Description :
Although the work carried out by teachers is vastly appreciated, they are mostly under waged.
Earlier this year (in April, 2018), a massive public teacher protest was spread across the US, to showcase 10 years or more of low salaries and complaints about how several states choose tax cuts over investment in education. This wave of demonstrations has resulted in many resignations by teachers with over 15 years of experience in schools and a transition to other professions, or even relocation to other countries abroad to seek a better life.
While there is much discussion on the average and low wages teachers get, some credit should be given to those states who retain certain standards in terms of their policy and funding for education. This article highlights the 5 states where teachers are more fairly compensated than in others, based on a research conducted by Reuters in 2017.
1. Alaska
Thanks to a consistent rise in the level of education and funding provided, Alaska has become one of the nation’s highest payed state for teachers. In particular, the average annual salary for Elementary School teachers in Alaska is $73,050. Typically, a teacher there can earn from $52,580 and go up to $99,400. It seems that the approximately 8000 teachers in the 510 or more public schools in Alaska, can get by better than their colleagues in most states. It is estimated that there is one teacher for every 17 students, compared to the national average of 1:16.
2. Connecticut
The average starting salary for a teacher in Connecticut is approximately $69,397, whereas teachers start at an average of nearly $48,390, pulling in up to $104,300 per year at most. As of 2011, Connecticut pays it teachers far more compared to all of the other states in the United States, only to be beaten by major states like New York. For this reason, competition can be somewhat fierce when it comes to teaching in Connecticut because of the high pay and the small size of the state. Still, teaching isn’t nearly as competitive as being a stock broker or working in the business sector, and qualified teachers are always in demand.
3. Massachusetts
Massachusetts pays its teachers on average over $76,000 per year, making it the fifth highest paying state in the United States on average. Along with the high pay, Massachusetts ranks as the number one state in both reading and mathematics skills, though the state somehow falls to 20th when it comes to graduation numbers. Still, Massachusetts is an excellent place to be a teacher, and since the cost of living in Massachusetts isn’t as high as in a lot of other states outside of Boston, teachers can easily afford to provide for themselves and their families.
4. California
Despite its reputation of being one of the worst states in the US for education, California actually pays its teachers more than most states. In California, teachers make about $78,000 per year on average; however, the cost of living in most major cities in California where jobs are available for teachers is high. California also lives up to its reputation, with student test scores putting California in 46th and 49th place when it comes to math and reading scores. California also ranks in the bottom 10 of all of the states when it comes to graduation percentages, although there was a notable improvement in high school graduation rate in 2017, reaching 83.2% percent for the class of 2016. The great issue however is how California is one of the states with the highest drop-out rate from colleges.
5. New York
Teachers in New York were the highest paid in the United States as of the 2010/2011 school year, averaging nearly $73,000 per year in salary. For 2018-2019, a newly appointed teacher in New York will earn from $56,711 if owning a bachelor’s degree without prior experience and about $63,751 if he or she holds a master’s degree. This salary can grow to $85,794 if in possession of a master’s degree and up to eight years of teaching experience. While teachers’ salaries in New York are high, the cost of living in the most expensive state in the US needs to be factored in. Despite high teacher salaries, New York State is still in the bottom half of states when it comes to math and reading scores, ranking number 31, even though average attendance is strongest in New York State.
Conclusion
While teachers’ work and contribution to society, despite the many challenges they come across, is priceless, a decent salary is definitely one way of showing the state’s gratitude and acknowledgment of their service. Hence, it is refreshing to see that some states persist to invest in their teachers and the education of their students, as this is the greatest investment possible to the future and progress. Hopefully, the recent strikes will awake other states too and make them rise to the occasion so as to improve funding and payment of their teachers, despite the gloomy picture shown in statistics and legislations of the coming years.
(Last Updated on Monday, July 23, 2018)
*by andreascy*
