Just pay teachers more
March 25, 2024 1 Comment
I’ve written time and time again that I think the single most important thing we can do about education, within the education policy area, is simply to pay teachers more. Alas, we are moving in the wrong direction. Drum with a couple of charts today:
When you see figures for K-12 teacher pay it’s normally an average of all teachers, including those who have master’s degrees and PhDs, or specialized skills such as ESL. But what about your garden variety fourth-grade teacher with a BA? They now make less than the average for all workers:
The average base pay for teachers with a BA is $53,000, with a range of $42,000 to $59,000 depending on experience. This doesn’t count potential extras, like pay for coaching or for teaching summer school. It’s also for a 37-week year.
Note that $53,000 is a national average. Pay ranges from a low of $37,000 in Missouri to a high of $69,000 in California.
Sure don’t love NC near the bottom of this list. But, that’s what making sure rich people in NC have low taxes gets you.
About Steve Greene
Fully Myelinated 
People in states where most people don’t think education has value and may even be counterproductive, and don’t trust teachers, pay teachers less. People in states that value education and trust teachers, pay teachers more. When Red State folks conclude that ignorance is not a virtue, teachers there will get paid more.