Posted by: Richie Bernardo

Teaching can be a profoundly rewarding career, considering the critical role educators play in shaping young minds. But many teachers find themselves overworked and underpaid. Education jobs are among the lowest-paying occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree, and teacher salaries consistently fail to keep up with inflation. Meanwhile, the law demands better student performance, but some critics argue that it deprives educators of guidance and positive incentive to improve their own effectiveness in the classroom.

This combination of job pressures, low pay and lack of mobility forces many teachers to quit soon after they start, a pattern that has led to a perpetual attrition problem in America’s public schools. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about a fifth of all newly minted public-school teachers leave their positions before the end of their first year, and nearly half never last more than five. Many teachers, especially novices, transfer to other schools or abandon the profession altogether “as the result of feeling overwhelmed, ineffective, and unsupported,” according to ASCD, a nonprofit focused on improving the education community.

In some states, however, teachers are more fairly paid and treated than in others and therefore less likely to face a revolving door of teacher turnover. To help America’s educators find the best opportunities and teaching environments, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on 21 key indicators of teacher-friendliness. Our data set ranges from teachers’ income growth potential to pupil-teacher ratio to teacher safety. Read on for our findings, expert insight from a panel of researchers and a full description of our methodology.

1. Main Findings
2. Ask the Experts
3. Methodology

Main Findings Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/7159/geochart-teachers.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="http://ift.tt/2wRhK56;

 

Best & Worst States for Teachers

Overall Rank (1 = Best)	State	Total Score	‘Opportunity & Competition’ Rank	‘Academic & Work Environment’ Rank
1	New York	68.12	1	10
2	New Jersey	66.43	18	1
3	Illinois	65.71	3	7
4	Connecticut	64.12	21	2
5	Pennsylvania	63.65	11	4
6	Minnesota	62.67	10	9
7	Massachusetts	61.32	23	3
8	Wyoming	61.22	9	16
9	Ohio	59.54	15	13
10	Oregon	59.18	2	34
11	Utah	58.93	13	19
12	Michigan	57.82	5	31
13	Rhode Island	57.80	17	21
14	North Dakota	57.60	31	5
15	Indiana	57.10	16	24
16	Missouri	56.62	8	38
17	Kentucky	56.52	12	26
18	Iowa	56.40	19	23
19	California	55.77	6	42
20	Texas	55.55	4	46
21	Wisconsin	55.47	29	11
22	Washington	55.21	27	18
23	Nevada	55.09	7	43
24	Delaware	55.04	32	8
25	Virginia	54.36	26	22
26	Georgia	53.55	20	32
27	Vermont	53.26	40	6
28	Idaho	53.25	22	28
29	Alaska	51.51	14	48
30	Nebraska	51.43	25	33
31	Maryland	51.21	37	17
32	Kansas	50.79	38	20
33	Colorado	50.68	43	12
34	Arkansas	50.31	28	36
35	Alabama	49.35	24	45
36	District of Columbia	48.59	30	40
37	New Hampshire	48.21	47	14
38	Tennessee	47.52	34	37
39	West Virginia	47.44	36	35
40	South Dakota	46.02	41	30
41	Maine	45.97	49	15
42	Oklahoma	45.71	33	44
43	Montana	45.47	44	29
44	New Mexico	44.87	39	41
45	North Carolina	44.59	46	27
46	Louisiana	43.83	35	49
47	Florida	42.30	50	25
48	Mississippi	41.32	42	51
49	South Carolina	41.16	45	47
50	Hawaii	39.19	51	39
51	Arizona	37.72	48	50

Ask the Experts

Like any professional seeking work-life balance, educators are no exception. They must be able to make a reasonable living in order to meet the challenges of their profession. For more insight into the issues plaguing teachers and possible solutions for overcoming them, we asked a panel of experts to weigh in on with their thoughts on the following key questions:

1. What are the biggest issues teachers face today?
2. How can local officials attract and retain the best teachers?
3. What tips can you offer young teachers looking for a place to settle?
4. In evaluating the best states for teachers, what are the top five indicators?
5. Do you think performance-based compensation (e.g., providing teachers a bonus when their students meet or exceed expectations) is a promising strategy for improving student outcomes?
6. Are unions beneficial to teachers? What about to students?

