Alabama teachers will receive a pay bump this next school year.
Governor Kay Ivey recently allocated this money from the Education Trust Fund. The goal is to fill the large need for teachers being seen across the state.
According to the Governor's office, this increase has created a $6,000 addition to teachers salaries since the Governor was elected back in 2017.
Some school leaders believe the money is a huge benefit for teachers but do not believe it is the permanent solution for the problem.
“The one thing that I think teachers want to see more of is just the opportunity to teach,” said Jose Reyes Jr., Superintendent Calhoun County Schools.
The Calhoun County school district and other districts across the state have seen the teacher shortage grow over the past two years.
Superintendent Jose Reyes Jr. said the majority of those losses have not been due to money.
Instead he believes teachers are not able to do their jobs due having to take over other responsibilities.
“I’m a teacher, now I’m the parent, now I’m the psychologist, now I’m the disciplinarian, now I’m the social worker. [Teachers] can’t do what they got in this business to do,” said Superintendent Reyes.
Erica Greene is the parent of an elementary student in Calhoun County— she has seen her student’s teachers struggle in other ways.
"They work outside of school hours. They use a lot of their own money for resources,” said Greene.
She also believes money will not be the answer to fixing the teacher shortage but sees it as a first step towards finding a solution.
“A lot of times we have to take those small steps first and at every single step kind of relook at it and see what more can we do,” said Greene, "I know there's a lot of turnaround because I feel that the pressure and demands put on them and the support they have doesn't add up."
Superintendent Reyes said the school system has began working with teachers to see what tasks are hindering their ability to teach comfortably in the classroom.
“Additional money is great but to continue to pour on those responsibilities on top of responsibilities I think that’s what’s hurting us more than anything,” said Superintendent Reyes.
The superintendent said so far that effort has been working.
Right now the school system has thirteen teaching vacancies.
The school system started the recruiting process for the next school year back in January to make sure those positions are filled by the first day of school.