change the minds of students who have already decided on other careers. </p>
<p>This suggests any money available to try to attract teachers to the profession could be better used to increase salaries for teachers generally, rather than temporary incentives for some. </p>
<p>But perhaps the best use of such money would be in raising the occupational profile and prestige of teachers, undercut by decades of media and political criticism. Suggestions to pilot could be paid sabbatical breaks, and longer paid working hours but with lower student contact time. There must be others. </p>
<p>Exploring why some people choose not to be teachers means that policies can address the barriers to teaching, and also make teaching more attractive to under-represented groups – such as men and some ethnic minorities.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216963/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stephen Gorard receives funding from the ESRC to research teacher supply. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Beng Huat See receives funding from the ESRC</span></em></p>Our findings suggest that increasing teacher pay over their whole career would help.Stephen Gorard, Professor of Education and Public Policy, Durham UniversityBeng Huat See, Professor of Education Research, School of Education, Durham UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1854062022-06-26T19:58:32Z2022-06-26T19:58:32ZRead the room, Premier. Performance pay for teachers will make the crisis worse<p>Without fail, every time a politician is tasked with reforming education, the issue of performance-based pay for teachers is put on the table. It’s odd, really, that such a controversial idea can keep making the rounds with such enthusiasm from government leaders. But that’s exactly what New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet has announced as part of his platform to reform education. </p>
<p>The policy is being framed as innovative and designed to “modernise the education system”, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/performance-pay-revamped-school-hours-premier-flags-education-reforms-20220617-p5aula.html">according to</a> the premier.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1538263941775626241"}"></div></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/almost-60-of-teachers-say-they-want-out-what-is-labor-going-to-do-for-an-exhausted-school-sector-183452">Almost 60% of teachers say they want out. What is Labor going to do for an exhausted school sector?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The proposal has drawn swift criticism. The two largest teachers’ unions in the state – the NSW Teachers Federation and the Independent Education Union of Australia (NSW/ACT) – <a href="https://twitter.com/AGavrielatos/status/1539088183211991040?s=20&t=GRCN-r2YCzxNFm5l7tiIWg">unanimously voted</a> to strike for 24 hours this Thursday, June 30, in the dispute about pay and staff shortages. It’s the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-21/nsw-teachers-to-strike-over-pay-and-conditions-next-week/101171092">first time</a> members of the two unions will strike together.</p>
<p>It is unclear whether the premier anticipated this sort of response, but a brief look at how similar proposals have been received in the past suggests it isn’t very surprising.</p>
<p>The proposal ignores everything we have learned about why teachers are leaving the profession. We know they are leaving because of <a href="https://www.monash.edu/thank-your-teacher/docs/Perceptions-of-Teachers-and-Teaching-in-Australia-report-Nov-2019.pdf">unbearable workloads, low morale and stagnant pay</a>. </p>
<p>Performance pay will not resolve the fundamental problems that lead to teachers leaving. It does risk making matters worse.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1539088183211991040"}"></div></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/higher-salaries-might-attract-teachers-but-pay-isnt-one-of-the-top-10-reasons-for-leaving-177825">Higher salaries might attract teachers but pay isn't one of the top 10 reasons for leaving</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What’s the evidence on performance pay?</h2>
<p>What do we know about similar efforts to introduce performance pay for teachers? There is a lot of international evidence to draw upon. Unfortunately, the evidence paints a grim view of what performance pay might look like in the Australian context.</p>
<p>To begin, what is performance pay? And why do government leaders keep proposing it as a solution for school reform? </p>
<p>Performance-based pay is built on a simple premise: good teachers should be financially rewarded for excellent teaching. The idea is that teachers will be motivated to try harder, perform better and produce better outcomes.</p>
<p>This might sound like a great idea. Don’t we want good teachers to be compensated for their exceptional performance? According to decades of research, however, there are many problems with this premise.</p>
<p>First of all, we know that the best teaching occurs when teachers are able to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13540602.2019.1639499?journalCode=ctat20">collaborate</a>, share and learn from one another. This only happens when teachers have the time, but also the motivation, to work together. </p>
<p>Performance pay, on the other hand, is based on a model of competition. Only the best will receive financial rewards. Others will miss out.</p>
<p>Creating this kind of competitive environment has been <a href="https://theconversation.com/performance-pay-for-teachers-will-create-a-culture-of-fear-and-isolation-59736">detrimental to collegiality, trust and morale</a> among teachers. At a time when teachers are already finding their <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00049441221086654">workloads unbearable</a>, adding a layer of competition is the last thing that will help keep them in the classroom. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1186186943912140800"}"></div></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/performance-pay-for-teachers-will-create-a-culture-of-fear-and-isolation-59736">Performance pay for teachers will create a culture of fear and isolation</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>It requires a level playing field, which doesn’t exist</h2>
<p>One area that most performance pay research is clear about is that such policies require very specific conditions to be effective. At the same time, this research shows that achieving perfect conditions is <a href="https://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisaproducts/pisainfocus/50328990.pdf">nearly impossible</a>. </p>
<p>The only way to make performance pay fair is to create a perfectly level playing field for all teachers. Of course, this is unrealistic. Classrooms are messy, complex environments. </p>
<p>Students have varied backgrounds, different levels of privilege and diverse needs.
