Advocating for Our Teachers.
As an educator myself, I understand that one of the best ways to meet the School Board's goal to “recruit and retain effective and qualified teachers for all children” is to compensate educators fairly and competitively.
Many people do not realize that our teachers did not receive step increases — pay increases tied to years of experience — last year. In addition, teacher pay has not kept pace with cost-of-living increases.
This is due to a combination of factors, including ongoing budget constraints and funding decisions made by the County Commission. These decisions have not kept funding in line with inflation, rising healthcare costs, and growing school maintenance needs.
These funding choices have real consequences for the people working in our classrooms every day.
Advocating for teachers also means respecting the training and expertise of the professionals who support students across our schools. This includes teachers, student support staff such as school counselors, psychologists, social workers, interventionists, school nurses, and our librarians. For example, our schools benefit from having certified librarians who are trained in literacy development, information access, and age-appropriate materials.
Parents should always have the final say in decisions about their own children, and families deserve transparency and communication. At the same time, policy decisions should respect professional expertise rather than undermine it. Supporting teachers allows them to focus on educating our children.
What This Looks Like in Practice
Push for competitive teacher compensation, including step increases tied to experience
Advocate for school funding decisions that keep pace with inflation and cost-of-living increases
Respect and rely on the professional judgment of teachers, student support staff, and certified librarians
Raise awareness of current local budget proposals so community members understand the connection between Board priorities and county-level budget decisions
Encourage community members to contact their County Commission representatives, who ultimately approve the school system’s budget, to advocate for funding that supports educators and school staff
Take Action
Contact Your County Commissioner
The County Commission ultimately approves the school system's budget. If you believe our educators deserve competitive pay and adequate resources, your commissioners need to hear from you.