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-NETWORK . 

State Solutions. National Impact. 3



A message that focuses on teacher hours or summer yacations will sound tone-
deat? when there are dozens of videos and social media posts going yiral from
teachers about their second jobs, teachers having to rely on food pantries,
classroom books that are falling apart, paper rationing, etc. This is an opportunity
to sympathize with teachers, while still emphasizing that teacher strikes hurt kids. it
is also not the right time to talk about school choice?that's off topic, and teachers
at choice-schools are often paid less than district school teachers.

1. Teacher strikes hurt kids and low-income families.

Independent research has repeatedly shown that time out of school
disproportionately hurts low-income kids. Low?income kids already face serious
disadvantages and they shouldn?t be punished because adults can?t agree. And
low-income parents bear a disproportionate share ofthe burden economically
when teachers strike.

For parents who work hourly-wage jobs without bene?ts, taking a day?or a
week?off work on short notice because they don't have or can't afford
additional childcare can lead to losing theirjobs. Parents working white collar
jobs with benefits may have to spend more on childcare, but they aren't likely to
lose theirjob. It's unfortunate that teachers are protesting low wages by
punishing other low?wage parents and their children.

Related Resources:

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a?ford?teacher-strikelr

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2. We can all agree that good teachers should get paid more.

Rock star teachers deserve rock star pay. But the truth is, teachers unions and
associations {name your state's} fight policies that would allow good teachers to
get paid what they deserve.

Forcing all teachers onto the same pay scaler and basing that scale solely on the
number of years teaching. means that our very worst teachers make just as
much as our very best teachers. And it means that young teachers?even if they
are the most effective teachers in a school district?make the least. That doesn't
make any sense. We should find a way that teachers and policymakers can
agree to measure teacher effectiveness and pay good teachers what they
deserve.

1. Address the role of red tape and bureaucracy.

Example: In most states. administrators and other non-teaching staffvastly
outnumber teachers and the numbers have been sharply on the rise in recent
years. STAT on ADMINISTRATNE BLGAT FROM YOUR We need
to take a long. hard look at all thesejobs and make sure that the majority of our
school funding is going to teachers and students?where it belongs?not red
tape and bureaucracy.

2. Address one or more of the specific requests being made in your state.

- For example, in Kentucky. lawmakers gave teachers basically everything they
asked for. so in a case like this. you could say, ?Teachers got everything they
asked for, so it's really unfair to strike nowjust to make a point. They won?
lawmakers gave in. Why punish kids and hardworking parents?"

- If your state has been increasing school funding recently, you could point
that out.

If education already makes up a significant share of the state budget?half in
many states?you could say. ?We all want good teachers to earn more. and
we all agree that schools are one of the most important things we can spend
taxpayer money on. and we are. We spend 513% of the state budget on



schools and there are still a lot of other programs the government funds, like
healthcare for low income people and children. courts, roads, funding
pensions for retired government workers. and environmental programs. The
fact is. there?s only so much money to go around."

- For those of you who are in states where you've cut taxes recently. that is
sure to be a theme in coverage. That is obviously a challenging message to
counter. But you can consider something like "Cine of the most important
things we can do to make sure our schools are properly funded is to have a
strong economy where everyone who can work can find a job and contribute
to the tax coffers that fund the government. Lower ted: rates help contribute
to strongerjob growth. Also. lower taxes on individuals let teachers keep
more of the money they ea rn."

lfyou need assistance with messaging for your state's specific situation. please
contact one of the following SPN senior policy adviso rs:

Starlee Coleman Katherine Bathgate
Senior Policy Advisor Senior Policy Advisor
coleman?spnorg bathgate@spn.org