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• Corrie Stone-Johnson Associate Professor of Educational Administration in the Graduate School of Education at the University at Buffalo, SUNY
• Scott Imberman Associate Professor in the Department of Economics and the College of Education at Michigan State University
• Maria del Carmen Salazar Associate Professor of Teaching and Learning Sciences in the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver
• Kimberly Kappler Hewitt Director of the Principal Preparation for Excellence and Equity in Rural Schools Program and Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Cultural Foundations at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• Jon N. Hale Associate Professor of Educational History in the Department of Teacher Education at the College of Charleston
• M. Evelyn Fields Professor of Early Childhood Education & Immediate Past and Chair of the Department of Teacher Education at South Carolina State University
• Edmund Adjapong Professor of Educational Studies in the College of Education and Human Services at Seton Hall University
• Clive Belfield Associate Professor of Economics in the Queens College at the City University of New York
• Arnold Spinner Interim Dean of the Graduate School of Education at Touro College

Corrie Stone-Johnson Associate Professor of Educational Administration in the Graduate School of Education at the University at Buffalo, SUNY What are the biggest issues teachers face today? From my vantage point as a researcher, I would contend that there are two types of issues facing teachers: technical and professional. Technically, teachers are tasked with implementing new standards that connect their classroom teaching with student achievement. The process of implementing these standards can be confusing and rushed. Teachers also have increasingly diverse students in their classrooms, which requires learning new ways to teach and support students in order to help these potentially vulnerable students succeed. Professionally, a great deal of research suggests that current reform efforts that utilize standardized and prescriptive forms of teaching erode teachers’ autonomy. This challenge of autonomy does not impact all teachers in the same way, though. While many teachers may indeed feel this way, I have demonstrated through my own research that some teachers, particularly those from Generation X, find some benefit to certain aspects of these newer reforms, particularly that they help teachers focus on what they are actually expected to do. That said, truly professional work brings together teachers to collaborate and build school capacity with an aim of improving student achievement, yet many teachers work in schools that do not foster such professional experiences. I asked my own students this question. My students are aspiring school leaders who work in a variety of school contexts. Their answers echoed mine, but add texture to the challenges. First, they agreed that accountability is an issue, but framed it in terms of how their school leaders respond to pressure. They felt that leadership was too busy “dealing with bigger issues” to handle the individual concerns faced by classroom teachers. Second, they felt, as I suggested above, that leaders are not providing enough time for teachers to collaborate. My students also noted that they feel shortchanged when it comes to professional development. In many of their schools, only a handful of teachers receive development, and are then expected to turnkey it to the rest of the faculty. They felt that these teachers might not actually have the necessary skills to provide the development for the faculty, resulting in watered down lessons. Third, they noted that while teachers have historically had to “wear many hats,” the roles they are asked to take on now exceed their time and professional capacity to adequately handle. Jokingly, asked, “Would a podiatrist be asked to do heart surgery?” Behind this somewhat humorous question rests a true challenge to today’s teachers: more work with fewer supports and resources. How can local officials attract and retain the best teachers? I would argue that the best way to attract and retain the best teachers is to treat them like true professionals. Simply offering more pay will attract new teachers, but will not provide the working conditions that will encourage them to stay. Instead, officials should provide ongoing professional development that taps into teachers’ interests, while encouraging them to continue to grow. Further, they should allow teachers to collaborate in meaningful ways through formal time during the school day. I would also suggest that they offer supportive and flexible work environments that encourage work-life balance. Finally, district officials should provide innovative leadership opportunities that allow teachers to take on new roles, without fully committing to formal leadership positions until they are ready. Do you think performance based compensation-- e.g., providing teachers a bonus when their students meet or exceed expectations-- is a promising strategy for improving student outcomes? I do not agree that performance-based compensation is a promising strategy for improving student outcomes. Research over the last thirty years indicates that money is not a primary motivator in teachers’ work. Rather, most teachers need a sense of personal accomplishment if they are to remain on the job. Most research suggests that this sense of personal accomplishment is fostered by improving working conditions, rather than offering greater pay. My students who work in schools where such schemes exist also pointed out that performance-based compensation introduces an uncomfortable element of competition in schools, that encourages teachers to revert to individualistic, rather than cooperative behavior. Scott Imberman Associate Professor in the Department of Economics and the College of Education at Michigan State University What are the biggest issues teachers face today? I would argue that the biggest issues teachers face are dealing with student testing requirements and low salary growth relative to other professional fields. In the first issue, state accountability requirements and the No Child Left Behind Act have led teachers to focus much more on test preparation, potentially at the expense of helping students improve in other places and making the curriculum less customizable and less interesting from the teacher’s perspective. The new Every Student Succeeds Act, the successor to NCLB, arguably reduces the consequences of testing, potentially reducing this burden on teachers, but the impacts remain to be seen. For low salary growth, teaching historically had been a relatively high paying profession for women, but as female access to other professional jobs increased, teacher salaries did not keep up. As of 2015, the average public school teacher salary is $57,400, according to the U.S. Department of Education. After adjusting