The Teacher Salary Project

Teachers in the United States have historically had lower average salaries than their peers with similar educational backgrounds, with 62 percent of teachers requiring a second job outside of the classroom—such as tutoring, mowing lawns, selling stereos, or bartending—to be able to afford to teach. The Teacher Salary Project aims to raise awareness about the need to provide more attractive compensation to attract and retain effective teachers. The Teacher Salary Project’s documentary film, American Teacher, features four teachers and the way compensation affects their career choices and their family lives. The film is intended to engage, challenge, and inspire audiences to invest in teacher salaries as a recruitment and retention strategy.