Teachers are expected to teach all students, regardless of the circumstances. </p>
<p>However, research has shown us time and again that different levels of advantage have a significant influence on outcomes. When teachers teach in schools or classrooms with high concentrations of disadvantage, it is often harder for them to demonstrate achievement growth.</p>
<p>On the flip side, experts also warn of “<a href="http://www.asasrms.org/Proceedings/y2008/Files/301495.pdf">ceiling effects</a>”. When teachers teach high concentrations of high-performing students, they also struggle to demonstrate learning growth. </p>
<p>In one notorious <a href="http://vamboozled.com/help-florida-teacher-luke-flint-tell-his-story-about-his-vam-scores/">case</a> in the US, a teacher lost out on performance pay because he taught high-performing students. His students had already performed so well that this left little room for growth in achievement. This teacher went “backwards” because students didn’t achieve their predicted scores – some better than perfect – under the state’s value-added model (VAM).</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J6lyURyVz7k?wmode=transparent&start=400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Florida’s value-added model of performance pay penalised teachers of high-performing students.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/making-better-use-of-australias-top-teachers-will-improve-student-outcomes-heres-how-to-do-it-131297">Making better use of Australia's top teachers will improve student outcomes: here's how to do it</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Decades of work haven’t solved these problems</h2>
<p>These are just some of the issues that have to be resolved before performance pay can be considered a viable option. School systems around the world have been trying to do so for decades, with limited success.</p>
<p>What we have learned from these attempts is that performance pay is based on narrow measures of quality that inevitably lead to poor teaching practice. Not only is the policy outdated and ineffective, but international evidence shows performance pay damages teacher morale and collegiality. </p>
<p>At a time when teachers are leaving the profession in droves, this policy proposal threatens to make current conditions even worse. Now is not the time to take an already precarious workforce and impose policies we know have had damaging effects elsewhere.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/185406/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jessica Holloway receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rafaan Daliri-Ngametua and Sarah Langman do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Paying good teachers more sounds like a great idea. The problem is the research on performance pay shows it’s counterproductive – and inflicting it on a system in crisis is terrible timing.Jessica Holloway, Senior Research DECRA Fellow, Institute for Learning Sciences and Teacher Education, Australian Catholic UniversityRafaan Daliri-Ngametua, Lecturer in Education, Australian Catholic UniversitySarah Langman, PhD Candidate, Institute for Learning Sciences and Teacher Education, Australian Catholic UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1778252022-02-28T01:51:28Z2022-02-28T01:51:28ZHigher salaries might attract teachers but pay isn’t one of the top 10 reasons for leaving<p>Money might at first attract us to a profession, but does it keep us in it? The report of the <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/quality-initial-teacher-education-review/resources/next-steps-report-quality-initial-teacher-education-review">Quality Initial Teacher Education Review</a>, released in recent days, found teachers in Australia reach the top pay scale after about ten years. This is well below the average for advanced economies. A survey for the review suggested <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/pay-teachers-130-000-to-attract-high-achievers-leaked-review-says-20220223-p59z37.html">more high-achieving graduates would enter teaching</a> if the top salary increased by $30,000. </p>
<p>But is salary enough to motivate people to stick with a long-term career in teaching? </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-and-schools-australia-is-about-to-feel-the-full-brunt-of-its-teacher-shortage-174885">COVID and schools: Australia is about to feel the full brunt of its teacher shortage</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>We have spent the past four years working on a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/project/Teacher-turnover-and-retention">meta-analysis</a> of research on this question. We analysed over 70 factors in global data on teacher retention and turnover over the past 40 years, involving more than 3 million participants in total. We also surveyed more than 1,000 Australian current and former teachers about their career decisions.</p>
<p>The most-researched factors in teacher retention and turnover are job satisfaction, school leadership and teacher salary. The survey shows major attractions to teaching include:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>a passion for learning</p></li>
<li><p>working with young people</p></li>
<li><p>contributing to society</p></li>
<li><p>job security</p></li>
<li><p>salary. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>Are these factors the same as the factors that keep teachers in the profession? </p>
<p>We statistically combined the results of 186 similar but independent studies to obtain an overall estimate of an association between a factor and teachers’ decision to stay or leave the profession. This approach corrects for bias that may be present in individual studies to reveal the true strength of relationships. </p>
<h2>What keeps teachers in the profession?</h2>
<p>Our meta-analysis showed salary has the third-strongest association with teacher retention. It came behind teachers’ self-reported commitment to the profession and self-reported job satisfaction. </p>
<p>In our survey, salary ranked fourth for reasons teachers stay in the profession. The first three reasons were positive student relationships, positive collegiate relationships and secure employment. </p>
<p>One teacher with 12 years’ experience reflected:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“The most significant factor I have perceived in keeping teachers in our profession is their personal passion. Teachers are not materially motivated, there are no big dollars here. Good schools then necessarily rely on passion to outweigh these priorities in retaining and developing excellent teachers.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another teacher with 18 years’ experience said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“The thing that has kept me in teaching is the students I teach, the relationships I have with them, and the sense that I am contributing to making their lives better in some way.”</p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/teachers-who-feel-appreciated-are-less-likely-to-leave-the-profession-89864">Teachers who feel appreciated are less likely to leave the profession</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Any why do others leave teaching?</h2>
<p>When surveyed about why teachers leave, salary did not feature in the top ten reasons. A loss of passion for teaching, stress and burnout, struggling to cope with their roles and a lack of connection with students were the most common reasons. </p>
<p>For those who leave, salary has a relatively weak association. It seems important for stayers, but won’t stop leavers from leaving. </p>
<p>As one participant in the survey said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I think the pressure, stress and workload, paired with the salary teachers receive, ultimately means you must have a real passion for the job to survive. As soon as that passion fades, it can become incredibly arduous, you can feel unappreciated, and you can become resentful. It is important to continually assess why you are teaching and what makes you love the job, as without that love for the work you do, the profession can be a nightmare.”</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Showing teachers they are valued does matter</h2>
