A Rand Corporation report has shown that teacher compensation falls short by an average of $18,000 in base pay when compared to other professionals and a June 20, 2024 Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing saw Republican and Democratic senators agreeing that improving teacher pay is a bipartisan matter. Those testifying also stressed the need to address declining student achievement due to pandemic-driven learning loss as teacher shortages persist.
However, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), said spending on education has outpaced inflation despite math and reading score declines. Cassidy also expressed hesitancy to use federal funds for a teacher minimum wage like the one outlined in the Pay Teachers Act introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), which would require a minimum national salary of $60,000 for teachers.
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