MEMPHIS, Tenn. — In Memphis, there are concerns for reading levels, math skills, and more when it comes to education.
In order for teachers to get their jobs done efficiently, they say they need a few resources, so they started making demands known at the Memphis Shelby County Schools State of the District.
For United Education Association of Shelby County (UEA), it is money. “We work hard, we want to be paid and compensated for the work that we do,” said Danette Stokes.
UEA is made up of Memphis Shelby County School educators. “Our schools have been experiencing some staffing crisis,” said Stokes.
She and members of UEA created a petition. First, they are asking for Education Support Professionals to receive a one-time $3,000 stipend.
“There are a lot of educators who want to be homeowners and can't afford it based on the salary that we have," said Stokes. "The cost of inflation has gone up, the cost of living has gone up."
The second ask is for mental health professionals to have individual salary schedules based on experience and education.
"The pandemic absolutely exposed all of the issues that our children face in this district,” said LaTasha Anderson, UEA Board of Directors. “You have free services provided by the clinic therapy, group therapy. We have drug and alcohol counselors. We have the threat assessment team.”
Instead of working with one school each week, counselors sometimes have to go to three or four schools. "I wish that I could just spend my day at one school throughout the week,” said Anderson.
The third request is for educators to have a base salary of $50,000 starting for the 2023-2024 school year.
MSCS said at the State of the District address Tuesday that they are exploring that option.
“If you want to keep us, then you need to pay us, right? If you want to attract the younger children, the younger kids that are graduating, you have to make a salary schedule that is competitive,” said Stokes.
MSCS also said they plan to invest roughly $27million into teachers’ salaries. “We're not asking them to go find any money. The money's there is a surplus there,” said Stokes. “We're just asking them to invest it in us.” We reached out to MSCS regarding the petition. They have not responded.