Why raising salaries for Pennsylvania teachers is more complicated than it seems
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf wants to raise teachers' salaries across the board. But is that only a Band-Aid solution to a more complex problem?
Listen 13:25
Jody Gary teaches sixth grade for the Turkeyfoot School District. He has started there in 1992 with a salary of $18,500. (Dani Fresh/Keystone Crossroads)
Turkeyfoot in Southwest Pennsylvania is one of the lowest paying school districts in the state. Teachers can start at just $22,000 a year. That low salary is making it difficult to attract and retain qualified educators there. Now some people, including Gov. Tom Wolf, are calling for an across-the-board raise for teachers, saying it will avert the shortage. So why do some critics say this is only a Band-Aid solution to a more complicated problem? And does it put teacher salaries over student needs? Keystone Crossroads reporters Jen Kinney and Avi Wolfman-Arent explain on this episode of The Why.
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