Amid a continuing nationwide teacher shortage, the Mastery Charter network is upping salaries for beginning teachers to $60,000.

That’s a 9% increase — and more than the starting salaries of the Philadelphia and Lower Merion school districts, which currently pay $51,568 and $56,234, respectively.

(Philadelphia district teachers this winter approved a one-year contract extension that gives them a 5% raise for the 2024-25 school year; new teachers will make $54,146.)

“Teachers are underpaid,” said Serena Amos, Mastery’s human resources chief. “We’ll never be able to pay teachers what they deserve, but it is really important that we demonstrate that we value them in whatever way we can,” Amos said. “With the job becoming more challenging every day, we know that the only way to stay competitive is to stay a little bit above the curve.”