Senate approves Millett bill to raise teacher minimum wage

AUGUSTA — Legislation from Sen. Rebecca Millett, D-Cape Elizabeth, LD 898, “An Act To Provide for a Professional Wage and Support for New Educators,” received unanimous, bipartisan support in the Senate on Thursday. The bill would increase the minimum salary for certified teachers to $40,000 beginning in the 2020-2021 school year.

“I am glad my colleagues have unanimously supported a fair minimum wage increase for our hard-working educators,” said Sen. Millett. “We are already facing a shortage of teachers, and paying a minimum wage closer to the national average will help retain qualified staff and provide higher quality educators for our students.”

LD 898 would establish a minimum salary at $40,000 for certified teachers or education specialists. The bill will support our districts’ efforts to recruit high-quality candidates, strengthen competencies and provide a strong public education for our students.

Maine has a current shortage of teachers in industrial arts, mathematics, science, special education and world languages. In addition, nearly one-third of Maine teachers are 55 or older, which means that in the next five to seven years, thousands of educators are going to retire, further exacerbating the shortage. Without adequate pay, it is difficult to recruit and retain high-quality educators.

The bill faces further votes in the Maine House and Senate.

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