NH is a Place for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
All children deserve a rich, engaging, and high-quality public education that gives them the knowledge and skills necessary to graduate high school with academic and career options. One of the most important elements of a high-quality education is a strong, diverse, and well supported teaching profession.
In New Hampshire and nationally, schools are facing a critical shortage of qualified educators, school staff, and school leaders. And, New Hampshire is among the states with the smallest proportion of educators of color in the classroom, despite the growth in diversity in the state. Our state and our communities must come together to think about how we can recruit and retain great teachers, great staff, and great leaders, so that our young people can thrive in the classroom and in their communities.
The Impact of Teachers' Salaries
A strong predictor of student outcomes in secondary schools, especially in the eleventh grade: teacher salary. Districts that had higher teacher salaries outperformed their counterparts with lower paid educators in both reading and math. Additionally, higher teacher salaries were associated with higher attendance rates and higher graduation rates.
Teacher salary is likely to be higher in districts that:
- Serve a larger number of students;
- Have lower student-teacher ratios; and,
- Had more property wealth per student
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Results from the School Staff & Educator Transition Survey
One of the most important investments that our state can make in supporting our public schools is establishing and maintaining a strong, diverse, and supported teaching and learning profession. Fully prepared teachers make sure students excel in critical subjects like math, science, and reading, and teach them the skills they’ll need to learn and understand the world around them. Empowered school leadership, including school principals, create strong and inclusive learning environments that support the whole child and deeper learning. And school staff like paraprofessionals, school counselors, and school nurses support young people by fostering student learning and well-being.
Reaching Higher NH and Women Educators Leading Learning (WELL) administered a survey in Spring 2022 to learn more about why teachers and school staff are leaving, or are considering leaving, their schools, the state, or the profession.