The Missouri State Board of Education discussed in its meeting Tuesday to prioritize raising the minimum salaries for teachers in the state by $10,000.
The proposal was added to the board's list of legislative priorities for 2022.
The minimum salary for teachers in Missouri is $25,000 and the average pay for teachers in public schools is $51,557 as of the 2020-2021 school year, according to the National Education Association.
Logan Welle is a senior elementary education major at the University of Missouri. He said he will start his job search soon after he graduates next May. Welle said one of the first things teachers usually do in their job search is look for competitive pay.
"I think having an increase in pay would reinforce and make teachers feel valued for the work that they do. And right now, it doesn't feel like we're being compensated for the work that we do," he said.
Right now, Welle is student teaching fifth grade at Mary Paxton Keeley Elementary School in Columbia. He said he feels supported by the school and his class, but hopes other people who join the field feel the same way.
"You have to love working with kids, because I don't think people realize how difficult teaching really is," Welle said. "A lot of teachers dig into their own pockets to pay for school supplies and things like that. So having that added bonus of knowing that I'm being financially supported by, you know, state legislation is going to be really beneficial."
The State Board of Education said it plans to appoint a special commission in charge of making recommendations to the State Board and the Missouri General Assembly about teacher recruitment and retention solutions.
The board plans to raise the minimum salary by the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year.
