Teachers do not make nearly enough money for the amount of crap lawmakers put them through.
Fifteen states have already passed laws restricting the ways that teachers can instruct students on topics like race and gender, according to the nonprofit newsletter Education Week, and 16 others are considering similar legislation.
And Florida has taken the policy of legislating problems that don't exist to a whole new level: Earlier this week, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law that forbids teachers from instructing kindergarten through third grade students on topics related to sex and gender identity. It also gives parents of students in all grade levels broad discretion to sue school boards for lessons that are not "age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate in accordance with state standards"—which could mean just about anything.
Some teachers in Florida fear that the law will stifle academic discussion while opening their schools up to frivolous litigation. Take into account how underpaid and overworked most teachers are, and any education laws, short of simply giving teachers more money, seem cruel.
Florida ranks fourth lowest in teacher salaries, and educators in the state make 81 cents on the dollar relative to other comparable college-educated professionals, according to an investigation published today in Mother Jones, in collaboration with nonprofit newsroom EdSurge. In fact, public school teachers across the country are so low-paid that 18 percent have to work second jobs to make ends meet. Some take on teaching-related side gigs, like tutoring, while others drive Ubers or manage restaurants with the little off-time that they have. Perhaps the lawmakers who are convinced of teachers' outsize role in shaping children's world views could find the space in their hearts—and state budgets—to give them the salaries they deserve.
—Abigail Weinberg
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