<p>A $30,000 pay rise for every teacher at the top experience level would of course be popular. It would show their experience is valued. One teacher with ten years’ experience said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I find it really frustrating that I work hard but am not financially rewarded. I look at my friends earning twice the amount and experiencing more recognition for jobs that are merely about economic benefit. I know my job is important but I would like more prestige in society’s eyes.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Raising the top salary for teachers, even if only a fraction of recruits last long enough to receive it, may help to raise the status in society and social approval among friends and family of teaching. These two factors had strong associations with intentions to stay in the profession.</p>
<p>The prime target of raising the top salary would be teachers under 40 years old. A <a href="https://www.aitsl.edu.au/research/australian-teacher-workforce-data/atwdreports">recently published report</a> on the characteristics of teachers in the workforce found teachers under 40 were much less likely (about 20%) to indicate an intention to stay in the profession until retirement. </p>
<p>One teacher commented:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“The public service get much more money, for much less work and far fewer qualifications. The value and worth of the teaching profession do not reflect well.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1173340747384414215"}"></div></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/three-charts-on-teachers-pay-in-australia-it-starts-out-ok-but-goes-downhill-pretty-quickly-122782">Three charts on teachers' pay in Australia: it starts out OK, but goes downhill pretty quickly</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Our study data suggest teachers leave for a combination of greater pay and benefits and professional growth. One teacher told us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I value opportunities and recognition. When you hear about friends who work for exciting firms that offer opportunities, perks and flexibility, the school environment can feel rigid.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The structure of tenure-based salary advancement is potentially a limiting factor compared to other industries. A 49-year-old teacher with five years’ experience said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I had to take a huge pay cut to move from the corporate sector into education. I never expected to be confronted with such an inequitable system. Pay based on years of experience rather than merit and ability has been very demotivating.” </p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Staffing schools is a delicate balancing act</h2>
<p>Retention in itself should not be a school goal at the expense of student learning or rejuvenation of teaching staff through new hires. Indeed, teachers are not exactly a homogeneous workforce. </p>
<p>Unfair as it may be, should bonuses be offered to retain teachers in hard-to-staff subjects and locations only? </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/return-to-school-plans-overlook-chronic-teacher-shortages-outside-the-big-cities-176250">Return-to-school plans overlook chronic teacher shortages outside the big cities</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>A $30,000 increase in the salary ceiling may retain long-serving staff, but what effect would $30,000 spent to reduce workload and improve resources and working conditions for all teachers have on retention?</p>
<p>Ensuring Australia has a sufficient supply of qualified and motivated teachers requires a two-pronged approach: attraction and retention.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/177825/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>This article is based on research partially funded by the Victorian Department of Education and Training's Strengthening Teachers Initiative. Hugh Gundlach is also supported by the Australian Department of Education, Skills and Employment Research Training Program Fees Offset and Stipend. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gavin R. Slemp participated in the research project that was partially funded by the Victorian Department of Education and Training's Strengthening Teachers Initiative.</span></em></p>The first challenge is to attract new teachers, the second is to keep them. More pay might help with recruitment, but research suggests we need to look at the conditions of work to stem the losses.Hugh Gundlach, Lecturer in Education, The University of MelbourneGavin R. Slemp, Senior Lecturer, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1753722022-01-27T13:29:09Z2022-01-27T13:29:09ZWhere are all the substitute teachers?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441862/original/file-20220120-9530-1gxur3x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=46%2C0%2C5202%2C3457&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Substitute teachers, like this one in Indiana in 2020, are in short supply during the pandemic.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/VirusOutbreakIndiana/d565e58bed5142a2b0e05acb1c691531/photo">AP Photo/Michael Conroy</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As a result of the omicron variant of the coronavirus, many school districts across the country are finding themselves <a href="https://tsa.ed.gov/#/reports">short of teachers</a>, who are quitting, getting sick or even dying.</p>
<p>Some schools have even <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/schools-desperate-substitute-teachers-are-turning-parents-n1287401">called on parents</a> to step in to provide adult supervision in classrooms. In New Mexico, the governor has asked <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jan/20/new-mexico-national-guard-substitute-teachers-omicron">National Guard members to serve as substitute teachers</a>.</p>
<p>Normally schools hire substitutes to cover teacher absences. But there are <a href="https://www.journal-news.com/news/struggle-for-schools-to-find-substitute-teachers-grows/GUJIGEKK5JAYFL3XCBIHWFAFWA/">so many teachers out with COVID-19</a> that the <a href="https://www.kut.org/education/2022-01-07/school-districts-ask-parents-to-fill-in-as-substitute-teachers-as-covid-cases-rise-in-central-texas">demand is much higher</a> <a href="https://www.nctq.org/publications/Roll-Call-2020">than usual</a>. </p>
<p>Pay for substitute teachers averaged <a href="https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes253031.htm">$17 an hour in May 2020</a>, according to federal figures. Assuming a substitute worked as much as possible – seven hours a day for 180 school days – that’s $21,420 a year, which is about <a href="https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes252021.htm">one-third of the national average pay</a> for full-time teachers. It is also <a href="https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines/prior-hhs-poverty-guidelines-federal-register-references/2021-poverty-guidelines">below the poverty line</a> for households with three people. Because school breaks are short, people who are <a href="https://www.telegram.com/story/news/2021/09/02/substitute-teacher-shortage-spikes-central-massachusetts-pre-pandemic/8244646002/">regular subs</a> may not be able to pursue longer-term work.</p>
<p>And that’s on the high end. Substitute teaching work is not always steady and <a href="https://ksltv.com/474519/jordan-school-district-offering-500-incentive-to-keep-substitute-teachers/?">doesn’t usually earn benefits</a>, so it’s less attractive in a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/12/29/job-market-2021/">job market where workers have many options</a>.</p>
<p>As <a href="https://www.binghamtonschools.org/district/administration">education administrators</a> and <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/tlel/faculty-and-staff/profile.html?id=smcleod">scholars of school leadership</a>, we see school districts across the U.S. adjusting their requirements, and their compensation, for substitute teachers – all in an effort to keep schools open despite large numbers of staff out sick.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441863/original/file-20220120-8326-74n5ir.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A person speaks at a lectern, with several people in camouflage uniforms behind her." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441863/original/file-20220120-8326-74n5ir.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441863/original/file-20220120-8326-74n5ir.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441863/original/file-20220120-8326-74n5ir.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441863/original/file-20220120-8326-74n5ir.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441863/original/file-20220120-8326-74n5ir.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441863/original/file-20220120-8326-74n5ir.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441863/original/file-20220120-8326-74n5ir.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has asked the state’s National Guard to help staff classrooms amid the pandemic.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/TeacherShortageNewMexico/7a70918ae43e4636ad67dfb40b7b1188/photo">AP Photo/Morgan Lee</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Why are there substitute teachers?</h2>
