Commentary

COMMENTARY: You Get What You Pay For: Putting Our Money Where Our Values Are

MILWAUKEE COURIER — According to the Center for American Progress, the teacher shortage in Wisconsin is somewhat of a nuanced issue. The aftermath of Act 10, teacher licensure requirements and population decrease in rural districts are some factors that contribute to the rough terrain of K-12 education.

Published

7 years ago

April 1, 2019

Oakland Post

By LaKeshia N. Myers

Growing up, my parents often told me, “you get out of it what you put into it”—the “it” could be a variety of things: school, sports, or overall effort in one’s life. But what was certain, was that there had to be an investment.

I find that our society’s investment in education is no different. For years, education has been fiscally neglected; educator salaries, have remained relatively flat and student achievement has suffered.

In Wisconsin, we have seen the overall investment in both K-12 and higher education decrease, meanwhile our spending on corrections and law enforcement have continued to increase.

Allison Dikanovic of the Neighborhood News Service outlined the rising costs associated with juvenile incarceration.

According to her article, for every young person a county sends to Lincoln Hills or Copper Lake, the county needs to pay the Department of Corrections a daily rate.

Juvenile incarceration costs the county $144,000 a year per youth. For fiscal year 2019-2020, the yearly rate for a young person to go to Lincoln Hills or Copper Lake is $182,865 and for 2020-2021, it goes up to $200,932.

To put this in perspective: one year of education at Harvard University costs $46,000. Therefore, it costs more to incarcerate a child in Wisconsin than to educate one in four years at Harvard University.

According to the Center for American Progress, the teacher shortage in Wisconsin is somewhat of a nuanced issue. The aftermath of Act 10, teacher licensure requirements and population decrease in rural districts are some factors that contribute to the rough terrain of K-12 education.

But nothing is as apparent as the fact that it is becoming increasingly more difficult to attract and retain educators to the profession. One alarming reason for this has been teacher pay.

Prior to Act 10, most teachers were paid based on a scale that measured their educational level and their years of experience. There were slight increases in pay for each year of satisfactory performance and the more education one earned, was rewarded by a bump in pay.

According to a 2012 article in the Journal Sentinel, graduate school enrollments in education began to sharply decline after the enactment of Act 10 because school districts were no longer required to pay teachers for earning advanced degrees.

When we devalue educational attainment, especially in the teaching field, this causes a ripple effect. If teachers are not valued for their education, why should we expect students or parents to respect education or treat educators as professionals?

In no other profession are individuals expected to work beyond their prescribed hours, have advanced knowledge, answer phone calls at home, work from home, and oversee extracurricular activities without being compensated. This is a troubling phenomenon and must be addressed if we ever hope to regain our standing on the world stage. But, just remember we only get out of it, what we put into it.

This article originally appeared in the Milwaukee Courier.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

MTSU Proud of its Long Service to Low-Income Students

Don't Miss

COMMENTARY: My Truth — Celebrating Women

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

Published

1 week ago

March 22, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Advice

Financial Wellness and Mental Health: Managing Money Stress in College 

While everyone’s financial situation is unique, several common sources of stress have the potential to strain your financial health. These include financial and economic uncertainty, existing debts, unexpected expenses, and mental or physical health changes. Financial stress may differ from situation to situation, but understanding the factors contributing to yours may help you begin to craft a plan for your unique circumstances.

Published

2 weeks ago

March 17, 2026

Oakland Post

Sponsored by JPMorganChase

As a college student, managing financial responsibilities can be stressful.

If you’ve found yourself staying up late thinking about your finances or just feeling anxious overall about your financial future, you’re not alone. In one survey, 78% of college students who reported financial stress had negative impacts on their mental health, and 59% considered dropping out. While finances can impact overall stress, taking steps to manage your finances can support your mental, emotional and physical well-being.

When it comes to money, the sources of stress may look different for each student, but identifying the underlying causes and setting goals accordingly may help you feel more confident about your financial future.

Consider these strategies to help improve your financial wellness and reduce stress.

Understand what causes financial stress

2. Determine your financial priorities

Start by reflecting on your financial priorities. For students this often includes paying for school or paying off student loans, studying abroad, saving for spring break, building an emergency fund, paying down credit card debt or buying a car. Name the milestones that are most important to you, and plan accordingly.

3. Create a plan and stick to it

While setting actionable goals starts you on the journey to better financial health, it’s essential to craft a plan to follow through. Identifying and committing to a savings plan may give you a greater sense of control over your finances, which may help reduce your stress. Creating and sticking to a budget allows you to better track where your money is going so you may spend less and save more.

4. Pay down debt

Many students have some form of debt and want to make progress toward reducing their debt obligations. One option is the debt avalanche method, which focuses on paying off your debt with the highest interest rate first, then moving on to the debt with the next-highest interest rate. Another is the debt snowball method, which builds momentum by paying off your smallest debt balance, and then working your way up to the largest amounts.

5. Build your financial resilience

Some financial stress may be inevitable, but building financial resilience may allow you to overcome obstacles more easily. The more you learn about managing your money, for instance, the more prepared you’ll feel if the unexpected happens. Growing your emergency savings also may increase resilience since you’ll be more financially prepared to cover unexpected expenses or pay your living expenses.

6. Seek help and support

Many colleges have resources to help students experiencing financial stress, like financial literacy courses or funds that provide some assistance for students in need. Talk to your admissions counselor or advisor about your concerns, and they can direct you to sources of support. Your school’s counseling center can also be a great resource for mental health assistance if you’re struggling with financial stress.

The bottom line

Financial stress can affect college students’ health and wellbeing, but it doesn’t have to derail your dreams. Setting smart financial goals and developing simple plans to achieve them may help ease your stress. Revisit and adjust your plan as needed to ensure it continues to work for you, and seek additional support on campus as needed to help keep you on track.

 JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC