To solve their teacher shortage, schools with low teacher salaries should look to Baker City, Oregon.

This school year, the rural district filled all its teachers vacancies after it increased the salary floor for teachers to $60,000 from $38,000 and made its top salary nearly $90,000, according to an article in NEA Today. Before, teachers in Baker City would need to work at least 13 years and have taken graduate-level classes to reach $61,000.

The pay raises have made it possible for teachers to afford childcare, buy homes, and pay off car loans. New Mexico and Alabama also filled more teachers’ positions after they raised teacher’s pay.

Last year, New Mexico’s state legislature passed a bill giving school employees a 6 percent raise and boosting pay for level 1 teachers to at least $50,000; level 2 teachers to at least $60,000; and level 3 teachers to at least $70,000. The local union in Bernalillo, New Mexico, did even better by negotiating starting Level 3 at $85,000.

Alabama also raised educators’ salaries in 2022. All educators received at least a 4% pay raise. Those with nine or more years of experience got a 5% increase and those with 35 years of experience a 21% increase.

This is good news for our country. Our teachers should make enough money to afford a home, raise a family, and own a car. Fortunately, many states already pay their teachers a decent wage. Now let’s make that the case in all states.