A new report from the National Education Association (NEA) said the average teacher pay in Wisconsin grew 3% between the 2021-2022 school year the 2022-2023 school year.
In tandem with that, the average starting teaching salary rose by 3% as well reaching $41,151.
However, the Wisconsin Education Association Council President Peggy Wirtz-Olsen said those salaries are not enough to account for inflation.
The average teacher salary in the state was $62,524 and the minimum living wage was $60,892 creating a tight margin for educators just to make ends meet.
Securing the right to collectively bargain as educators could make a significant difference.
"Bringing educators back to the table to be able to talk about the behind pay, the working conditions and all the things that are a real struggle in the classroom for educators today," said Wirtz-Olsen.
Another strategy that could help teachers get that better pay Wirtz-Olsen said is parents of children in the school system or other people that support teachers, voicing their support.
Wirtz-Olsen said there is no crystal ball to know exactly when they will get the right to collectively bargain back, but they are continuing the push for it as the case moves through the courts.
