To graduate from an education program in the state of Ohio and become a licensed teacher, students must complete a minimum of twelve weeks in a student teaching internship. While the internship is being completed, students act as full-time teachers and receive no pay for their work. Ohio needs to enact legislation to change this.
The student teaching internship typically happens in the second semester of senior year, right before graduation for those in the education program. Whether studying early childhood education, working towards a degree in teaching languages or teaching middle and high school, all programs must complete this student teaching internship.
Teachers are underpaid across the country, according to the National Education Association, the average starting teacher salary in the United States is $44,530. In Ohio, the annual income needed to live comfortably is estimated to be $80,704, making average teacher salaries far below that line.
The overall pay for teachers across the country needs to increase. This way teachers can be properly paid for the hard work they consistently do daily to educate their students and help them become good citizens and people. Specifically, the student teachers who work with them deserve pay.
When student teachers are in the classroom for their student teaching internships, they take on the roles of teachers to gain the vital experience needed to graduate. They create lesson plans, grade papers, work with teachers and teach every single day in the classroom for an entire semester. With over twelve weeks of work, for student teachers to receive no pay at all is inhumane and inconsiderate of what they do.
While completing the internship, due to the high amount of work required, it is nearly impossible to work a job while doing so. The NEA states, “Some professors advise candidates not to get paid jobs during their internships because the internships are so demanding of time and energy.” Student teachers spend the last semester of their college years essentially working a full-time job that includes uncovered travel expenses, and purchasing any clothes or classroom materials necessary to complete the job out of pocket. This task becomes financially impossible with no pay and insufficient time to get another job.
Luckily, some states are beginning to recognize this. However, only three states currently offer pay-through stipend programs to student teachers. Michigan, Colorado and Maryland offer these programs with New Jersey and Kentucky currently working towards this achievement in legislation.
Ohio currently has no plan to provide pay for student teachers' internships. This needs to change. Student teachers deserve income for their internships. The average pay for student interns in Ohio is a little over $16 an hour. This compared to the $0 student teachers earn is a vast difference.
The state of Ohio is setting future teachers up for failure by forcing them to participate in a system which shows it does not value them by offering no pay. Teachers then enter the workforce after an unpaid twelve weeks of work frequently burnt out and beaten down. The longer the system continues to show teachers they are undeserving of pay, the less teachers will show up to continue to transform the lives of future generations.
Student teachers in Ohio deserve pay for their internship and this change needs to happen now. Ohio can join the movement that states are beginning to take part in and treat their student teachers with respect, dignity, and a living wage that values their work and commitment to the education system. Legislation needs to be enacted in order to provide student teachers with income during their internship.
The Ohio Education Association is currently working towards fixing this issue, and student teachers can share their personal stories of unpaid work on their website. The OEA will share these stories with legislators as they work to enact change. Student teachers at the University of Cincinnati are petitioning for pay, although no petition has been started at Ohio University.
Clara Leder is a junior studying education and journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Let Clara know by emailing her at cl125221@ohio.edu.
