NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Most teachers do what they do because they love the kids. It's a calling.
But more and more are calling it quits. There are a lot of reasons for that, but poor teacher pay is often at the top of the list.
If you ask most teachers, they will tell you one of the biggest challenges in their career is the pay.
But Governor Bill Lee announced during his State of the State address Monday night that there will be a teacher raise.
"When I came into office, the minimum pay for teachers was set at $35,000. We’re proposing legislation that, if it passes, will increase the minimum teacher pay by the time I leave office to $50,000," Lee said.
The National Education Association has Tennessee ranked 42 out of 50 states for teacher salary. The study says the state's average is just shy of $53,000 in the 2020-2021 school year.
The national average is nearly $65,000.
Susan Norwood teaches English at McGavock High School.
"I've always enjoyed working with young people. I was a Girl Scout leader. I was a room mother. I love my content area, which is English — and that's what made me go into teaching," said Norwood.
She also said that the career she loves can be a struggle.
"It is a financial struggle. I have not felt comfortable financially, really, since I began," said Norwood. "Our pay was frozen repeatedly over 15 years."
During Lee's State of the State Address, he said $125 million from the state's education fund will pay for the raises.
"He will say teacher pay raise, but whether it materializes is something to be seen. He promised a pay raise four years ago that ended up getting totally cut," Norwood said.
She said it takes at least $85,000 a year to live comfortably in Nashville.
"I'm not a math teacher, I establish that. So, what would I like to see? I would like to see decent pay raises, even the 4% cost of living adjustment we got this year," said Norwood.
Lee is proposing $350 million in additional funding to local education agencies through Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA), including $125 million for teacher pay raises.
