JOURNAL CRITIQUE: TRENDS IN EDUCATION
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Journal Critique: Issues in Education
EMY
School of Education, Liberty University
Author Note
EMY
I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to EMY
Email: emy@liberty.edu
JOURNAL CRITIQUE: TRENDS IN EDUCATION
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Teacher Salaries
Summary
Teacher salaries continue to be a crucial nationwide equity issue. Blackburn states
“concerns related to teacher compensation in the U.S. have been a constant in the evaluation of
school performance. Such concerns received renewed attention in the 2018-2019 period, as
several cities and states faced teacher strike activity” (Blackburn, 2021, p 1). According to
EdSource, “the concern over U.S. teacher compensation became an issue in the 2020 U.S.
Presidential campaign, with Democratic candidates supporting increasing teacher pay”
(Blackburn, 2021, p 1). Nationally, there is a great deal of public backing for increased teacher
salaries. Research supports the fact that U.S. teachers' wages are substantially less than other
advanced economies. In addition, 2017 OECD findings state U.S. teachers received 45 percent
less compensation than college-educated private sector professionals” (Blackburn, 2021, p 1).
Blackburn examines teacher salary competitiveness using research conducted by the American
Community Survey (ACS) with PUMA level geographic location data to access the salary
differences of college graduates in similar private sector positions and public-school teachers.
