Although this is an unpopular opinion with the teacher's unions, I wholeheartedly agree with paying math and science teachers more money. I am currently teaching gifted math/science in a self-contained gifted classroom (multi-age), and I love my job. However, my brother, who was also interested in teaching at one point, decided to go into engineering because of the much higher pay scale. The difference? I started my first year of teaching (13 years ago) making $24,000. His first job paid $56,000. How can we entice our best and brightest to inspire future generations when we must rely on those who will give up a comfortable lifestyle because they love what they do? Granted, the talented ones who do make their lives a labor of love. However, my brother lives in a nicer neighborhood in a home that costs 3 times what mine does. He can afford to pay for any activity in which his children want to participate, while my husband and I are forced to pick and choose what our kids can do. I am good at my job and happy with my choice, but I know my brother would also have made an excellent math or science teacher and probably would have chosen that route as well if the pay scales were even close.
When I went to college, a lot of the people choosing education as a major did so because they couldn't really do anything else. Seriously, who but the most dedicated of individuals signs on for low pay, little respect, and often what amounts to glorified babysitting every day? I've worked in my share of Title I environments, and believe me, it's no picnic. The burnout rate is high and the administrators either end up with long term subs teaching the math/science courses, or have to hire the bottom of the barrel because there are no quality applicants who want to teach in those places. Thus the shortages.
If we upped the math/science salaries, perhaps teaching those subjects would gain more prestige and we'd attract more people like my highly gifted brother - quality math/science people who would actually CHOOSE teaching as a career rather than be lured away from it by the promise of higher pay and greater respect.
Just my 2 cents.
