Dear Future President:

America was the top ranked nation in the highest quality and quantity of high school diplomas 30 years ago. Now we are ranked 36th in the world. What has happened? Education is a powerful source in achieving success. It give students the basis of knowledge, and all this is done through the work and dedication of teachers, our unseen heroes. Teachers are not getting paid well in the United States and this needs to change.

Teachers should be earning a higher wage because education is the foundation towards higher knowledge and eventually the key to a better future for students. Teachers can earn a minimum wage as low as $30,667 based on the data collected by the National Center for Education Statistics. The data also demonstrates the average estimated annual salary of teachers in public and secondary schools in the states of U.S. which averages out to  be $56,383. In comparison to other jobs that require similar training and responsibilities, such as a nurse or public accountant, their wages start at $43,000 to $44,000. Moreover, educators don’t only work in the period of 7-8 hours which are the usual school hours, but typically work over 40 hours in a work week, based on the National Education Association. This would include grading papers or club advising. In addition, teaching is not easy. A teacher needs to be able to engage students. Being a teacher also requires adaptability, creativity, communication, and critical thinking skills. I know teachers from my middle school through high school career who quit their jobs to teach at another school where they received higher wages. This usually means leaving the schools with lower income students. Such is the case with my studio art teacher who left my current high school to teach elsewhere where he received higher wages and worked fewer hours.

Giving teachers higher wages would be a step towards improving the education system here in the U.S. This can be done by raising sales taxes; even a half percent raise would make a difference. This would bring forth a focus on education which is essential for the success of our nation's future . This can start by giving higher wages to these unseen heroes working to help students succeed.

Sincerely,

Maricruz Gonzalez