<p>With the rise of compulsory education in the U.S. in the early 20th century, and the subsequent emergence of collective bargaining agreements for public school teachers, <a href="https://www.routledge.com/American-Education/Spring/p/book/9780367553869">schools began needing to hire substitute teachers</a>. Contracts often gave teachers a specific number of sick or personal days off. School districts had to provide coverage when a regular teacher was out, either for a short period of illness or a longer time, such as a maternity leave.</p>
<p>In general, states set <a href="https://www.teachercertificationdegrees.com/careers/substitute-teacher">minimum requirements for substitutes</a>. In Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Virginia and Wyoming, anyone with a high school diploma can be a sub, unless a specific school district has implemented a higher level of requirements. But most states require at least some college credits, and <a href="https://bestaccreditedcolleges.org/articles/how-to-become-a-substitute-teacher.html">local school boards often set additional requirements</a>, such as licensure in the subject where the person will work as a substitute teacher.</p>
<p>Subs are employed in a variety of ways, sometimes through collective bargaining agreements with school districts, including formal approval as employees with negotiated compensation and working conditions, or as <a href="https://ess.com/blog/articles-substitute-teachers-as-independent-contractors/">independent contractors</a>, or through external temporary staffing agencies. Their pay is typically determined by school districts. In general, short-term subs, who fill in for a teacher for a day or so at a time, are paid the least. Subs tend to <a href="https://work.chron.com/full-time-substitute-teachers-salary-20911.html">get paid more</a> if they work some number of days in a row, or if they are engaged to fill a longer-term absence. Pay also can increase depending on a sub’s educational level, license status or prior teaching experience.</p>
<p>Though the national average in 2020 – the most recent year for which data is available – was <a href="https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes253031.htm">$17 an hour</a>, actual pay varies widely by location. Districts in and around southeastern Maryland paid an average of <a href="https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes253031.htm">$42.13 an hour</a> in 2020. But school districts on Alabama’s Gulf Coast paid <a href="https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes253031.htm">$8.35 an hour</a> on average that same year. </p>
<p><iframe id="CuOLA" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/CuOLA/1/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>What can be done to address the shortage?</h2>
<p>The standard approach to a worker shortage is to <a href="https://workforceinstitute.org/3-ways-to-fix-your-labor-shortage/">raise pay and other compensation</a>. One school district outside San Antonio, Texas, has temporarily raised its substitute teacher pay by <a href="https://www.kens5.com/article/news/education/neisd-boosts-substitute-teacher-pay/273-27b7cab6-243f-42cd-9014-7adf5b4de358">as much as 20%</a>, to <a href="https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/north-east-isd-temporarily-raise-substitute-teacher-pay-to-alleviate-staffing-shortages-schools-coronavirus-pandemic-jobs-employees-districts-sick-certification">between $98 and $150 per day</a>, depending on a person’s qualifications.</p>
<p>In education, however, we have more often seen a reduction in required qualifications for a particular job, demanding a lower-level license or less prior experience. That’s happening, too, such as in Kansas, which temporarily <a href="https://www.thekansan.com/2022/01/18/kansas-loosens-substitute-teacher-requirements/">eliminated the statewide requirement</a> that subs have at least some college-level education.</p>
<p>However, our experience as school district leaders has shown us that attracting and keeping substitute teachers requires more than fair compensation. </p>
<p>Often, substitute teachers are viewed on the school system’s periphery rather than as an integral core. For instance, subs often are not included in district events such as professional learning opportunities or districtwide communications. Research has demonstrated that even though substitutes are necessary for the continuing function of schools, <a href="https://doi.org/10.11575/ajer.v53i1.55196">substitutes do not see the organization as valuing their contribution</a>.</p>
<p>Some substitutes, such as retired teachers, may prefer to be more detached from general school operations. But other subs could interpret that distancing as a message that they are not really a part of the school culture. Principals and fellow teachers could welcome subs more directly, greeting them, visiting their classrooms, and making sure they know where to find a coat rack or a fridge for their lunch. Offering subs access to a break room and professional development also helps <a href="https://doi.org/10.1162/edfp_a_00329">connect substitutes to the broader school community</a>.</p>
<h2>Opportunities for change</h2>
<p>We also think it might be time for schools to consider alternatives to the current substitute teaching model. </p>
<p>Some districts <a href="https://dailyprogress.com/news/local/new-substitute-guidelines-would-pay-teachers-who-cover-a-colleagues-class/article_1496dd74-438a-5afa-965c-af951c4e29df.html">pay regular teachers to cover for absent colleagues</a> during planning or preparation periods. If this model is set up correctly, teachers substituting in other classrooms will have existing relationships with students and expertise in the subject matter needing to be taught.</p>
<p>Binghamton University, where we work, has developed a program called “<a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/tlel/field-education/index.html">Substitutes with a Purpose</a>” in collaboration with regional educational leaders. This program sets up graduate students in education as substitute teachers, using that time to fulfill state requirements for in-classroom teaching. </p>
<p>We have found that this effort <a href="https://www.infoagepub.com/products/Rethinking-School-University-Partnerships">helps regional school districts address substitute shortages</a> and helps university students earn money and fulfill academic requirements. It also provides an opportunity for these future teachers to become known in local schools, furthering their efforts to secure future full-time employment.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/175372/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>School districts across the US are starting to pay subs more and make it easier to become a sub – in an effort to keep classrooms operating despite large numbers of staff out sick.Suzanne McLeod, Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership, Binghamton University, State University of New YorkLarry Dake, Adjunct Professor of Educational Leadership, Binghamton University, State University of New YorkLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1748852022-01-18T19:09:32Z2022-01-18T19:09:32ZCOVID and schools: Australia is about to feel the full brunt of its teacher shortage<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441207/original/file-20220118-13-1oqd26j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/many-documents-stationery-on-teachers-desk-1506172133">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Omicron wave is likely to exacerbate Australia’s <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/education/profession-in-crisis-teacher-shortage-predicted-in-next-four-years-20190417-p51f2q.html">existing teacher shortages</a> and demanding workloads. As school starts at the end of January and beginning of February across the country, many teachers will be at risk of contracting COVID. They will need to stay away from work, while others may choose to leave the profession altogether. </p>
