Prof. Myron Orfield and Research Fellow Will Stancil Pen Op-Ed in Star Tribune on Paying Teacher A Living Wage

Professor Myron Orfield and Research Fellow Will Stancil wrote an op-ed for the Star Tribune in which they argue that the source of Minnesota's shortage in K-12 educators is that teachers aren't earning enough. Orfield and Stancil explain that "over one-third of all Minnesota teaching salaries are insufficient to provide bare cost-of-living for a typical family in their county. Those salaries are too low to afford basic necessities for food, clothing, housing and health care — forget about future savings, vacations or entertainment... Over 94% of teachers in the first five years of employment earn less than cost-of-living for their area. In fact, on average, teachers don't meet this basic standard until they've been employed for nine years."