Teachers’ salaries are notoriously low even though they routinely go above and beyond for their students. They work throughout the day and sometimes, through the night. When school ends, they grade papers, make assignments, or have parent-teacher conferences.
The national average teacher salary for the 2017-2018 school year was $60,477.
But there’s a huge difference between what a teacher makes in New York versus Alabama. In Mississippi, for example, teachers make about $45,574 every year.
One little boy is making headlines for his compassionate outreach to his teacher. Parker Williams had some papers in his backpack. When his mother, Jennifer Williams, went through them, she found a handwritten note from her son to his teacher.
“Dear Mrs. Chambers,” it said, “I don’t think that teachers get paid enough for what they do so will you except (sic) this gift?”
Attached was $15 that Parker had gotten for his birthday.
“Tears sprung out of [our] eyes and we said, ‘Parker, what is this?’” Jennifer Williams said. “He said, ‘I love Mrs. Chambers and I wanted to give back. Teachers don’t get paid enough.’”
Parker’s grandmother is a career counselor who often took care of him. She had told him that she thought teachers weren’t paid enough for their workload.
Parker took the words to heart.
And he wanted to help the teacher who had taught him so much.
Of course, his teacher, Mary Hall Chambers, refused to accept the money. But she was touched by the boy’s kindness. She returned the $15 to him with a thank-you note. She also told him that students like him were the reason she was a teacher.
“When I looked at the note I said, ‘Oh my gosh, this is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,’” said Chambers.
“‘I wrote the little [reply] note and I said, ‘Parker, this is so sweet and such a kind gesture … I can’t take your money, but I really appreciate you looking out for me.’”
Parker’s parents said they were extremely proud of their son’s kindness and generosity.
At only 9 years old, he saw someone who deserved more than what they had. And he took it upon himself to give.
“We try to teach the importance of paying it forward — understanding that if you are blessed with resources, one of the best things you can do is share them,” said Jennifer Williams. “Seeing him living in that way makes us incredibly proud as parents.”
Teachers in the United States deal with a lot of injustice in the workplace.
It goes beyond being underpaid. The recent teachers’ strike in Chicago demanded smaller classroom sizes. They also asked for more money for educational resources. Teachers often have to buy classroom supplies out of their own pockets.
There is a long way to go in achieving better working conditions for teachers. But kids like Parker are here to give us hope.
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