Opinion: What Happened When Arkansas Let Districts Raise the Minimum Pay for Teachers

Lawmakers in at least 22 states have proposed bills to increase minimum teacher salaries and offer other incentives to improve recruitment and retention. These are important measures, given documented staffing challenges in certain areas and subjects, the declining prestige of the profession and lower enrollment in traditional preparation programs .

Seven of these bills, including the Arkansas LEARNS Act , have become law.

My research team has been monitoring and documenting the effects of the salary changes introduced by the Arkansas LEARNS Act. As the program completes its first year, one lesson is becoming clear: Successful implementation requires the support and buy-in of school districts. Salary schedules that merely satisfy the minimal requirements of such legislation might not produce the desired results.

Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter

Signed into law in March 2023, the LEARNS Act represents one of the most significant changes to teacher compensation in any state in decades. It raised Arkansas’s minimum teacher salary from $36,000 to $50,000, guaranteed raises of at least $2,000 and removed the requirement that districts follow state-mandated minimum salaries for different levels of experience and education. This gave districts the flexibility to move away from traditional salary schedules based on seniority and experience.

As other states, such as Missouri , consider similar changes, Arkansas can offer lessons to be learned.

In a recently released study , we documented how Arkansas school districts adjusted to the new legislation. The LEARNS Act notably increased funding for rural and high-poverty districts, leading to a more equitable distribution of starting teacher pay. As a result, teaching positions in high-needs areas have become just as attractive in terms of salary as those in higher-income regions. This is a very positive result, as it can help attract new teachers to places where there are severe staffing challenges.

However, in the first year of implementation, most school districts made only the minimum salary schedule adjustments required by the LEARNS Act, leading, in some cases, to all teachers earning the same compensation regardless of experience or level of education. Currently, 55% of districts in the state do not offer seniority benefits to teachers, and there will be no clarity on the possibility of raises going forward u nless districts approve further changes to their flat salary schedules.

Although teachers will certainly earn significantly more than they would have under the pre-LEARNS schedules, the lack of differentiation in salary by level of experience risks leaving veteran teachers dissatisfied , as they won’t receive raises throughout their careers. Veteran teacher pay is also a major concern among superintendents and principals we surveyed, as is uncertainty about future funding.

Like all education funding in Arkansas, the LEARNS Act must be reapproved every two years. Without a permanent funding source, superintendents — especially in smaller districts — are hesitant to deviate from the minimum teacher salaries by adding raises to their budgets.

One superintendent said, “Until there’s a consistent funding flow for the new salaries, I am refraining from making any commitments on the salary schedule.”

Superintendents and principals in our survey also reported difficulty in budgeting for desired salary changes and uncertainty about which would be most effective for recruiting and retaining teachers.

Although it is too early to assess the long-term impact of the Arkansas LEARNS Act, the lack of clarity around its implementation and funding have limited the law’s initial effectiveness . Our analysis shows that while some positive trends emerged, such as increased placement of new teachers in geographic shortage areas, broader impacts on retention and mobility were limited in this first year of implementation,

The LEARNS Act has the potential to improve teacher recruitment and retention. However, without increased state support and guidance to districts, Arkansas may miss an opportunity to implement innovative strategies with the potential for greater impact. State leaders and policymakers should address funding uncertainties and offer districts assistance with teacher compensation plans, enabling them to make desired changes to their salary schedules and adopt more creative approaches.