Worst Paid Teachers

10 States That Pay Teachers the Least

Lost in the debate about collective bargaining rights and the related issues of pay, pensions, and health care coverage is the dialogue about a core issue. There is no clear correlation that better paid teachers produce better educated students.

Wisconsin teachers are among the most vocal opponents of Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to curtail some collective bargaining rights. Though there is little doubt that good teachers improve student achievement, the evidence that well-compensated educators produce better prepared students is mixed. Wisconsin is a case in point.

Wisconsin teachers fare slightly worse than the national average with starting salaries of $32,642 and a maximum with a master’s degree of $60,036.

Data reviewed by 24/7 Wall St. from the National Education Association, The American Federation of Teachers, PayScale.com along with discussions with experts from Education Trust, the Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute found that there are states with well-paid teachers... and states with just the opposite.

Read on for a look at 10 states where teachers are paid the least.

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Worst Paid Teach... Lost in the debate about collective bargaining rights and the related issues of pay, pensions, and health care coverage is the dialogue about a core issue. There is no clear correlation that better paid teachers produce better educated students.

Wisconsin teachers are among the most vocal opponents of Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to curtail some collective bargaining rights. Though there is little doubt that good teachers improve student achievement, the evidence that well-compensated educators produce better prepared students is mixed. Wisconsin is a case in point.

Wisconsin teachers fare slightly worse than the national average with starting salaries of $32,642 and a maximum with a master’s degree of $60,036.

Data reviewed by 24/7 Wall St. from the National Education Association, The American Federation of Teachers, PayScale.com along with discussions with experts from Education Trust, the Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute found that there are states with well-paid teachers... and states with just the opposite.

Read on for a look at 10 states where teachers are paid the least.

