Long Island teachers rightfully earn six-figure salaries, which are necessary given our high cost of living and professional development required of all educators. Yet school occupational and physical therapy professionals face an arbitrary, outdated classification system.

School counselors, psychologists, social workers, and speech-language pathologists automatically join teachers’ unions with educational credentials and leadership pathways. OTs and PTs? We pray school districts do the right thing.

Some districts hire therapists as educators with full union benefits. Others exploit Civil Service as a loophole — lower pay scales, fewer salary steps, no education stipends. If trapped in Civil Service, physical therapists now need doctorates yet earn thousands of dollars less than classroo

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