<p>To address parental concerns about teacher absences, the Prime Minister recently announced teachers <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/teachers-fight-easing-of-isolation-rules-for-close-contacts-20220117-p59oug.html">will no longer be required</a> to isolate at home for seven days if they are close contacts, and if they don’t have symptoms and return a negative rapid antigen test. But unions have slammed this relaxation of rules saying it <a href="https://www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/unions-blast-relaxation-of-covid19-isolation-rules-for-teachers/279433">will only add to safety concerns</a> for teachers and children.</p>
<p>States and territories are putting together a plan to open schools safely, which is set to be <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/teachers-fight-easing-of-isolation-rules-for-close-contacts-20220117-p59oug.html">released on Thursday</a>. But for schools to operate effectively, and avoid remote learning, Australia must also have a long-term plan for recruiting and retaining teachers. This means lifting their professional status, improving work conditions and increasing pay.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-shouldnt-delay-the-start-of-school-due-to-omicron-2-paediatric-infectious-disease-experts-explain-174330">We shouldn't delay the start of school due to Omicron. 2 paediatric infectious disease experts explain</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What’s happening overseas?</h2>
<p>Other countries are seeing <a href="https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/teacher-shortage-predicted-to-drive-more-school-closings-as-omicron-spread-widens">Omicron-fuelled teacher shortages</a>. In <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/jan/14/its-been-awful-teachers-at-english-secondary-schools-on-the-first-week-back">England</a> teachers have been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/jan/02/moves-to-tackle-omicron-in-english-schools-not-enough-unions-warn">told to combine classes due to staff shortages</a>.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1483160953726418945"}"></div></p>
<p>In <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/parents-teachers-in-four-provinces-prepare-to-return-to-class-as-omicron-spreads-1.5742089">Canada</a> some provinces had to delay opening schools. In <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-ontario-families-to-be-notified-when-30-of-staff-and-students-are/">Ontario</a> families who were previously notified when a teacher or child in their class tested positive will now only be notified when more than 30% of staff and students are absent. </p>
<p>In <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/13/half-of-french-primary-schools-expected-to-close-teachers-strike-protest-covid-education">France</a> teachers have gone on strike over what are described as “<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/13/french-teachers-strike-over-chaotic-covid-19-school-strategy">chaotic conditions</a>”. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1481947954252423170"}"></div></p>
<p>Schools in the United States, like in Australia, suffered from pre-pandemic teacher shortages and have struggled to stay open during the pandemic. Some states have <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/parents-become-substitute-teachers-as-omicron-surge-bedevils-joe-biden-20220114-p59o5o.html">recruited parents as stop-gap</a> substitute teachers, others <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/us-schools-switch-remote-learning-delay-start-classes-omicron-surge-di-rcna10795">returned to remote learning</a>.</p>
<p>Research in the US has made it clear the pandemic has <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2021/09/08/how-the-pandemic-has-changed-teachers-commitment-to-remaining-in-the-classroom/">changed teachers’ committment to remaining in the classroom</a> and led to <a href="https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1121-2.html">high staff turnover</a>. Australians may find themselves in the same position.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1481327170433728518"}"></div></p>
<h2>Australia’s teacher shortage</h2>
<p>Australia’s <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e3758f6cdad377a5754259c/t/60597e729a6b026b0016beef/1616477832453/gallop_inquiry_report_2021.pdf">teachers suffer from poor professional status</a>. A lack of respect, problems with recruitment, <a href="https://www.aare.edu.au/blog/?p=11446">poor pay</a> (relative to other professions), <a href="https://www.aare.edu.au/blog/?p=11725">high workload</a>, conflicting demands and now the pandemic, have conspired to create a perfect storm. </p>
<p>A range of data and reports suggest the scale of the emerging teacher shortage will be serious. Low <a href="https://www.nswtf.org.au/files/20042_theprofessionatrisk_digital.pdf">completion rates of teacher degrees</a> (fewer than 60% of those who started the degree) alongside <a href="https://www.nswtf.org.au/files/rorris-report.pdf">rising child and youth demographic trends</a> mean many schools, particularly those in rural areas, will find things even more difficult over the next few years.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/were-short-of-teachers-and-the-struggles-to-find-training-placements-in-schools-add-to-the-problem-172486">We're short of teachers, and the struggles to find training placements in schools add to the problem</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Reports from the New South Wales education department, accessed by the NSW Teachers Federation, show <a href="https://twitter.com/unionsnsw/status/1445930912919666688?s=21">more than 1,100</a> full time secondary and special education teaching positions were unfilled in 2021. That’s a lot of classrooms without a teacher. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/public-school-teacher-shortage-raises-fears-they-will-run-out-of-teachers-20211003-p58wtq.html">documents also reportedly say</a> the state’s public schools will “run out of teachers in the next five years”. Meanwhile, states <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/teachers-fight-easing-of-isolation-rules-for-close-contacts-20220117-p59oug.html">struggled to find casual and relief teachers</a> to fill the pandemic exacerbated shortages in the past two years.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1445930912919666688"}"></div></p>
<p><a href="https://www.nswtf.org.au/files/rorris-report.pdf">Projections</a> based on 2020 student enrolments, student to teacher ratio and school population growth suggest between 11,000 and 13,000 new teachers will be needed in NSW by 2031.</p>
<p>Nationally we have seen a chronic shortage in maths and science teachers. With the Australian Teacher Workforce Data Project still in development phase after ten years there has been no systemic national tracking of generic or specialist shortages. The <a href="https://amsi.org.au/media/AMSI-Occasional-Paper-Out-of-Field-Maths-Teaching.pdf">Australian Mathematics and Science Institute</a> calculates there is a 76% chance every student will have at least one unqualified maths teacher in years 7 to 10. </p>
<p>Long-term toleration of the teacher shortages in maths and science is particularly surprising as these <a href="https://amsi.org.au/2015/03/26/chief-scientist-report-2015/">learning areas are critical to our economy</a>. There are also well documented <a href="https://research.acer.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1028&context=policy_analysis_misc">declines in senior students taking these subjects</a>, suggesting we are already paying the price for this neglect.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/fewer-australians-are-taking-advanced-maths-in-year-12-we-can-learn-from-countries-doing-it-better-149148">Fewer Australians are taking advanced maths in Year 12. We can learn from countries doing it better</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>There has been no government reporting on the number of schools unable to meet their staff needs in 2021. But a number of social media reports have shown industrial action in individual schools where the remaining teachers were unable to maintain classes.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1448868753329074176"}"></div></p>
<h2>We need a national plan</h2>
<p>A large volume of research documents the <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=tJpIEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT103&dq=info:oKuPwBF3IVcJ:scholar.google.com&ots=JfhFao6ROJ&sig=Wyfp4VxsSLTRZAaeUtOONi9V6Jg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false">high and increasing workload of Australian teachers</a>. In NSW, before the pandemic, <a href="https://www.nswtf.org.au/files/18438_uwis_digital.pdf">teachers reported working</a> an average of 55 hours per week and principals an average of 62. With the <a href="https://www.cse.edu.au/content/teachers%E2%80%99-work-during-covid-19-pandemic-shifts-challenges-and-opportunities">pandemic increasing teacher workload</a>, short staffing in schools will ratchet that up another notch. </p>