(iStock Photo)
10. Kansas - Average Salary 2010/2011: $47,080
- Number of Enrolled Students Per Teacher 2010/2011: 13.7 (18th)
- Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Math Score 2009: 288.59 (11th)
- Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Reading Score 2009: 266.79 (19th)
- Average Daily Attendance as a Percent of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 94.5 percent (15th)
- High School Graduation Rate as Percent of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 6.42 percent (28th)
Kansas officials have asked for relief from requirements of the No Child Left Behind law. Last year, Kansas City officials gained national headlines with their plans to shutter half the city’s schools because of declining enrollment. Governor Sam Brownbeck’s proposed budget cuts per-pupil for education spending.
9. Tennessee - Average Salary 2010/2011: $47,043
- Number of Enrolled Students Per Teacher 2010/2011: 14.67 (29th)
- Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Math Score 2009: 274.76 (42nd)
- Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Reading Score 2009: 260.94 (33rd)
- Average Daily Attendance as a Percent of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 86 percent (44th)
- High School Graduation Rate as Percent of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 6.68 percent (21st)
Memphis Superintendent Kriner Cash is moving on an “ambitious plan to begin six-day weeks for elementary school children, fast-track graduation options in high schools and the utilization of new technology,” according to the Commercial Appeal. Gov. Phil Bredesen’s proposed budget includes a $47 million increase for public schools. Representative Debra Young Maggart, a Republican recently introduced a bill that would forbid teachers’ unions from collective bargaining, a proposal which the New York Times says has left many teachers demoralized.
8. New Mexico - Average Salary 2010/2011: $46,950
- Number of Enrolled Students Per Teacher 2010/2011: 14.94 (33rd)
- Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Math Score 2009: 269.7 (48th)
- Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Reading Score 2009: 254.12 (46th)
- Average Daily Attendance as a Percent of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 95.7 percent (9th)
- High School Graduation Rate as Percent of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 5.92 percent (39th)
Gov. Susana Martinez believes that the $5.4 billion spending plan approved Friday by the House Appropriations and Finance Committee short changes education.. Last year, 24 school districts requested emergency financial help from the state. A bill that would tie teacher evaluations to student performance is pending before the Legislature.
7. North Carolin... - Average Salary 2010/2011: $46,850
- # of Enrolled Students Per Teacher 2010/2011: 14.74 (31st)
- Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Math Score 2009: 284.33 (25th)
- Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Reading Score 2009: 259.52 (37th)
- Average Daily Attendance as a Percent of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 92.4 percent (32nd)
- High School Graduation Rate as Percent of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 6.45 percent (27th)
The financial picture for North Carolina schools is bleaker now than it was at the start of the recession because federal stimulus money has dried up. That means budget cuts. ”Last week, Gov. Bev Perdue proposed a 3.9 percent reduction to public schools that spared cuts to classroom teachers and assistants, “ The Charlotte Observer says. “But it recommended trimming several thousand noninstructional positions, including administrators, office workers, janitors and bus drivers. ” Republicans who control the legislature are pushing for deeper cuts in education, the paper says.
6. Mississippi - Average Salary 2010/2011: $46,818
- Number of Enrolled Students Per Teacher 2010/2011: 13.8 (19th)
- Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Math Score 2009: 265 (50th)
- Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Reading Score 2009: 251.3 (50th)
- Average Daily Attendance as a Percent of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 95.6 percent (10th)
- High School Graduation Rate as Percent of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 4.85 percent (50th)
Gov. Haley Barbour recommended funding the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, or MAEP, the state’s education funding formula, at the current level of just more than $2 billion, the Hattiesburg American says. Biloxi Superintendent recently warned of possible teacher layoffs. In fact, the Associated Press noted that most of Mississippi’s 152 school districts have lost personnel, including teachers, principals and assistant principals.
5. Florida - Average Salary 2010/2011: $46,702
- Number of Enrolled Students Per Teacher 2010/2011: 16 (38th)
- Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Math Score 2009: 279.33 (34th)
- Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Reading Score 2009: 264.36 (30th)
- Average Daily Attendance as a Percent of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 94.5 percent (14th)
- High School Graduation Rate as Percent of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 5.65 percent (44th)
Schools in Florida, who have slashed 12,000 jobs over the past 36 months, are worried that more layoffs would be needed under Gov. Rick Scott’s spending plan. If Scott’s proposal were to pass, that would mean that the Miami-Dade School District would need to cut $150 million and lay off some workers. The Florida Education Association has vowed to fight a bill in the Legislature that would tie all teacher pay to test scores because a “proven evaluation” system is not in place.
4. Utah - Average Salary 2010/2011: $46,571
- Number of Enrolled Students Per Teacher 2010/2011: 22.3 (50th)
- Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Math Score 2009: 284.06 (28th)
- Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Reading Score 2009: 265.59 (23rd)
- Average Daily Attendance as a Percent of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 75.5 percent (50th)
- High School Graduation Rate as Percent of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 5.23 percent (49th)
Legislators are considering a bill that would forbid school districts from employing a “last hired, first fired” approach toward layoffs. Gov. Gary Hebert has criticized lawmakers for cutting his proposed spending deeply. “A report by two Georgetown researchers indicated that 66 percent of all jobs in Utah — approximately 1 million — will require some post-secondary training or education beyond high school in 2018,”according to the Desert News.
3. Missouri - Average Salary 2010/2011: $46,411
- Number of Enrolled Students Per Teacher 2010/2011: 13.2 (11th)
- Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Math Score 2009: 285.8 (22nd)
- Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Reading Score 2009: 266.87 (17th)
- Average Daily Attendance as a Percent of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 92.6 percent (30th)
- High School Graduation Rate as Percent of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 6.99 percent (16th)
Though state funding is remaining even, schools are losing ground because costs are beginning to rise, according to the Missouri School Boards’ Association. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch quotes Howell Board Member Cynthia Bice as saying “”This is like asking me which of my children are my favorite” when discussing possible layoffs. Kelvin Adams recently was awarded a three-year contract extension as superintendent of the St. Louis Public Schools. Standardized test scores rose under his leadership.
2. North Dakota - Average Salary 2010/2011: $44,266
- Number of Enrolled Students Per Teacher 2010/2011: 11.9 (6th)
- Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Math Score 2009: 292.84 (4th)
- Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Reading Score 2009: 269.24 (10th)
- Average Daily Attendance as a Percent of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 92.6 percent (31st)
- High School Graduation Rate as Percent of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 7.19 percent (12th)
North Dakota legislators have proposed overhauling the state’s education system that would create a Department of Education starting Jan. 1, 2015, to oversee all aspects of public education. Proposed federal spending cuts would slash the budget of the Bismark School District by $6 million. Minot officials are also warning of cuts.
1. South Dakota - Average Salary 2010/2011: $35,201
- Number of Enrolled Students Per Teacher 2010/2011: 13.4 (14th)
- Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Math Score 2009: 290.61 (8th)
- Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Reading Score 2009: 270.06 (8th)
- Average Daily Attendance as a Percent of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 94.3 percent (20th)
- High School Graduation Rate as Percent of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 6.60 percent (24th)
Members of the South Dakota Senate are balking at Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s proposed 10% cut in education spending, a move that the South Dakota Education Association says would “devastate” public schools. “When you talk about a 10 percent cut in education, at this stage in the game in Rapid City, South Dakota, it is in some form or fashion affecting students,” Rapid City Board Director Dave Janak tells theRapid City Journal. During his recent campaign Daugaard vowed to strengthen math and science education.
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