Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera spent the day in Erie County. This afternoon, he toured Iroquois Elementary School in Lawrence Park where he talked about raising the minimum salary for teachers statewide.
The minimum teacher salary in Pennsylvania is currently mandated at $18,500 a year according to legislation adopted in the 1980s. Rivera says no district is paying that salary, but some are paying teachers $30,000 or less.
Rivera was very impressed with the teachers he met in the classrooms at Iroquois Elementary. He knows those teachers are devoted to their chosen profession. However, he says some people who could become excellent teachers aren't even looking into that type of career anymore.
Salary is the reason. Rivera says those salaries of $30,000 and below are contributing to a teacher shortage in Pennsylvania. He says the lowest paid teachers are usually found in vulnerable districts that are struggling.
Shane Murray, Iroquois Superintendent, says his district has had difficulty finding teachers. He says there are not a lot of qualified candidates anymore in certain specialties.
Governor Wolf wants to end the shortage of teachers in Pennsylvania. So, he and Secretary Rivera are pushing the legislature to set a mandatory minimum salary of $45,000.
"We have to look at ways to incentivize individuals to become teachers. When you're in college and you see that you can be making more money in a much different career pathway, some may find an easier pathway to success. We have to compete and we have to provide opportunities for our most talented individuals,” Rivera said.