Every year in the United States, a growing number of teachers leave their positions. While there are multiple reasons for this alarming trend, many teachers point to inadequate compensation as a significant factor. Other contributing issues include being overworked and navigating complex politics within school administrations and boards. However, the insufficient pay makes these challenges harder to endure. In response, lawmakers in states such as Minnesota, South Dakota, and Virginia are proposing legislation to establish a minimum teacher salary, aiming to ameliorate the impacts of low teacher pay.

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Minnesota: Lawmakers Propose Minimum Teacher Salary Legislation to Combat Low Pay

The Minnesota Senate this session considered SF 5470, which aimed to tackle teacher compensation by creating a minimum compensation rate of $80,000 for teachers who hold a master’s degree and have been licensed in Minnesota for ten years and a rate of $60,000 for teachers who do not meet those criteria—a “teacher compensation threshold”. The measure would have required the teacher compensation threshold to be reevaluated every four years and adjusted and increased based on the inflation rate. The bill would have also required that teachers’ base compensation must not exceed that year’s calculated teacher compensation threshold.

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South Dakota: Governor Noem Signs Bill Establishing Minimum Teacher Salaries

Governor Kristi Noem signed Senate Bill 127 into law on March 13, 2024, establishing obligations for school district teacher compensation. The law establishes a minimum teacher salary of $45,000 for the fiscal years 2025 and 2026; this is subject to change based on the minimum target salary for teachers.

The law requires school districts to file a financial report with the Department of Education that includes the average teacher salary. School districts must calculate average teacher compensation for each fiscal year and increase the average yearly to be equivalent to the target teacher salary increase in 2024.

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Virginia: Governor Youngkin Vetoes Bill to Increase Teacher Compensation

In contrast to South Dakota, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed House Bill 187, which bill aimed to make teacher compensation in Virginia “competitive”. Lawmakers sought to keep Virginia’s minimum teacher pay at or above the national average. The measure proposed that state funding be used to accomplish this goal, determining funding by reviewing teacher compensation annually in comparison to the national average.

In Governor Youngkin’s veto statement, he cited concerns that it would grant the National Education Association (NEA) undue control over budget decisions. He argued that the bill would restrict the Governor’s authority as the chief budget officer and fail to account for economic uncertainties. The Governor highlighted the significant bipartisan efforts already made to increase teacher pay in Virginia, emphasizing that the state has invested $1.6 billion to raise teacher salaries by 23% since 2021, and that the proposed bill’s methodology for calculating compensation is flawed and inconsistent with the Virginia Department of Education’s approach. He noted that his proposed amendment, which was not adopted by the legislature, would have allowed for a more accurate and detailed annual review of teacher compensation.

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