Editorial counterpoint: Schools already have flexibility on teachers' pay

Minnesota parents don't want to send their children to schools with overcrowded classrooms or unlicensed educators, but that's where our state is headed due to a growing shortage of teachers.

The problem has many causes, but near the top are compensation issues and a lack of respect for the profession. Both are on display in the March 4 editorial, "Fixed pay hikes put pressure on schools."

Sometimes disrespect comes from people who just don't like Education Minnesota's issues, including smaller class sizes and fewer standardized tests. Other people don't like our activism on social justice issues, like the fight against discriminatory voter ID laws. But sometimes animosity comes from ignorance of what teachers do, including how we are paid.

Minnesota's K-12 educators collectively bargain their contracts every two years to set their compensation and adapt their schools to meet the changing needs of students. Everything is on the table in those talks, from salaries and benefits to the staffing of high-needs schools.

That might be obvious to anyone who has attended a public bargaining session, but we're reminded it needs to be said after reading the March 4 editorial. The editorial noted that most contracts reward teachers for gaining experience and earning additional academic degrees, a system commonly called steps and lanes.

The article concluded with the strange statement that "school districts need the flexibility to negotiate wages without being locked into excessive automatic increases." Actually, step and lane adjustments are open to negotiation in literally every district in the state every two years.

Right now, some Minnesota districts are considering changing the salary schedule so newer teachers can earn more. It's a tactic to increase recruitment. Other districts want to modify their salary schedules to retain more experienced teachers. This flexibility has been part of the negotiating process for decades. In fact, 11 Minnesota school districts have negotiated away their system of steps and lanes altogether.

An editorial about changing teacher compensation statewide might have looked very different if the writers had interviewed a teacher on food stamps in southwestern Minnesota, rather than speaking with "several metro-area superintendents."

As for the other part of steps and lanes, there are good reasons to promise a raise for teachers who earn additional degrees. One example: Schools need teachers with master's degrees or higher in their subject area to offer classes in which students can earn college credits.

Working families seek out these classes for their children because those credits can save thousands of dollars in tuition down the line. Well, teachers are worried about college costs, too. Most teachers won't take on the debt of another degree without some assurance they will be able to pay down their new loan.

When the Legislature begins debating solutions to the teacher shortage, and other education issues, we can only hope that the public, the news media and Minnesota's lawmakers study the issues — and even listen to the teachers themselves.

Everyone who cares about public education wants our schools staffed with teachers who are well-trained, effective and passionate about preparing every student for a successful life. Our kids deserve nothing less.