By Jacob Goodwin
There is no doubt that we are experiencing an educator shortage in the State of New Hampshire. We cannot afford to lose teachers who are dedicated to both their profession and their family. Let’s consider three advocacy ideas that your local could bring to the negotiation table this fall that could help our members.
One reason why we’re losing quality teachers is the cost of child care. Districts with a downward trend in enrollment should allow teachers the choice of enrolling their child in the school in which they work. This can be a major time saver for teachers who live out of district. You can reason with your district that each teacher who doesn’t have to rush off at the end of the day to pick up a child from the bus stop or to coach at another school can reinvest that time, at their discretion, in the school in which they work. This is a win-win proposal for all parties.
Young professional educators with families are economically impacted when it comes to salaries. The cost of child care is magnified for teachers who work in districts with salary scales that have many steps. In such districts, it is likely that a teacher may not be close to the top of the payscale during child rearing years. Likewise, young families that have professional educators serving in communities where pay is not commensurate with their experience and degree status are also being disproportionately impacted . We need to emphasize fair pay, especially in this time of high inflation. Districts need to be reminded that the teacher shortage has made it easier than ever for educators to find employment elsewhere.
Each local should be taking the time to consider their district’s parental leave policy. We need to call for extended parental leave for those who bring a new child into their lives, whether that be through adopting or giving birth. One Seacoast district recently extended their leave by switching contract language from allowing 60 days of parental leave to 60 school days of parent leave. This change made it so that holidays and weekends didn’t count against teachers. Investing in parental leave for recent parents is good for their children and increases the likelihood that the teacher will return when they’re ready rather than leaving the profession entirely.
We strengthen public schools and our profession when we share advocacy ideas. I encourage you to write to “The Educator” and contribute your own successes and challenges. Together, we can bring life to the mission of “a great public school for every student”.
Jacob Goodwin is a Grade Six Teacher and represents the Seacoast Region on NEA-NH’s Executive Board.