America’s Teachers Are at Their Boiling Point

Author Lisette Partelow discusses the recent teacher strikes and the need to include educators in the conversation for higher pay.

America’s teachers are finally reaching their boiling point. For decades, they’ve been undervalued, and teachers in West Virginia, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Arizona are making sure state lawmakers know they’ve had enough. Calls for increasing teacher pay have been met with resistance for years, colliding with the common refrain, “teachers aren’t in it for the money, that’s not what they want.” While it may be true that teachers’ primary motivation isn’t financial, teacher pay matters: they are professionals who must provide for their families and pay the bills, just like everyone else.

The above excerpt was originally published in Morning Consult. Click here to view the full article.

The positions of American Progress, and our policy experts, are independent, and the findings and conclusions presented are those of American Progress alone. A full list of supporters is available here. American Progress would like to acknowledge the many generous supporters who make our work possible.