A new blogpost released by the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at the University of California, Berkeley, sheds light on the housing struggles faced by entry-level teachers, non-teaching staff like bus drivers and janitors, and staff members of color in California. According to the blogpost, stagnant wages and high prices in housing markets in California are leaving teachers unable to afford housing and resulting in unfilled positions at schools, especially in Black, brown and Indigenous communities. For office staff, teaching assistants, janitors, bus drivers, and food service workers, wages are even lower than they are for teachers, making housing affordability an even greater challenge. The blogpost – which includes an interactive map displaying data about teacher salaries and housing costs in school districts in California – also highlights the unique struggles experienced by teachers and school employees of color.
“Teachers and school district employees across California face stagnant wages and rapidly rising housing costs,” explain the authors. “These financial barriers impact teacher recruitment and retention in ways that have negative impacts for students, particularly in schools serving low-income and predominantly BIPOC communities.”
Read the blogpost here.