Across the border: Teacher pay issues
America is not alone in its struggle to recruit and retain public school teachers and principals. A recent report by the Center for American Progress provides a brief survey of teacher compensation in other industrialized countries and identifies incentive plans that might be useful here.
Some of the programs identified in the report deserve consideration but that doesn't mean the public and educational system shouldn't test the assumptions about the future of public education (i.e. that serving the economic interests of the United States is its top priority).
For example, will the much-advocated college attendance be financially feasible for most students, with the costs of higher education outpacing inflation? More students are taking out loans to get their degrees and they are competing against those in other countries who will do the same work for pennies on our dollar. College too is a business and it would seem increased demand and tuition go hand in hand. And is the public subsidization of educating future teachers sustainable over the long-term or even fair to those in other career fields?
What do you think about this report and the ongoing dialogue about teacher pay?