The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 includes a policy called Title I, which is a source of funding for primary and secondary public schools. Title I teachers have responsibilities that other public school teachers don’t have. Federal Title I funding is contingent upon yearly improvement, parent-teacher communication, and support resources. Title I teachers earn salaries comparable to other public school teachers. The amount of money a Title I teacher earns depends on the grade level and years of experience of the teacher.
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Location
The location of a Title I teacher’s classroom partly determines his or her salary. The cost of living in a city is a large contributing factor, and so is the average income of the school district in which he or she teaches. Title I schools are typically located in urban school districts with high levels of poverty, and teachers play both a social support and educational role in the lives of students in these schools. Some Title I funding goes to schools in moderately well-off neighborhoods where a portion of the students struggle with poverty and familial problems. These schools receive targeted assistance for the relatively small number of students who need it to keep up with the rest of the students in the school.
Years of Experience
A teacher’s experience determines his or her salary to a large extent. According to PayScale.com, when Title I teachers are divided into groups based on years of experience, the largest group of teachers is also the least experienced, having spent one to four years in their profession. The next largest group is the second least experienced, having spent five to nine years on the job. The next largest group is comprised of teachers with 10 to 19 years of experience, and the smallest group is made up of teachers with 20 or more years of experience. These statistics suggest that the longer a Title I teacher remains in the profession, the greater the likelihood becomes that he or she will resign or retire.
Primary Teachers
One of the theories underlying the No Child Left Behind legislation is the idea that students at risk of academic failure have a much greater chance of success if they receive early childhood preparation for reading and comprehension skills. Primary school teachers have a special responsibility to help young children develop reading and writing skills from the time they are about five or six years old until they move on to middle school at 10 or 11. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, elementary school teachers earn a median annual salary of $54,890, with salary increases dependent upon a teacher’s experience level.
Secondary Teachers
Secondary teachers have the potential to earn the highest salaries of any Title I educators. The BLS reports that high school teachers earn a median annual salary of $57,200, and middle school teachers earn a comparable salary of $55,860 per year. The longer a secondary school teacher remains in his or her position, the greater the likelihood becomes that he or she will be promoted and rewarded with a higher salary.
Many students across the country are at risk of academic failure because they come from communities that lack the resources to prepare them for academic achievement. Title I legislation is designed to address this problem by providing funds to schools with populations of at-risk students.
