Detroit charter schools offers $100,000 salaries to certified teachers

Teachers are notoriously underpaid, creating a serious shortage in qualified educators in Michigan.

That’s about to change at a charter school in Detroit.

The Detroit Academy of Arts & Sciences (DAAS) announced an initiative Thursday to pay certified teachers a $100,000 salary as part of an effort to attract qualified educators and boost outcomes for its 1,000 students.

The average teacher salary in Michigan is $64,884 and the average starting salary is $38,963, according to the National Education Association.

As part of the “best-in-class” program, the K-8 school will hire 18 teachers who will be paid six-figure salaries during the 2023-2024 school year.

“Every child deserves to be taught by a best-in-class teacher,” Maurice Morton, CEO of DAAS, said during a news conference at the school Thursday. “By creating strong criteria to measure excellence for teachers and investing in their growth with a best-in-class compensation plan, we believe that we will have a profound impact on the educational outcomes for the children we serve.”

Teachers in the district currently receive $49,000 to $72,000 a year, depending on their experience, level of education, and the grades they teach.

Krystal Thomas, a 7th grade science teacher at the academy, called the salary increase “revolutionary.”

“When you give teachers a livable wage, it makes the profession important,” Thomas said. “I’m really excited about this opportunity.”

To qualify for the $100,000 salary, teachers must meet strict criteria intended to improve student outcomes. They must have at least five or more years of experience in the classroom as a lead teacher or teacher of record, at least two years of a highly effective rating in the Michigan Online Education Certification System in the most recent three-year period, possession of a valid Michigan Teacher Certification, and demonstration of an impact on scholar outcomes, professionalism, commitment to equity, and family and community engagement.

“I think it is great that DAAS is committed to ensuring that our students have the best teachers in the classroom,” said Ja’Myrea Jones, an 8th grader and the school’s valedictorian. “Having highly effective teachers will help us become stronger scholars and future leaders.”

DAAS Board Chair Sharon Weatherspoon there are “1,000 reasons we’re doing this,” referring to the student population.

“We’re not only looking to support our teachers, but to make sure that everybody who walks in the door gets the best of the best [instruction].”

Certified teacher shortages are a major problem in Michigan and across the country. School districts are struggling to fill vacancies and retain certified teachers, according to a 2022 study by the Economic Policy Institute. Between February 2020 and May 2022, about 300,000 teachers left the profession, partly because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Between 2008 and 2019, the number of people completing a teacher-education program dropped by nearly a third, according to the American Association of College for Teacher Education.

Only 35% of DAAS teachers are certified, compared to 95% seven years ago. The academy has prioritized helping teachers get certified, academy officials said.

“We believe the implementation of this program will enable us to recruit, retain, and develop the highest quality teachers so that we can provide a best-in-class education for all children in the city of Detroit,” said Dara Klein, talent development and recruitment specialists at DAAS. “Our ultimate goal is to grow this program over time so that every single child is served by a transformational teacher.”

DAAS was founded in 1997 by Rev. Jim Holley. Its mission is “to provide a high quality, holistic education anchored in the arts and sciences that prepares our students to compete in a global society.”

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