One of the key goals—and outcomes—of adult education is helping individuals improve their skills so they can advance in the workforce and earn meaningful, family-sustaining wages.
It’s nearly impossible to deny the power that adult education has to change someone’s life through economic mobility. Yet, despite being the primary champions of this empowerment, the adult education field itself is challenged with wage-equity issues. As a result, when it comes to attracting high-quality educators or enthusiasm for adult education, we don’t meet our potential.
As a career field, there is a pronounced wage gap between adult education and other educational sectors and social support services. As a result, our field sees high turnover rates that create inconsistent instruction for adult learners and undermines the effectiveness of adult education.
Paying adult education professionals more equitable wages would strengthen our services and drive the field to have a greater impact on economic growth.
In our Adult Literacy Education research journal, Maria Franco Cortes from LiterArteFusion dives into this topic in our Forum called “The Power of Equity and the Future of Adult Education.”
Cortes underscores how paying adult education professionals more equitable wages would strengthen our services and drive the field to have a greater impact on economic growth. Higher pay, she says, would lead to benefits like increased funding and a more dedicated, educated, and diverse workforce that would create a more stable field and improved outcomes.
Cortes’ case for wage equity:
- Economic and social well-being: Retaining teachers results in improved support for adult learners, which contributes to closing the skills gap, enhancing social mobility for all, and building a more equitable and inclusive society. In this regard, adult education programs can prove themselves as major contributors to our country’s economic and social well-being.
- Increased funding: With the ability to recruit highly trained educators and staff, programs could cut inefficiencies and operate more effectively. Doing so would help federal, state, and philanthropic grant money go further and position programs to more likely be funded. Increased funding means more resources and opportunities for learners.
- Local boost: Increasing wages for adult educators gives them the spending power to support local businesses. When considering that most adult education programs are in economically challenged areas, paying teachers more can push more money into the local economy.
- Ongoing professional training: Educators who are financially stable feel less stressed and can invest more time, energy, and money into ongoing professional training. Continuing education can benefit learners in higher-quality instruction, which translates to student retention and success.
Read “The Future of Adult Education: Enhancing Economic Growth Through Wage Equity,” to learn what advocates can do to help create changes within the adult education field.