Raising teacher salaries in Florida’s public schools is the most important thing we can do as a state this year. It’s really that simple.

Educating students is the single most important thing that the State of Florida does.

Teachers are the most important element in the education of the state’s students. Strong teachers are the state’s most valuable assets.

The number of talented individuals choosing to enter the teaching profession is declining, and in some subjects it is declining quickly – as you can see from the graphs of the numbers of first-time test takers of the state’s subject-specific certification exams shown below. (The plots also show the numbers of first-time test takers that pass.)

Florida’s teacher salaries are exceptionally low. Basic economics says that salaries matter a lot when it comes to attracting talented individuals to careers. There are other factors that influence career choice – in particular, the sense of purpose and accomplishment that a career can provide. But many young people would like to be able to start a family and own a home, and having the means to do so is important to them.

The certification exam plots below say this unequivocally: Whatever Florida has been doing during the last five years to attract new teachers into the profession hasn’t worked. We need to radically change direction, and we need to do it now.

This is not the time for excuses, whether they have to do with ideology, the economic cycle or even the perception of fairness. We need to raise teacher salaries substantially right now to give Florida’s kids the best possible chance to succeed in an economy that is increasingly challenging and competitive.

It’s really that simple.