Gary T. Henry is a professor in the University of Delaware’s College of Education & Human Development and an appointed member of Delaware’s Public Education Funding Commission.
Education is a people business. Teachers have the greatest impact in determining if a child reads and writes well, can do challenging math and thrives in his or her school. Getting and keeping the best teachers requires paying competitive salaries and offering good working conditions. To accomplish this, Delaware must reform its 80-year-old school funding system.
Delaware’s Public Education Funding Commission was formed to make recommendations about school funding reform in an effort to improve academic outcomes. Delaware is currently among the lowest-performing states in the nation when it comes to schooling. To improve, the state must adopt a funding approach that allows public schools to compete with other states in attracting top teaching talent. It must also level the playing field, giving students in less wealthy school districts access to teachers of the same quality as those in wealthier districts. A child’s ZIP code should no longer determine whether he or she has access to more great teachers.
The current funding system does neither of these things. Teacher salaries are among the lowest among neighboring states. Delaware pays beginning teachers an average of $48,407 yearly, while New Jersey pays $57,603, and Maryland pays $54,439. That’s a big difference for young adults starting their careers. Salaries have a significant influence on teachers’ decisions about where they teach and how long they remain in classrooms.
Delaware is also the only state that sends more state funding per teacher to wealthier districts than to those with lower wealth. Wealthier districts pay their teachers over $75,000 on average per year, and less wealthy districts pay less than $65,000. This amounts to an $11,205 advantage for wealthy districts.
Other states have reformed their school funding systems and achieved better outcomes for both students and teachers. They have adopted needs-based systems that distribute funding based on what it takes for their students to succeed and adjusted the state funding to reduce local wealth disparities. Multilingual learners, students living in poverty and students with disabilities need great teachers and more resources to boost their learning and feel a strong sense of belonging.
Delawareans will soon have the chance to voice their opinions. This fall, when Gov. Matt Meyer recommends a school-funding approach to the state legislature, please take a stand for a model that will attract more great teachers.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
