The AFT has been clear about the reasons for the teacher and school staff shortage: The pay does not match the amount of work they do and the challenges they face—challenges exacerbated by both the pandemic and the culture wars that have made teachers a target. “It should be no surprise that young people are choosing other professions where they can start with a much higher salary and get more respect, better working conditions, and more opportunities for financial and professional growth,” AFT President Randi Weingarten tells ABC News. However, there is hope in the form of solutions created by lawmakers. U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) and Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), a former teacher, have introduced legislation to raise the national minimum salary for public school teachers to $60,000, an effort they hope will stanch the mass exodus from the teaching profession.
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