Can a Teacher Ask for a Raise?

If you’re working as an elementary school teacher, you probably love your job. The downside of this, though, is that teachers don’t always make an excellent salary, which means you might need to ask for a raise. But can an elementary teacher ask for a raise?

You can ask for a raise as an elementary teacher at any time, but you aren’t likely to get approved for one unless you meet particular qualifications. These include being a teacher for a prolonged period or having an advanced degree. You must also be able to effectively justify your reasons why you deserve a raise in front of the school board.

These standards can sometimes be challenging, so let’s look at how this works and how you can have the highest likelihood of getting a raise.

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Can Teachers Get Raises?

The first thing we have to consider is whether a teacher can be approved for a raise. Some people have thought that this isn’t possible and that all teachers are on a set salary. However, this isn’t the case.

Teacher raises are sometimes built into the contracts, but it varies from state to state. Most of the time, the teacher must ask for a raise.

You can ask for a raise as a teacher, and the chances are even pretty high that you’ll be approved for one, but you must meet the qualifications to obtain a raise. It’s not enough to go before the school board and simply say, “I think I’m a great teacher. Can I get a raise?”

Some qualifications that the school board will look for include your teaching tenure, whether you hold an advanced degree, and how much time you’ve put into your position as a teacher. As with any employer, the school board wants to see their employees’ consistency, loyalty, and dedication before offering them more money.

So, where would you start in this situation? Let’s break it down into manageable bits of information.

Know The Average Salary of an Elementary Teacher in Your State

Before you take any steps to ask for a raise, you should always know what you’re getting into. You should know the average elementary teacher’s salary, so your request doesn’t appear over the top.

Knowing the salary will ensure you ask your superiors for a reasonable amount – on the high and low ends. Of course, if you’re asking for a raise, you probably already feel like you’re getting paid too low, but if the school district is significantly underpaying, which does happen often, then it’s essential to know the base standard.

You’ll need to do in-depth research to fully understand the salary as it varies from state to state. So, you’ll want to research the average salary of an elementary school teacher in the state you live in. Surprisingly, the pay varies widely depending on where you live, and you can make anywhere from $48,000 to $71,500 per year. That in itself is a huge jump!

Once you fully understand the salary and can present it to your superiors, it’s time to consider some other factors about yourself.

Know Why You Deserve a Pay Raise

If you’re going after a raise, you should know the typical salary, but more importantly, you should know why you deserve a pay raise. Indeed, you may already be sure that you deserve a raise; however, your superiors need to understand and acknowledge how much you do for the school before they approve your raise.

Therefore, after figuring out the average salary, you should devise a list of reasons why you deserve a raise. Here are some potential points you could include on that list:

Teaching at the same school for several years (loyalty)

Taking on additional responsibilities at school
Good feedback from classroom observations
Evidence to show student progress and development, e.g., students’ grades improving

References from colleagues, students, and student’s parents
Additional teaching courses and training you have undertaken to obtain better qualifications

In general, you want the things you include on this list to be anything that goes above and beyond your regular job duties. The school board should be convinced that you are an asset to the school and should try to keep you motivated at your job with extra pay.

However, it’s essential not to come across as gloating. There’s a fine line between knowing your worth and still conducting yourself humbly. If you take it too far in one direction, you can ruin your chances of getting a pay raise.

You want to present yourself as an equal to your superior. Meaning you must go in with confidence. When you meet the school board, you should know 100% why you deserve a raise.

For more information on how to ask for a raise, check out this helpful YouTube video:

What if My Boss Says “No?”

Pragmatically, you should be prepared to hear a “no” from your superiors. Schools have thousands of teachers, and some factors aren’t as apparent to the school board as they are to you.

Therefore, it’s possible for the answer to be “no.” However, it might not necessarily be based on your contributions to the school. Schools are notorious for running low on funds, which is one of the main reasons teachers are underpaid. It may be down to budgeting for why they cannot give you a raise right now.

While this seems unfair, it is a fact of life when working as a teacher. However, you should remember that this is the case in any position. In every industry, employers may feel underpaid to some degree.

So, if you ultimately hear a “no” from your superiors, how do you maintain the equal footing you’ve worked so hard to establish during this negotiation? You find another solution.

And by another solution, we don’t mean finding another job. Instead, negotiate for other methods of compensation. They might not be able to give you a raise, but maybe you can negotiate other rewards, such as:

Extra paid holidays

More out-of-class time and flexible working hours
An end-of-term bonus
Transportation or housing allowance

Better medical insurance
Better pension contributions

Depending on the location and the type of school, there may be other negotiation points to ensure that you walk out of the meeting with more than you started with.

How Much of a Raise Should You Ask For?

You should attend the meeting with the school board, knowing how much of a raise you need to ask for. This will show that you have put time and thought into the matter and will make your case for a raise more compelling.

The raise you should ask for depends on a few things. Typically, the rule of thumb is to not ask for more than an extra $1.00 hourly, but it varies from place to place.

Alternatively, you’d like to increase your salary to at least your state’s average, if your earnings are not already at that level.

That being said, the US is experiencing an 8.2% inflation rate at the time of writing – a new 40-year high. Unless salaries increase at a similar rate to inflation, we are looking at teachers earning less money in real terms. Therefore, there is certainly justification for teachers demanding a pay rise in line with the soaring inflation rates.

Of course, the most significant factor to consider when deciding on your raise amount should still be based on how much value you provide to the school, and you must look at this from an objective standpoint.

It isn’t easy to put a value on some things. For example, how can you quantify the glowing feedback you received from a classroom observation? Or evidence to show how much your students have improved academically and personally with you as their teacher?

Even though there isn’t a universal metric to measure the worth of a teacher’s job performance, the more reasons you lay out on the table, the greater the proportion of raise you should expect.

With this in mind, how much do you feel you deserve in a raise? Ultimately, this is the number that you’ll present to the school board.

Final Thoughts

You can ask for a raise as an elementary teacher at any point in your teaching career. However, it’s best to wait until you’ve been teaching for a reasonable amount of time.

The most significant elements to remember when asking for a raise are:

Know the value you’re providing. How much value you provide translates to how much you deserve.
Be confident when meeting your superiors. If you show uncertainty in yourself and your demands, you aren’t going to convince them that you deserve a raise.

Be realistic. The answer may not always be “yes,” and that’s normal. Don’t feel disheartened.

However, if you feel that a reasonable agreement can’t be reached with the school board, you may be one of the thousands of teachers leaving the profession to search for another position.

Sources

SenPloy: How to Ask for a Pay Rise as an SEN Teacher