Address teachers’ pay

Last week, the Arkansas Bureau of Legislative Research issued a report on teacher salaries statewide. One of the most striking findings was the staggering difference in starting salaries for teachers. In fact, there is an almost $16,000 gap between the lowest and highest starting salaries across Arkansas.

ForwARd Arkansas, an organization committed to helping every Arkansas student graduate prepared for success in college and the workplace, recently hosted a series of conversations across the state to explore strategies to increase equity and drive enhanced educational outcomes for all students.

One of the top priorities that emerged from these discussions is the need to cultivate a strong pipeline of teachers and administrators with the skills and commitment to lead our schools and drive a culture of innovation and academic excellence. We must tackle this with the recognition of the realities facing many of our communities, where investment in educators has been a financial challenge. The vast discrepancy in starting salaries for teachers is just one of the many equity obstacles we face.

While starting salary is just one of many factors that influence where a teacher seeks to begin and grow a career, it is an important one that can impact educational outcomes for our schools and students. We support a statewide solution that would close this large gap in starting salaries for teachers around the state as a step toward ensuring that all Arkansas schools can access high-quality teachers who are dedicated to students’ achievements.

SUSAN HARRIMAN Little Rock Susan Harriman is executive director of Forward Arkansas.