Loyd Eskildson worked as chief deputy in the Maricopa County School Superintendent’s Office, as well as a consultant “in analyzing statewide pupil testing data”, which implies that his insight of pupils’ performance is experience-based. The intended audience is both the general public who believe that teachers do not receive sufficient compensation and professionals in school districts who decide on the structure of teacher salary and are against raising it. The first Eskildson’s idea is that teacher pay is, in reality, adequate because teachers have fewer workdays in a work year, fewer hours in a day, and are supported with healthcare and retirement benefits. Second, the real value of teachers’ work is not reflected in their salaries since the availability of rarer teacher specializations, such as STEM teachers, and better student performance have no effect on the wage. Third, there is no positive correlation between teacher salary and student performance as the academic performance of students of some of the higher-paying districts is below the state average, while lower-paying districts have better achievements. This article supports the thesis in three ways, the first of which is that the author provides data that compromises the common belief that teacher pay is not adequate for the demands of the job. Second, the article allows readers to compare different school districts, thus showcasing how the financial policy of a particular school board contributes to the attractiveness of the teaching profession or discourages people from pursuing it. Finally, the author provides invaluable insight into current teachers’ work motivation, as he clearly shows that there is no incentive for education students to pursue STEM specialization or for teachers to improve pupils’ performance.
Work Cited
Eskildson, Loyd. “My Turn: Sorry, Most of Our Teachers Don’t Need Raises.” azcentral.com, Web.