69传媒

Recruitment & Retention

69传媒 Warned to Expect Wage Pressures for the Foreseeable Future

By Mark Lieberman 鈥 June 15, 2022 1 min read
Conceptual image of salary.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

School districts should plan to keep raising wages to stay competitive in the persistently volatile labor market, even as pressures on spending pile up, a bulletin from a prominent credit rating agency warned Wednesday.

The K-12 sector overall has a healthy credit rating, but some districts are in a stronger position than others, the report from Fitch Ratings says. Districts with low credit ratings may find it difficult to meaningfully expand compensation for staff without further denting their credit status.

Chief financial officers and other business administrators in districts keep a close eye on credit agencies, whose ratings influence their capacity to generate bond revenue, place bids for strong contractors, and advocate for increased state aid.

The Fitch credit agency鈥檚 take is the latest signal to school districts that the acute staffing challenges that defined the last school year are not likely to resolve themselves quickly. Districts nationwide are struggling to find enough support staff like bus drivers, paraprofessionals, cafeteria workers, and nurses, as well as teachers in some cases.

In recent months, paraprofessionals in and ; school social workers and therapists in ; school nurses in , and school bus drivers in , , and have publicly rallied or refused to work to advocate for pay increases. Teachers鈥 strikes agitating for better pay have jolted districts this year in , , , , and Sacramento, Calif..

Raising wages is the most obvious tactic to entice workers. But, as the Fitch item and Education Week鈥檚 reporting highlight, private employers often have far more capacity than school districts and other public employers to offer robust hourly wages. Many school districts are seeing workers retire or quit for jobs with companies like Amazon and Uber or local employers with more competitive rates.

Working conditions in schools also play a role in these challenges. Many school employees say they feel overworked and underappreciated, burdened with high expectations from parents and political controversies that distract from the educational mission. For more on these issues and potential solutions, check out Education Week鈥檚 new special report, 鈥淲hy Staffing 69传媒 is Harder Than Ever.鈥

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI and Educational Leadership: Driving Innovation and Equity
Discover how to leverage AI to transform teaching, leadership, and administration. Network with experts and learn practical strategies.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Investing in Success: Leading a Culture of Safety and Support
Content provided by 
Assessment K-12 Essentials Forum Making Competency-Based Learning a Reality
Join this free virtual event to hear from educators and experts working to implement competency-based education.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide 鈥 elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Recruitment & Retention Opinion Want to Retain Teachers? Here's What Districts and 69传媒 Can Do
Severe teacher shortages persist. Educators suggest what schools and districts can do to fill those posts.
11 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
iStock/Getty
Recruitment & Retention 69传媒 Have Fewer Teacher Vacancies This Year. But Hiring Is Still Not Easy
69传媒 struggled less to fill teaching positions in the 2024-25 school year, but they still started the year with vacant teaching spots.
3 min read
Illustration on teacher staffing vacancies with spotlight on empty workspace in classroom.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty Images
Recruitment & Retention Q&A 69传媒 Can't Find Enough Teachers. A New Federal Center Aims to Help
The U.S. Department of Education's research agency has launched a new center focused on improving teacher staffing and retention.
6 min read
Photograph of a diverse group of educators meeting in the hallway of an elementary school.
E+