Want to boost school report card scores? Start with better pay for teachers. | Opinion

A new round of state report cards is prompting needed discussions about school performance, but arguably the most prevalent impacts on academic outcomes isn’t listed: teacher turnover and the shrinking teacher talent pipeline.

Wisconsin Policy Forum researcher Sara Shaw reported that teacher turnover spiked to 16% in 2023, the highest rate in over a decade. Urban Milwaukee found Milwaukee Public Schools had 300 vacancies at the end of last school year. The problem is harder to quantify in schools outside MPS, but, given that 45% of Milwaukee students attend charter and choice schools, the citywide number of teacher vacancies is almost certainly higher.

Many factors can influence turnover in schools. Increased discourse on book bans and heated school board elections can spotlight teachers’ practices, adding stress to a demanding role. If we direct our energy to supporting teachers and the talent pipeline, students will be the first to benefit. If we do not, they are the first to suffer.

Teacher turnover harms student achievement

The Learning Policy Institute reports that teacher turnover negatively impacts student achievement, particularly in schools serving low-income students and students of color. Constantly introducing new teachers requires time to learn curriculum and build relationships with the school community. Traditional teacher pipelines have been drying up. According to Pew Research Center, the number of graduates with education degrees dropped nearly 20% from 2000 to 2020.

Some schools are offering their own solution to the problem: grow-your-own teacher programs. These programs introduce high school students to a career in education through dual-enrollment programming and engagement with younger students:

• Through the leadership of Misa Sato, 2023 National Assistant Principal of the Year, MPS’s Ronald Reagan High School began a teacher pipeline program, offering dual enrollment courses where students can earn college credit in high school in partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
• In October, UW-Milwaukee offered a “Future Educators Summit,” introducing high school students to academic majors in education.
• Racine students have access to Carthage College’s Educator Rising chapter and a “Grow-Your-Own Educator” Internship launched in 2022.

These programs make sense. After all, schools routinely offer internships for other career fields. At some schools, students can intern at Fortune 500 companies. Other schools offer certified nursing programs. There is opportunity to offer similar experiences in education. Milwaukee is taking positive steps toward growing the next generation of teachers. Many more are needed.

High school students get intro to teaching careers

This fall, more than 80 high school juniors and seniors launched the Teacher Pathway Program, a new initiative from Teach For America Milwaukee. The organization has been best-known for its corps member program, where college graduates and career changers are recruited and developed to become excellent certified teachers and school leaders.

Now, in collaboration with Alverno College and five Milwaukee high schools (Hmong American Peace Academy, Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy, Milwaukee Academy of Science, Pathways High and St. Anthony High School) the first class of 80+ participants are earning dual enrollment credit toward a teaching degree – taught right inside their high schools.

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Ninety-nine percent of students in the program are people of color, standing counter to the state average of 5% teachers of color. Beyond pathways into the profession, teachers need sustainable careers. Teach For America Milwaukee is seeking college partners who share a vision of offering students a high-quality education and an affordable route to becoming a teacher.

Getting teaching degree means earning far less pay

Teachers earn 23% less than comparable college graduates, according to Education Week. Two students enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay can anticipate $64,000 debt for a four-year degree. However, a student graduating with an education degree can expect a $38,961 starting teacher salary while a counterpart graduating with a mechanical engineering degree can earn an entry salary of $67,000.

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When coupled with the fact that “Wisconsin teachers are making less today, when adjusted for inflation, than they were a decade ago,” there is much more to be done to make teaching a financially sustainable career. Efforts to support talented people into the field can and should start as early as high school and college. Earning dual enrollment credit in high school cuts down student debt. However, a teacher credentialing program that offers scholarships and grants, particularly to graduates willing to teach in the highest need areas, can make teaching a more financially sustainable career.

UW-Milwaukee’s “Milwaukee Tuition Promise” and University of Wisconsin-Madison’s “Teacher Pledge Program” are blueprints that other colleges can consider replicating. The longevity of the programs are reliant on private fundraising, however, and represent a fraction of the twenty-one four-year colleges in the state. A systems-level, state approach could offer funding sustainability to colleges seeking to attract students into education, an issue impacting all of Wisconsin.

We can show students a different side of school and contribute solutions to the talent pipeline. Introducing young people to a career in education offers a home-grown answer: the people who can help solve teacher shortages are already seated in our classrooms.

Michael Nguyen is Executive Director of Teach For America Milwaukee, former MPS teacher and leader at Milwaukee’s St. Anthony Middle School and Carmen Schools of Science and Technology. He lives in Enderis Park neighborhood with his wife and three young children.