<p>Unlike many countries, including <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-recruitment-and-retention-strategy">England</a>, Australia <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/your-country-needs-you-it-s-high-time-for-a-drive-to-recruit-better-teachers-20200219-p5429i.html">doesn’t have a strategic plan</a> to recruit and retain teachers. </p>
<p>The NSW Teachers Federation commissioned an independent inquiry in 2020 into the work of teachers and principals, and how it’s changed since 2004. After reviewing international evidence and local data, the <a href="https://www.nswtf.org.au/files/gallop_inquiry_fact_sheet.pdf#:%7E:text=Gallop%20Inquiry%20Fact%20Sheet%20Background%20on%20the%20inquiry,principals%20and%20how%20it%20has%20changed%20since%202004">final report</a> made a range of recommendations to “recognise the increase in skills and responsibilities, help overcome shortages and recruit the additional teachers needed to cope with enrolment growth”. </p>
<p>The key recommendations included:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>increase teacher salaries by 10 to 15% to bring them on par with other similarly educated professions </p></li>
<li><p>increase lesson preparation time </p></li>
<li><p>improve promotions and career structure </p></li>
<li><p>increase number of school counsellors</p></li>
<li><p>reduce curriculum and administration workload. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>Australia urgently needs a coordinated, long-term, politically bipartisan plan to strengthen teacher recruitment, placement and retention. With such a plan in hand we will be better positioned to tackle the ongoing pandemic and whatever other crises we face in the future.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174885/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>With decreasing teacher degree completion rates and low teacher retention, Australia was already facing a growing teacher shortage before the pandemic. But it’s about to get much worse.Rachel Wilson, Associate Professor in Education, University of SydneyGiuseppe Carabetta, Senior Lecturer, Sydney University Business School, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1227822019-09-02T19:52:34Z2019-09-02T19:52:34ZThree charts on teachers’ pay in Australia: it starts out OK, but goes downhill pretty quickly<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290452/original/file-20190902-175705-gc8v32.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=30%2C495%2C4255%2C2398&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">If you want to earn a high income in Australia, you’re often better off having no degree than having a bachelor degree in teaching.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock/Monkey Business Images</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Depending on who you ask, our teachers are either some of the <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/education/longer-hours-but-aussie-teachers---among-best-paid-says-oecd/news-story/4fc17d1e3eed42a95e1fae6d490911ff">best paid</a> in the world, or they’re <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/why-we-need-to-pay-teachers-more-20160602-gp9j9g.html">underpaid</a>.</p>
<p>Here are the facts: Australian teachers get a very decent starting salary, but their pay quickly falls behind that of other professionals.</p>
<p>Getting teacher pay right is crucial to attracting the best and brightest to the classroom, so it’s important to debunk a few myths.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/better-pay-and-more-challenge-heres-how-to-get-our-top-students-to-become-teachers-122271">Better pay and more challenge: here's how to get our top students to become teachers</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>How to measure a teacher’s pay</h2>
<p>We should not fall into the trap of comparing Australia’s teacher salaries to other countries using dollar amounts, even after taking account of the cost of living. Australia is a rich country. Our incomes are relatively high, and our education system is competing with other industries to attract the best talent.</p>
<p>Chart 1 compares teachers’ pay with the pay of similar-aged professionals in Australia. Chart 2 shows how those numbers compare to other countries. </p>
<p>But average pay is not the only factor, so Chart 3 looks at what opportunity there is for Australian teachers to earn a very high income.</p>
<h2>Young teachers are paid well, but expertise is not rewarded</h2>
<p>The starting full-time salary for a classroom teacher in most Australian <a href="https://www.nswtf.org.au/files/schools_and_saturday_schools_award_381_ig_237.pdf">states</a> is between $65,000 and $70,000, based on every enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) we examined. </p>
<p>That’s reasonably competitive with the starting salary of a graduate with an engineering, commerce, or law degree, and has been <a href="http://ftp.iza.org/dp12027.pdf">improving</a> over the past 15 years.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290420/original/file-20190902-166014-1lebg99.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290420/original/file-20190902-166014-1lebg99.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290420/original/file-20190902-166014-1lebg99.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290420/original/file-20190902-166014-1lebg99.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290420/original/file-20190902-166014-1lebg99.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290420/original/file-20190902-166014-1lebg99.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=515&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290420/original/file-20190902-166014-1lebg99.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=515&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290420/original/file-20190902-166014-1lebg99.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=515&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Includes people who studied a teaching degree but now work as principals. ‘No degree’ includes all levels of education below bachelor. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2016 Census)</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/censushome.nsf/home/tablebuilder?opendocument&navpos=240">Grattan Institute</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The trouble is that teacher pay doesn’t rise much with age or expertise. The pay scale for a classroom teacher stops rising after about nine years, while the incomes of their university educated peers in other professions keep rising well into their 30s and 40s.</p>
<p>It’s not like this in every country. Other countries reward teacher expertise with higher pay relative to other professionals. So while Australia’s pay for young secondary teachers <a href="https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/education-at-a-glance-2018_eag-2018-en">is in the top half</a> of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, Australia’s pay for older secondary teachers is in the bottom half.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290424/original/file-20190902-165981-1iwoex9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290424/original/file-20190902-165981-1iwoex9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290424/original/file-20190902-165981-1iwoex9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290424/original/file-20190902-165981-1iwoex9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290424/original/file-20190902-165981-1iwoex9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290424/original/file-20190902-165981-1iwoex9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=533&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290424/original/file-20190902-165981-1iwoex9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=533&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290424/original/file-20190902-165981-1iwoex9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=533&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Most countries’ figures are from 2016 but some are from 2015. Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report, Education at a Glance (2018).</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.oecd.org/education/education-at-a-glance/">Grattan Institute</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Any high-income Australian teachers?</h2>
