Special needs teachers deserve same pay as those in traditional schools
Maryland has 70 schools statewide serving only students with special needs. My sister is lucky to be one of these students. Every year, my sister and about other 3,500 publicly-funded schoolchildren receive an extraordinary education from extremely dedicated teachers.
But currently teachers at these special schools earn significantly less than their counterparts in traditional public schools. Luckily, our leaders in Annapolis are addressing this inequity through a bill — the Teacher Pay Parity Act (Senate Bill 311/ House Bill 448) — to close the gap between salaries of traditional public schoolteachers and teachers in special education schools.
My sister is autistic and has thrived at the Gateway School, a nurturing and supportive environment that is allowing her to reach her full potential. Gateway and the other schools like it are an extension of the public schools, where students are referred when traditional public schools can’t meet their needs. These special education schools are part of the federally required continuum of care for public school students.
Students at special education schools have a range of disabilities — from behavioral and emotional challenges to profound physical and developmental issues. The teachers meet students where they are, aiming to give them the tools to lead independent, productive, and happy adult lives.
As a graduate of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and Morgan State University, and as a current MBA candidate at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School (which I attend on full scholarship as a Baltimore Scholar), I believe in the power of education to transform lives.
The teachers at Maryland’s 70 special education schools do indeed transform lives — my sister is living proof. Teachers in special education schools deserve to be paid the same as teachers in traditional public schools. I urge the General Assembly to pass SB 311/HB 448 — the Teacher Pay Parity Act — and Gov. Wes Moore to sign it into law.
— Matthew Reeds, Baltimore
The author is the founder of The Reeds Fund, which advances health-equity outcomes for individuals diagnosed with autism or sarcoidosis.