We spend about 15 percent of our lives in school. School is where we figure out who we are and what we plan on doing for the rest of our lives, but none of this could even be possible without teachers at our side.

Like most ,everyone is being affected by the inflation in our economy right now but for public school teachers who make around $23,000 – $63,000 are being hit the hardest. Everything has gone up in price from a box of cereal to gasoline, but the salary teachers, are being given has not gone up, it has most likely gone down.

This caught the attention of many people and so the American Teacher Act was created. This act that is up for discussion guarantees. to be passed guarantees teachers a minimum of a $60k salary. Another thing this act is trying to accomplish is to protect the funds that are used for teachers salaries to be used in other situations. According to CNBC, ¨Teachers make about 20% less than other professionals with similar education and experience.¨ This means that teachers who went to the same school, studied the same subjects and were in the same class as someone else are making less money just because of their profession. Yes, some professions make more than others but teachers should not be paid so lowly because they are shaping the minds of our future. When teachers are fazed with the low pay many end up quitting and trying to find better jobs with better pay. This is not only affecting us now but it is also affecting the minds of the generation that is our future. 

The shortage is getting so intense to the point where you no longer need to have a bachelor’s degree, any form of a  teaching credential program, or a student teaching experience to become a teacher or a substitute teacher. Subs are becoming the new normal for a lot of students since teachers are quitting.  Palm beach schools are suffering tremendously because of the lack of teachers willing to work under these circumstances. Subs only need their high school diploma to become a substitute, and some form of teaching credential program but not as intense as the ones the teacher must complete to be offered and given the job. This is causing there to be long term and short term subs all over schools .

Teachers are also phased with being overworked. They are in charge of planning lessons and grading work, which is basic for teachers to do but on top of all of that according to CNBC ¨K-12 teachers report the highest burnout rate of all U.S. professions.¨ This means that teachers are not only underpaid but they are also overworked by the system and their schools. This overload  can cause curriculums to not be as challenging, which could hurt them in the future. which can lead  students to fall behind which will only end up hurting them in the future. Teachers have so much on their hands that they can not  dedicate the correct time for each individual student and this causes students to end up not understanding or not learning at all. 

The shortage of teachers is more damaging than originally thought. . Teachers are encouraging students to pursue other careers instead of teaching because they fear that future generations of teachers are going to have to face the same problems they are dealing with. One of the biggest problems of this situation is that the lack of educators will only lead to the  lack  of education in our future society. Right now we live in a world where most people are educated if not highly educated, and yet we still experience issues, so what will happen to us if our future is poorly educated due to an issue that could have been prevented if we appreciated the people that shape our minds more?