<p>People with a teaching degree in Australia have almost no chance of earning a very high income. </p>
<p>More than a third of engineering or commerce graduates in their 40s working full-time earn more than $3,000 a week ($156,000 a year).</p>
<p>But for graduates with a teaching degree, that figure is only 2.3%. As Chart 3 shows, if you want to earn a really high income in Australia, you’re often better off having no degree than having a bachelor degree in teaching.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290429/original/file-20190902-166009-vwfoyk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290429/original/file-20190902-166009-vwfoyk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290429/original/file-20190902-166009-vwfoyk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290429/original/file-20190902-166009-vwfoyk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290429/original/file-20190902-166009-vwfoyk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290429/original/file-20190902-166009-vwfoyk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=511&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290429/original/file-20190902-166009-vwfoyk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=511&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290429/original/file-20190902-166009-vwfoyk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=511&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Includes people whose work is unrelated to their degree. $156,000 is chosen because it is the highest income bracket in the Census. Doctors are much more likely to earn more than $156,000, but ‘medical studies’ also includes some other degrees. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2016 Census).</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Grattan Institute</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Teacher pay matters. Most young people who did well at school are interested in becoming a teacher – but most of them are turned off by the big financial sacrifices teaching involves.</p>
<p>A Grattan Institute <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/attracting-high-achievers-to-teaching/">survey</a> of almost 1,000 young high achievers (aged 18-25 and with an ATAR of 80 or higher) found about 70% said they would be willing to give teaching a go.</p>
<p>But university enrolment data show that only about 3% of high achievers actually choose teaching for their undergraduate studies.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-make-good-arguments-at-school-and-everywhere-else-121305">How to make good arguments at school (and everywhere else)</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Our new report, <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/attracting-high-achievers-to-teaching/">Attracting high achievers to teaching</a>, proposes a $1.6 billion-a-year reform package for government schools to double the number of high-achieving young people who choose to become teachers within a decade.</p>
<p>The package includes $10,000-a-year scholarships for high achievers who take up teaching, and new career paths for expert teachers with pay of up to $180,000 a year. That’s about $80,000 more than the current highest standard pay rate for teachers in Australia.</p>
<p>If governments were to implement our blueprint, it would send a strong message to Australia’s best and brightest – if you want a challenging career where expertise is celebrated and paid accordingly, choose teaching.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/122782/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Grattan Institute began with contributions to its endowment of $15 million from each of the Federal and Victorian Governments. In order to safeguard its independence, Grattan Institute’s board controls this endowment. The funds are invested and Grattan uses the income to pursue its activities.</span></em></p>Teachers get paid a decent starting salary but they soon fall behind other professionals the longer they stay in the job.Jonathan Nolan, Associate, Grattan InstituteJulie Sonnemann, Fellow, Grattan InstituteLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/873782017-11-15T13:28:48Z2017-11-15T13:28:48ZSouth Africa must do more to keep teachers from seeking ‘greener pastures’<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/194354/original/file-20171113-27635-1uabqyn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Much more must be done to keep teachers in South Africa.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Around the world, many teachers are choosing to leave their home countries once they’ve qualified. It’s a global phenomenon, and one that impacts both developed and developing nations – in <a href="https://www.un.org/press/en/2010/gaef3291.doc.htm">some positive</a> ways, but with negative effects particularly for the source country that’s losing skilled teachers to supposedly “greener pastures”. International teacher mobility is driven primarily by the prospect of earning more money. Teachers from developing countries can <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jid.1313/pdf">double their real income</a> by teaching in some more developed host nations.</p>
<p>South African teachers are often recruited, particularly by industrialised nations, to deal with teacher shortages. South African teachers are particularly favoured for their hard work, loyalty and dedication. Most of them can also teach more than one subject.</p>
<p>I wanted to understand why South African student teachers might find working elsewhere more attractive. What is driving their migration, either through recruitment or on their own steam? So I conducted <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/18146627.2017.1286942">a study</a> with a group of final-year Bachelor of Education (BEd) student teachers from a South African university. They responded to a 27-item questionnaire whose aim was to find out their career plans for the near future.</p>
<p>A sample of 134 students were involved in the survey. Most (79%) planned to stay in South Africa in the year after graduating – but a relatively high number (38%) said they’d like to be teaching in another country in five years’ time. The good news is that, of the 38%, most plan to return to South Africa after teaching elsewhere for a time. There were three main reasons for migration: the opportunity to travel; the chance to earn a higher salary and professional development.</p>
<p>But what of those who plan to leave for good? It’s important for a country like South Africa, which has a <a href="http://sace.org.za/assets/documents/uploads/sace_29250-2016-08-31-A%20review%20on%20teacher%20demand%20and%20supply%20in%20South%20Africa.pdf">scarcity</a> particularly of maths, science and language teachers, not to lose its trained teachers. Policy needs to focus on making the teaching profession stable and more appealing. South Africa must ensure that its locally trained teachers are recognised and nurtured so that they have more reason to stay in the country.</p>
<h2>Greener pastures?</h2>
<p>Of the students I surveyed, 8% said that they planned to teach in another country upon graduating and 8% were undecided. Another 4% indicated that they would not be entering the teaching profession at all. </p>
<p>Australia was most students’ preferred destination country. More than a quarter of the students (27%) who were planning to teach in another country preferred Australia, followed by the United Kingdom (16%), South Korea (16%) and the United States (14%). The most important reasons for choosing these four destination countries were higher salaries, friendly people, family and/or friends as residents. The students also cited those countries’ high standard of education and opportunities for professional growth. </p>
<p>A small percentage were planning to migrate to Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Scotland.</p>
<p>For the most part, students were motivated by pull rather than push factors. Some were worried about <a href="https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/why-teachers-are-leaving-their-profession-20170830">bad working conditions</a>, bad social services, an <a href="https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2017-06-15-schools-are-so-violent-teachers-live-in-fear/">unsafe environment</a> and South Africa’s <a href="https://tradingeconomics.com/south-africa/unemployment-rate">high rates of unemployment</a>. Mostly, though, they were focused on what other countries had to offer – pull factors.</p>
