Are teachers being paid enough? For instance, these hard-working individuals who have the largest impact on America’s youth aren’t being paid nearly as much as professional athletes.

Teachers take note: one school is finally giving its employees the recognition that they deserve! Mr. Zeke Vanderhoek, the principal and creator of The Equity Project charter school, is going to provide teachers with a $125,000 base salary with annual bonuses up to $25,000!

Mr. Vanderhoek has some pretty inspiring ideas about reforming education, staring with how much teachers are paid. His idea is that if the school pays the teachers a decent salary, they will want to perform better in the classroom. The high salary will also help to lure the best teachers from around the nation. He maintains the position “that teacher quality–not star principals, laptop computers, or abundant electives– is the crucial ingredient for success.”

Vanderhoek selected the middle school teachers through telephone and in-person interviews. Each applicant had to “submit multiple forms of evidence attesting to their students’ achievement and their own prowess.” It was also stated on the school’s website that only those testing in the 90th percentile in the verbal section of the GRE, GMAT, or similar tests need apply.” The final evaluation will culminate in three live teaching auditions.

“In exchange for their high salaries, teachers at the new school, the Equity Project, will work a longer day and year and assume responsibilities that usually fall to other staff members, like attendance coordinators and discipline deans.”

The school, which is located in the Washington Heights section of New York City, opened with 7 teachers and 120 students. Most of the students came from low-income Hispanic families. Mr. Vanderhoek hopes the school will reach full capacity at 28 teachers and 480 students. There will be no assistant principals, and only a couple of social workers. Its classes will have 30 students. As the school’s first principal, Mr. Vanderhoek will start of making $90,000 annually, which is less than the teachers! In this daring new adventure, Mr. Vanderhoek has committed to serving 4 academic years as the principal of the school.

If you are interested in pursuing a teaching degree, now may be just the time to do it. According to the Department of Labor, middle school teachers across America made an average of $35,120. However, there are many perks to this career including health care and summer/holiday vacations. As for the salary, the sky is the limit, especially if the Equity Project succeeds in the coming years. After some hard work, you could be on your way to earning 6 figures with a teaching degree in no time!

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