Washington is one of the best states in US for teachers, WalletHub says. Here’s why
Washington is high on the list of places to work if you’re a teacher, according to a new report released Monday, Sept. 19.
In fact, it’s the fifth best state in the country for teachers, in part because of high annual salaries, according to WalletHub.
The personal finance website compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia among 24 metrics in two prominent categories: “opportunity & competition” and “academic & work environment.”
Researchers considered annual salaries, projected teacher turnover, pupil-teacher ratio, and public-school spending per student to rank states for the best and worst teaching environments in the country.
“Education jobs are among the lowest-paying occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree, and teacher salaries consistently fail to keep up with inflation,” the study states. “Because competitive salaries and job security are integral to a well-balanced personal and professional life, we assigned a heavier weight to the first category.”
Washington scored fifth overall, and also came in fifth for annual salaries adjusted for cost of living, the report states. It scored third in the opportunity & competition category, the report states.
So which states beat Washington? New York, Utah, Virginia, and Florida, in that order. Just behind Washington are New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Connecticut.
The worst states for teachers are New Mexico, Arizona, D.C., New Hampshire and Hawaii, according to the report.
Some of the biggest challenges teachers face today is lack of respect for and politicization of their profession, low salaries, lack of resources, and safety concerns in the workplace, experts told WalletHub.
“Educators are well-prepared professionals,” said Rene S. Parmar, Dean of the School of Education at Lehman College within the City University of New York — the top-ranked state.
“However, politicized forces are constantly attacking their authority in the classroom by attempting to dictate curriculum and instructional activities,” Parmar said. “These attacks are not from individuals who are informed by research or best practices, but by small, vocal groups with their own agendas.”
This story was originally published September 19, 2022 at 4:43 PM with the headline "Washington is one of the best states in US for teachers, WalletHub says. Here’s why."