<p>They indicated that their most important migration needs before leaving South Africa were information about health care, accommodation, salary scales, banking assistance, cost of living (transport and food costs), methods of learner assessment and tax advice.</p>
<h2>Making South Africa a more attractive option</h2>
<p>Migration is always an option, especially for professionals like teachers, and is in some cases inevitable. There are no reliable figures to show how many South African teachers are lost to other countries each year. But what’s important is that the country not lose too many of its teachers, whether they’re newly qualified or established; the best and the brightest of those who are already working are also targeted, especially in scarce skill subjects such as maths and science-related subjects.</p>
<p>More must be done to make teaching an attractive, stable profession in South Africa. This can be done by improving teachers’ working conditions and salary scales – particularly those who are teaching scarce skills subjects. Policy makers and authorities must monitor teacher recruitment agencies carefully to ensure that there isn’t a mass exodus of teachers that catches the country by surprise. </p>
<p>This is important if the country is to keep at least some of its qualified, passionate teachers and build up skills in areas like maths and science.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/87378/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rian de Villiers does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Policy needs to focus on making the teaching profession stable and more appealing. South Africa must ensure its locally trained teachers have more reason to stay in the country.Rian de Villiers, Associate Professor: Teacher migration, University of PretoriaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/557002016-03-07T01:27:49Z2016-03-07T01:27:49ZIn the ATAR battle, one thing is clear: teaching needs to attract better recruits<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/113674/original/image-20160303-9466-yrsdwg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">We need to do more to ensure teaching is an attractive profession.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In <a href="https://theconversation.com/should-we-scrap-the-atar-what-are-the-alternative-options-experts-comment-55501">recent debates</a> about Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) scores we have lost sight of what matters most: the recruitment of high-quality candidates to ensure a strong teaching profession. </p>
<p>Teaching has a recruitment problem much more than a selection problem. Recruitment is about the academic quality of students attracted to a career in teaching. We can introduce all the filters and selection tests we like, such as the <a href="https://theconversation.com/testing-teachers-basic-literacy-and-numeracy-skills-is-pointless-51566">basic literacy and numeracy skills test</a>, but they won’t make any difference unless demand from our ablest graduates increases.</p>
<p>What distinguishes countries with high student achievement is the salaries of teachers relative to other professions. Recent <a href="http://www.oecdobserver.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/4239/Lessons_from_PISA_outcomes.html">OECD studies</a> report that high-performing countries are more likely to focus educational policy directly on recruiting academically successful students.</p>
<p>In 2015, only 42% of teacher education offers were made to Year 12 applicants with an ATAR of at least 70. In several universities the percentage was much lower. </p>
<p>Similar numbers apply to students who applied post-Year 12. We should not be taken in by those who argue that the rising numbers of non-Year 12 entrants obviates the problem.</p>
<p>The proportion of entrants in undergraduate programs with ATAR scores less than 50 doubled over the past three years. Over the past ten years, we have reached a point where almost everyone who applies now finds a place in a teacher education program. Over the same period, Australia’s performance on international tests of student achievements has declined significantly.</p>
<p>It is time to drop the rationalisations and face the fact that we have a problem. We are not doing enough to ensure teaching is an attractive profession that can compete with other professions for our best graduates. </p>
<p><a href="https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/3703488">Research shows</a> that the main factors turning potentially good teachers away from teaching are the status and relative salaries.</p>
<p>The recent report of the Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group (<a href="https://www.studentsfirst.gov.au/teacher-education-ministerial-advisory-group">TEMAG</a>) missed the opportunity to address the recruitment problem. With little evidence, it claimed that the main problem was the quality of teacher education courses, not recruitment and the quality of applicants themselves. </p>
<p>It successfully diverted attention away from governments and their responsibility to ensure that teaching can attract enough of our ablest students to meet the demand. </p>
<h2>Increase teachers’ pay</h2>
<p>Australians must be willing to pay demonstrably accomplished teachers what they are worth. This means that they should be able to attain significantly higher salaries based on professional certification of their expertise. </p>
<p>Teacher salaries in high-achieving countries rise to more than twice the starting salary. In Australia, they only rise to <a href="http://www.oecd.org/edu/Education-at-a-Glance-2014.pdf">1.4 times</a> the starting salary.</p>
<p>The second problem is the presumption that universities alone should determine who gains entry to teacher education programs. There has been little consideration of the effects of their low entry standards on our schools and the teaching profession. </p>
<p>Given the current situation, this presumption is no longer tenable, despite the inevitable flag-waving about university autonomy. </p>
<p>Autonomy is not unconditional; it’s a two-way street. Autonomy is what the public gives in return for accountable practices. Universities should be responsive to widespread concern that current selection standards are not in the interests of the public or the teaching profession.</p>
<p>No one is arguing that it is not a good thing to expand opportunities to gain a university education. However, this does not mean that students should be channelled directly into rigorous professional preparation programs like teacher education regardless of prior academic achievement. </p>
<h2>What needs to change</h2>
<p>A high-quality teacher education program cannot be both an effective preparation for the demands of teaching and a remedial program. The quality of a teacher education program and its graduates depends in considerable part on the academic achievement of students who enter that course.</p>
<p>Ultimately, our governments are responsible for ensuring that teaching offers salaries and conditions that attract sufficient applications from students who can cope with a rigorous professional preparation program. </p>
<p>Our governments need to be accountable for ensuring that teaching can compete with other professions for our ablest students. Our collective responsibility is to hold them to account. </p>
<p>To achieve this, we must require governments to gather evidence annually showing that their teacher quality policies are lifting the academic quality of students entering teacher education programs. </p>
<p>If the present situation were to continue, we should consider diverting funding for teacher education from universities to a national teacher education authority. Its primary responsibilities should be to ensure that: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>supply of new teachers matches demand</p></li>
<li><p>teacher education services are purchased from accredited providers</p></li>
<li><p>funded courses attract sufficient students from the top 70% of the age cohort</p></li>
<li><p>teacher education program accreditation is conditional upon evidence that graduates meet specified high standards for professional knowledge and performance.</p></li>
</ul><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/55700/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lawrence Ingvarson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Low pay and status are the main factors turning potentially good teachers away from teaching. We need to work on making teaching an attractive profession.Lawrence Ingvarson, Principal Research Fellow, Australian Council for Educational ResearchLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.