‘Time for 20’: Educators take to the legislature to advocate for funding, smaller class sizes
Carson City teachers and educators protested Wednesday in front of the Nevada state capitol for a twenty percent raise increase, a $20 minimum wage in schools and average class sizes of 20 students. Their slogan: "Time for 20."
The Economic Policy Institute issued a report in December 2022, which shows a decline in teachers in the last few years, mostly due to high stress situations, safety concerns, lack of pay and lack of interest in education. Educators at the protest highlighted there is also an insufficient number of qualified teachers in the system, according to the EPI.
Nevada, specifically, ranks 40 out of the 51 states on the pay level, making it the twelfth lowest paying state in the US, paying an average salary of $5,800 less than the federal teacher average.
Another primary goal educators have is focusing on pay for their Education Support Professionals (ESPs). Another EPI report shows that even though ESPs are vital to public school operations, they are often paid poorly. The educators who call ESPs "the glue that holds [their] schools together" are protesting for a minimum wage of at least $20 for these workers.
Nevada sees higher-than-average class sizes when compared to the national average which educators say includes high concentrations of at-risk students and English learners.
Smaller class sizes will help "close the racial achievement gap, lead to earlier identification of learning disabilities, improve high school graduation rates, improve student behavior and allow for more engagement in lessons,” according to educators.
To learn more about Time for 20, please visit https://www.nsea-nv.org/TimeFor20