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Hi there,
I’ll never forget the apartment where I lived in a closet converted into a bedroom—which, needless to say, had no closet. It was all I could afford—my first job out of college in the late 1990s paid just $17,000. I was 21 years old. Back then, it seemed normal to struggle, eat ramen noodles (the 33-cent kind not the trendy ones in bougie restaurants), and live paycheck to paycheck.
I was young, loved my job, and expected to have to work a lot to earn more money “someday.” The problem is, for many educators—like Cindy Porter, a Maryland paraeducator featured in our October issue of NEA Today
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—that “someday” still hasn’t come, even after 27 years on the job.
That’s why the October issue of NEA Today is our first-ever Salary Issue.
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Inside, you’ll find stories on how to boost your pay, what the union difference really looks like, how salary scales are built, and who earns what.
Read the Magazine Online ➤
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We’re also sharing practical resources—like a roadmap to retirement (no matter your age) and much more.
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Dive into the Salary Issueand remember: your “someday” can be today with the help of your union because whether you’re still living in a tiny apartment or have moved on to your own home, the choice to eat package Ramen should be yours—and not because you can’t afford the real stuff.
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Thank you for all you do for our students, schools, and communities.
In solidarity,
Giovanna Bechard
Editor-in-Chief
NEA Today
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