1) Suppose that a school district pays all high school teachers with the same ye

Question

1) Suppose that a school district pays all high school teachers with the same years of experience the same salary, regardless of teaching field, and that this produces a surplus of History and English teachers, and a shortage of Science and Math teachers. Would this create a case for salary differentials? (Think of what causes shortage/surplus)

2) How could the problem of concurrent surplus and shortage be solved without paying Science and Math teachers more than History and English teachers?

3) Why has the policy of identical wages in fact produced shortages of Science and Math teachers, along with surpluses of History and English teachers in many school districts? What factors have contributed on the demand side? On the suppy side?

Explanation / Answer

Multiple questions asked.

First question is answered below:

Yes, it is a clear case of salary differentials.

Since teacher of relatively tougher subjects like Science and Math expect to be paid higher than teachers of relatively easier subjects like History and English, other things being constant. When they are not offered higher salaries, they their surplus falls, and they prefer to walk out than continue working at those wages. This creates a situation of shortage of teachers of tougher subjects.

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