COLUMBUS, Ohio — This week is National Teacher Appreciation Week, a time for students and families to show their educators some love. But teachers say there is an education crisis right now and they are in dire need of support.
Scott DiMauro, the Ohio President of the National Education Association, said education is becoming a tough industry for educators, mentally and financially.
"Thanks isn't enough. Our teachers need more, they need compensation. They need respect. They need safety,” DiMauro said. “We need fair compensation in order to attract and retain the best people in our profession. We need respect, the freedom to teach so that our students have the freedom to learn a complete and honest education.”
DiMauro said schools also need the resources to raise future generations.
“We really need resources and support to make sure that we are meeting the needs of every single one of our students, including our students with disabilities, our students who come from poverty," DiMauro said.
One issue is less people are majoring in education and a reason for that is the measurable pay gap. Currently, the minimum teacher salary in Ohio is $30,000. The Ohio Education Association is advocating for an increase to $50,000.
“When you look at a starting teacher and what they make it's 14% less than somebody with a similar level of education going into any other profession,” DiMauro said.
Joe Decker, who teaches social studies at Mifflin Middle School in Columbus, said he loves his job, but the work goes beyond when the bell rings.
“Planning field trips, creating lessons, homework, anything that doesn't get done by 2:45 gets done on our own time,” Decker said. “It really is a very draining job emotionally because the kids are going through so much, so you have to care about seeing them get a better life and to be happier.”
DiMauro believes increasing pay will attract more educators to the profession and help retain the ones still there.
Other concerns include working conditions and more mental health resources for educators and students.
“We really need resources and supports to make sure that we are meeting the needs of every single one of our students, including our students with disabilities, our students who come from poverty, our educators are resilient," DiMauro said.
Teachers are now conducting monthly lockdown drills, and Decker says, he fears for his students lives’ every day.
“In the nine years I've been teaching, I've lost 12 students to gun violence. How many other people have lost 12 people in their workplace to gun violence? That's not right, and our children are facing a whole other epidemic besides COVID," Decker said.
Decker said the biggest way the community can show their support is by taking their appreciation to the polls and electing officials who support your local school districts.
