California teacher pay to increase 50% by 2030 under new proposal
File photo of teacher at Trinity High School on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020 in Weaverville, CA. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - A proposed law in California aims to give teachers a 50% raise by 2030.
Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance), Chair of the Assembly Education Committee, on Wednesday introduced Assembly Bill 938, a measure that would do just that, something he said would help close the current wage gap between teachers and similarly educated college graduates in other fields.
The bill is supported by organizations including the California Federation of Teachers (CFT), California Teachers Association (CTA), and the California School Employees Association (CSEA).
"Schools across the state are facing a workforce crisis, with many teachers and school employees unable to afford to live in the communities that they work in," Muratsuchi said.
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Specifically, AB 938 would create state Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) funding targets over a seven-year period, with the specific intent of increasing school-site staff salaries by 50% by 2030. The bill would establish targets for the state grant to be increased by 50% by fiscal year 2030-31, while requiring school districts to report their progress in meeting the 50% increase in salaries over a seven-year period.
"As California faces an unprecedented staffing crisis in our public schools, we need real solutions to keep educators and classified professionals in our schools and attract new and diverse talent to the field," said CFT President Jeff Freitas. "The 50 percent salary increase proposed in AB 938 represents an investment in our schools, students, communities, and ultimately the future of our state.
Close to 63% of those not interested in teaching cited pay as one of the top three reasons they were not interested in teaching, according to a statement put out by Muratsuchi's office. It also said research indicates that teachers earn 23.5% less than comparable college graduates.
"The teacher and staff shortage crisis has a direct impact on student achievement. Across the state, school districts continue to struggle to recruit and retain teachers in large part because they are not fairly compensated for the work, time, effort and emotional commitment they give their students each and every day. We commend the members of the committee for their support today," said E. Toby Boyd, President, CTA.