Introduction

A wave of public school teacher protests this year swept through six of the states where educators are paid less than the national average and their inflation-adjusted salaries are lower than before the 2007–09 recession. Lawmakers made concessions to the demonstrators, but some labor experts predict more teacher protests after the new school year begins. The protests reinvigorated long-running debates about how best to pay teachers, whether increasing school spending would significantly improve student achievement and whether school voucher programs should continue to expand. The demonstrations also inspired many teachers around the country to run for office in November's local, state and congressional elections or to campaign for candidates who support higher teacher salaries and increased spending on school supplies, support staff and infrastructure. Meanwhile, ...

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