In a bold move, Arizona school teacher Elisabeth Coate Milich decided to share her salary online, sparking a heated debate about the pay teachers receive. Milich, a second-grade teacher at Whispering Wind Academy in Phoenix, posted her pay stub on social media, revealing a meager $131 raise over the past year.
Milich’s salary, which increased from $35,490 to $35,621, has left many stunned and outraged. The teacher, who has been in education for years, wanted to highlight the struggles of living on a teacher’s salary. Despite her passion for teaching, Milich emphasized that the pay is unsustainable, especially for single individuals.
While Arizona’s average teacher salary is $47,218, which is higher than Milich’s salary, it still falls short of the national average of $58,353. Milich pointed out that teachers often have to pay for supplies out of pocket and struggle to make ends meet. She also shared that some of her colleagues work multiple jobs to survive.
Milich’s revelation has sparked a wider conversation about the state of teacher pay in Arizona and across the country. A 2017 study by the Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy found that teacher recruitment and retention levels in Arizona are at “crisis” levels. The study revealed that 42% of Arizona teachers hired in 2013 left the profession after three years.
Milich’s honest revelation has sparked both outrage and sympathy. While some have criticized her for sharing her salary, others have praised her for highlighting the struggles of teachers. As the debate continues, one thing is clear: the issue of teacher pay is a pressing concern that needs to be addressed.”
