LET LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS SET TEACHERS' SALARIES

A good economy and full employment are producing a mixed bag of results when it comes to finding the best candidates to fill job openings. The private sector isn't the only area affected. School districts, for example, are facing stiff competition in hiring -- and keeping -- teachers.

Over the years, teacher salaries in Missouri have risen in spurts as supply-demand factors kicked in. Whether or not teachers currently are well-paid depends on your perspective. Compared to many other fields that require a college degree and state certification, some Missouri teachers receive competitive pay, and some don't. But teacher salaries fluctuate considerably from one area of the state to the next. And, like any other worker, most teachers expect a pay increase every year.

Teacher salaries have been a concern for school districts in this area. The Cape Girardeau district has seen quite a few of its teachers leave for nearby districts. Perryville school officials worry that their teachers will seek higher-paying employment elsewhere. Jackson teachers keep a sharp eye on what other area districts are paying. In many cases, teachers gravitate from one close district to another, which means their families don't have to move.

For the most part, what teachers get paid depends on local school boards, local school costs and local school funding sources. School boards may fret that teacher salaries should be higher, but they recognize the reality of limited funds.

In recent years, state legislators and bureaucrats have intervened in the decision-making process regarding teacher salaries. Minimum thresholds have been set, requiring local districts to come up with the money regardless of other needs. The current minimum salary in Missouri for a first-year teacher is $18,000. It comes as no surprise that there are several efforts in the Legislature to change that.

One proposal would establish five tiers of minimum salaries rather than just one minimum requirement for stating teachers. Teachers operate on a salary system of guaranteed increases based on length of service and level of education. Under this system, teachers with advanced degrees or training get higher salaries. Teachers who have been in a district a long time get higher salaries. Teachers who diligently pursue more education and stay in the same district get the biggest salary increases of all.

Most teachers do not regard moving up on the salary schedule as a raise. To these teachers, a raise occurs when the salary schedule itself is bumped up, which means many teachers get a twofold benefit: one from the schedule and another from the increase in the scheduled steps.

On top of the salary schedule, teachers who successfully complete an initial period of employment and are rehired by a district are granted tenure, which means it is extremely difficult to lose your job.

It is too bad that legislators who want to mandate minimum salaries don't have to run for a vacancy on a local school board. The delicate balance between doing the best you can for teacher salaries while preserving the fiscal integrity of a district is no easy job.

If the Legislature insists on setting minimum teacher salaries, it should also grant local boards and administrators two options: One would be to throw out salary schedules based on length of employment in favor of meaningful performance evaluations and appropriate salary adjustments. The other would be to abolish tenure, which would give local districts leeway to make the best hiring -- and firing -- decisions.

Finally, the Legislature must recognize that new minimum salaries for teachers would test the financial limits of many districts. One bill looks to gambling revenue to fund the increases. Another expects local boards to find the money. Both ideas probably sound good to legislators who don't have to produce next year's school budget for Cape Girardeau, Jackson or Perryville.