If I had to name the most influential people in my life, all of them would be teachers. Sure, I’d be able to name a few people of different professions, but if we’re being totally honest, I struggle. There are coaches who stand out, neighbors who stand out, but every time I try and think of more people who have inspired me throughout my life, I always come back to teachers. Mr. Beck in 4th grade. Mrs. McClure in 7th grade. Mr. Brisini in 9th grade. Mrs. Lowry in 11th, and Ms. Gamage in 12th. It’s important to note, too, that I’m cutting out a number of others simply for the sake of length. I could go on and on listing the ways in which my teachers influenced my life.

I believe lots of you reading this now can relate to this sentiment. Outside of family members, teachers tend to be the most influential people in the lives of young adults. And this makes sense. After all, the average child in America will spend 1,000 hours in school each year. They are constantly surrounded by teachers, and, in some cases, they are surrounded by teachers more than they are surrounded by their parents. Not only do teachers uphold the responsibility of educating these children, but they also uphold the responsibility of being positive role models for them. It’s a heavy burden, and it is essential for these educators to be able to carry it. This can only be achieved, though, if we continue to place large value on teaching as a profession.

The value of educators, though, has certainly seen a decrease in recent years. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average salary of public elementary and secondary school teachers dropped five percent between 2009 and 2016. This drop was especially prominent in the states of Oklahoma and Colorado, where the average salaries dropped 17 and 16 percent, respectively. There were numerous states that did see growth in teacher salaries, but their gains were not enough to offset the losses of those in states like Oklahoma and Colorado.

To make matters worse, the Economic Policy Institute found and reported that, even after factoring in benefits, public school teachers in America face a compensation penalty of 11.1 percent relative to other college graduates. I guess this makes a little bit of sense. Besides, teachers in the lower grades of schooling aren’t teaching kids abstract concepts. In many cases, teachers in those lower grades are glorified babysitters. As a proponent of raising teacher pay, I am willing to admit that. But these teachers who are responsible for educating younger children also have the obligation to help teach these kids the norms and rules of society. The very seeds that allow for people to become upstanding American citizens are planted in the early stages of education. Teachers play a significant role in facilitating this particular growth. As aforementioned, kids are surrounded by teachers for an average of 1,000 hours a year.

As kids move up in their schooling and begin to learn more difficult material, teachers now have more of a responsibility to teach. However, they still carry the burden of developing their students into young men and women in America. Outside of family, I can’t think of any other people who are as crucial to children in this respect. Being a teacher is not an easy thing to do, but it is one of the most vital professions in our society.

I think there’s a large portion of the general public that has regained sight of just how important teachers are. Then, of course, there are the Americans who never lost sight of a teacher’s significance. These two groups together are the main reason why support for increased teacher pay is suddenly rising. A survey conducted in 2018 found that public support for boosting teacher salaries was at its highest percentage rate since 2008. When survey participants were shown how much teachers in their state earned, 49% of them stated that they deserved to make more. That number was 36% in the previous year.

The American people are calling for higher teacher salaries far more than they ever have in recent years. Support is rising, but no change is being made. Quite frankly, it’s alarming. As I stated earlier, the value of teachers is astronomically high in our society. They deserve to be rewarded for all of their contributions in developing generations of American citizens. By rewarding them with higher pay, teachers will be able to fulfill their responsibilities more effectively and more comfortably; it would draw people towards the profession. However, if we continue to snub our teachers when it comes to pay, we will deter suitable teachers away from pursuing a career in education.

Teachers are some of the most influential people in a child’s everyday life. We need to ensure that the best and brightest teachers are there to guide young learners, and the only way to do this is to raise teacher salaries.