skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Sunday, November 24, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump team barred from agencies amid legal standoff; Health experts speak out against RFK Jr. leading Health and Human Services; ACLU: Mass deportations would be setback for AR economy; Researchers study CT's offshore wind possibilities.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

President-elect Trump's new pick for Attorney General vows retribution at Justice Department, the Trump transition is refusing to allow FBI Cabinet nominee background checks, and Republicans begin the process to defund Planned Parenthood.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The health of rural Americans is getting renewed attention from the CDC, updated data could help protect folks from flash floods like those devastated in Appalachia, and Native American Tribes want to play a key role in the nation's energy future.

Poll Shows Broad Satisfaction with PA Public Schools

play audio
Play

Friday, June 7, 2019   

HARRISBURG, Pa. – A new poll shows large majorities of Pennsylvanians are satisfied with their public schools and would support raising teachers' minimum pay.

The poll of 650 registered voters found nearly two-thirds are "very or somewhat satisfied" with the public schools in their communities. And when told of Pennsylvania's growing teacher shortage, more than three-quarters said they would support raising the state's minimum teacher salary.

Chris Lilienthal, assistant director of communications for the Pennsylvania State Education Association, says the results show the most favorable view of the state's public schools in almost a decade of polling.

"More people are becoming aware of the valuable role of public schools in their communities, the incredibly important role that teachers play, and they appreciate that and they value that," says Lilienthal.

State lawmakers are considering Senate Bill 656, which would raise the minimum pay for teachers from $18,500 dollars a year to $45,000, and provide funding to cover the increase.

Most teachers earn more than the minimum salary, but pay varies between regions. Lilienthal points out that the number of new teaching licenses issued in Pennsylvania has dropped by 67% since 2009, and low pay is cited as a major reason for the decline.

"When you are a teacher starting off, and you are earning $22,000, $24,000 or even $30,000, it's very difficult to find housing that is affordable, to pay your student loan debt, put food on the table for yourself, your family," says Lilienthal.

A recent study found that in 2018, public school teachers in Pennsylvania were paid 13.5% less than similarly qualified professionals in other fields.

Lilienthal says the poll results show that increasing minimum teacher pay and providing funding to ensure that all school districts can pay their teachers well are ideas that enjoy broad public support.

"I would hope that lawmakers will be paying attention to this, and paying attention to the fact that people of Pennsylvania want to see their schools stay on the right track," says Lilienthal.

Disclosure: Pennsylvania State Education Association contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy & Priorities, Early Childhood Education, Education, Livable Wages/Working Families. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
The smoking rate among adults in Maryland is 9.6%, much lower than the national average of 12.9%. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A new report on lung cancer by the American Lung Association showed Maryland has quite a bit of room to improve diagnoses and treatment but experts sa…


Social Issues

play sound

La Niña is bringing a cooler, wetter winter to Oregon and likely driving up heating bills as systems work harder. This is the third year of …

Environment

play sound

The number of pedestrians and bicyclists killed on roadways in the U.S. has nearly doubled in the past 12 years and a New Mexico researcher wants to …


Social Issues

play sound

CLARIFICATION: We updated language to clarify the timing for when the study's authors began tracking certain outcome measures for children within the …

Health and Wellness

play sound

By Kyla Russell for WISH-TV.Broadcast version by Joe Ulery for Indiana News Service reporting for the WISH-TV-Free Press Indiana-Public News Service C…

Social Issues

play sound

A recent study from Florida Atlantic University highlights a concerning rise in alcohol-related deaths across the United States, with mortality rates …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021