By JC Bowman
Tennessee has made significant progress on teacher pay. We should acknowledge it. The state has steadily raised the minimum teacher salary to $50,000 for the 2026–27 school year, which is especially impactful for rural and smaller school systems that cannot simply draw more from their local tax base. This focus highlights the importance of targeted investments.
Tennessee has directed $1.54 billion in recurring teacher-pay investments from 2007–08 through 2026–27. After three recession years with $0, annual investments rose sharply in the mid-2010s and have been held at a $125 million restricted TISA set-aside each year since 2022–23. The figure excludes the separate $198.4 million one-time bonuses in 2025–26. Have we kept up with neighboring states or with the rate of inflation? Historically, the answer is no. However, there is no dispute that Tennessee has made a concerted effort to increase teacher salaries.
The Tennessee Department of Education reports that the average classroom teacher salary reached $60,784 in 2024–25. These are meaningful gains. But raising the floor cannot be the end of Tennessee’s teacher compensation strategy. The next question is harder: Are we directing compensation dollars to where they have the greatest impact on recruiting and retaining good teachers?
Different communities face different problems. A rural district struggling with starting salaries does not face the same challenge as Nashville, where housing costs affect young professionals. Neither faces the same problem as a district struggling to find special education, ESL, math, or science teachers.
One salary schedule cannot solve every workforce problem. Tennessee teachers are also telling us something important: while compensation matters, it alone does not determine whether they stay. Nearly 42,000 educators participated in the 2025 Tennessee Educator Survey, and more than 80 percent said they planned to continue teaching at their schools the following year. Strong leadership and staff culture are key factors influencing retention, underscoring the need for comprehensive strategies.
Among teachers planning to leave, personal reasons were cited most frequently, followed by school leadership and school culture. This should influence public policy. Pay may help get teachers through the door. Working conditions help determine whether they stay.
Tennessee needs a more strategic compensation system. Start with shortage areas. Staffing special education positions remains particularly difficult. Similar challenges exist in ESL and certain math, science, and other positions. Using existing laws effectively can demonstrate a clear, purposeful approach that inspires confidence in addressing workforce needs.
A small stipend attached to a difficult assignment may look good on paper without changing anyone’s career decision. Incentives for genuine shortage positions should be large enough to matter. We should also pay closer attention to the beginning of a teacher’s career.
Rather than back-loading every financial reward, put more resources into the first five years. Give new teachers meaningful salary growth. Pay experienced educators to mentor them early. And stop routinely giving inexperienced teachers some of the most difficult assignments simply because they have the least seniority.
There is encouraging news. The Tennessee State Board of Education reports that two-year retention among new teachers from Tennessee educator preparation programs rose to 94.2 percent. Three-year retention reached 85.1 percent. The number of teacher candidates increased for the second consecutive year, and 39 percent earned an endorsement in at least one high-demand area. We should build on what is working.
Emergency permits and temporary staffing mechanisms may occasionally be necessary. But filling a classroom today is not the same as building a teaching workforce for tomorrow. Our goal should not simply be to have a person in every classroom in August. It should be a qualified educator who still wants to be there three, five, and ten years later.
Tennessee should also examine how we reward advanced education and professional expertise. Current teachers made career and financial decisions based on current salary structures, and we must honor those commitments. In the future, additional compensation should increasingly reflect credentials, expertise, and responsibilities that enhance instruction or address genuine workforce needs. Consider advanced credentials in a teacher’s field, mentoring responsibilities, and specialized expertise.
That is not an argument for paying teachers less. It is an argument for using compensation dollars more effectively. Keep the $50,000 minimum and fund it adequately so communities with weaker local tax bases are not disproportionately burdened. Strengthen early-career compensation. Provide meaningful incentives for special education and other shortage areas. Pay mentors for professional work. Maintain competitive compensation for experienced educators.
Then give working conditions equal attention. Support effective school leadership. Address student discipline. Protect planning time. Reduce unnecessary paperwork. Provide manageable workloads and treat teachers as professionals. There is no single teacher-shortage problem. There will be no single solution.
A teacher may enter the profession because the salary finally makes financial sense. A teacher may stay because the principal supports the faculty, discipline is managed, colleagues collaborate, planning time is protected, and the work still matters. Tennessee needs to address all these issues.
We have raised the floor. Now we need to build a profession that people want to enter—and schools where good teachers want to stay.
#####
JC Bowman is the Executive Director of Professional Educators of Tennessee
Legal Notice: Permission to reprint this editorial in whole or in part is hereby granted, provided that the author (or authors) and Professional Educators of Tennessee are properly cited.
You must be logged in to post a comment.