Increase Teacher Pay to Address Financial Crisis and Retention

I need you to prioritize increasing teacher salaries in our district. The current pay structure is driving educators out of the classroom and undermining the quality of education our students receive. Recent data shows that 21% of K-12 teachers are struggling to get by financially, and another 52% are just barely making ends meet. One in three teachers now works a second job unrelated to teaching, with 85% of them working that job during the school year. This isn't about summer side hustles. Teachers are driving for rideshare companies and working food service while they're supposed to be grading papers and planning lessons. The consequences are measurable. Teachers with non-education side jobs report negative impacts on their teaching at nearly twice the rate of those without them. Financial strain is also destroying retention: only 49% of financially struggling teachers plan to stay in the classroom for their career, compared to 63% of those living comfortably. When teachers both struggle financially and work second jobs, that number drops to just 44%. If we want to solve our staffing crisis, we need to pay teachers enough that they can focus on teaching. Create salary pathways that allow career growth without leaving the classroom.