for inflation, this is actually less than teachers earned in the early 1990’s. By comparison, according to the U.S. Census, the median income of a woman with a bachelor’s degree or higher has increased by 15% over the same time period. How can local officials attract and retain the best teachers? The simple answer is to pay higher salaries, but this gets complicated by relatively inflexible salary schedules. Higher pay is likely to attract more teachers, but will it attract good teachers? Recent research has estimated that replacing a teacher who has a value-added (a measure of how much a teacher increases student test scores) in the bottom 5% with an average teacher increases future lifetime earnings of her class by over $200,000. The problem is that simply increasing salaries may attract teachers who are not of appreciably higher quality and even if it does, schools’ ability to know who is higher performing at the point of hire is poor, while job protections limit removal for poor performance later on. Experiments with paying teachers based on their value-added are ongoing and are promising in terms of showing they can improve performance of teachers already at schools, but it remains unclear if they will attract high-performing teachers in the long term. Nonetheless, in places with a lot of teacher turnover, retention incentives or bonuses for teachers to join low-performing or economically disadvantaged schools are likely to be effective policies. Do you think performance based compensation-- e.g., providing teachers a bonus when their students meet or exceed expectations-- is a promising strategy for improving student outcomes? Performance pay (also referred to as incentive pay, merit pay) has had a bit of a mixed record in developed countries like the U.S. While some, such as Washington, DC’s IMPACT program have been highly effective, others like New York City’s incentive pay program have shown little effect. Overall, there is little indication that the impacts on student outcomes of incentives are negative -- at worst, they are an inefficient use of resources -- and in some instances, they can increase student outcomes substantially. I discuss this in an article for IZA World of Labor and argue that the design of the incentives is what drives the effects. IMPACT was successful because the bonuses were very large -- they provided substantial increases in base salary, rather than a one-time bonus for highly effective teachers -- and were individualized incentives. New York’s program was largely ineffective because they used group incentives based on the whole school, which leads to too much free-riding. In Houston, on the other hand, smaller group incentives in high schools were moderately effective. So, the bottom line is that local policymakers should consider incentives as one tool, but they should avoid basing them on large groups, provide long-term adjustments to base salary rather than single year bonuses if possible, base the incentives off of evaluations incorporating multiple years of teaching, and use multiple indicators of teacher performance rather than rely only on value-added (though value-added should be a key component). Are unions beneficial to teachers? What about to students? In general, teacher unions have been shown to increase teacher salaries and spending by school districts, so financially, teachers have benefitted from unionization. The story for students is less positive, however. The existing evidence suggests that, at best, students are unaffected by unions. While research on educational outcomes -- mostly graduation rates -- have shown no impact in some cases and negative impacts in others, recent work has shown that teacher unionization leads to lower wages for students later in life. Maria del Carmen Salazar Associate Professor of Teaching and Learning Sciences in the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver What are the biggest issues teachers face today? Teachers are facing many issues today. The profession is becoming more focused on student outcomes and standardization. Teachers are pressured to demonstrate student academic gains on narrow measures of success. This has narrowed the definition of effective teaching to student test scores. Yet, CEOs across the nation are asking for 21st century skills, not a static test score. Additionally, over half of all public school students are ethnically diverse. Yet, teachers do not have the necessary training to meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse learners and their families. Finally, while the vast majority of teachers are dedicated to their students’ success, they lack resources and support to meet the full range of needs in the P-12 student population. How can local officials attract and retain the best teachers? Local officials can attract and retain the best teachers through positive approaches. Local officials can work with corporations to support teachers financially through bonuses, housing assistance, rewards, and higher pay. They can provide teachers with ongoing professional development, so they can meet all of their students’ needs. They can also implement teacher evaluation using a developmental approach that helps teachers to set goals, and make progress toward meeting those goals. What tips can you offer young teachers looking for a place to settle? The advice I would offer for young teachers looking for a place to settle is to get to know the city and the school districts. Ask the following questions: Does this city include a diverse student population? How does the city support marginalized communities? What innovation is happening in this city that can connect with P-12 education? Is this city committed to the success of all students? How do I know this? Does the district have a mission and goals that align with my own? What support will this district provide throughout my teaching career trajectory? What support does the district provide for me to live and thrive? What incentives does the district provide? Will I be able to make a difference in this district? How will this district help me to meet the needs of diverse learners? What opportunities would I have to learn, grow, and lead in this district? In evaluating the best states for teachers, what are the top 5 indicators? In evaluating the best states for teachers, look for these indicators:

• The teacher evaluation system implemented at state-wide level or locally is focused on professional development and incentives that promote effective teaching.

• The state is committed to the educational success of diverse learners and all learners. They provide resources to support local districts and teachers.

• The local teacher union is cohesive and supports positive initiatives that benefit teachers, students, and their families.

• The state leadership is strongly committed to supporting teachers and providing them with resources to help their students to succeed.

• The teachers feel that they can thrive personally and professionally in this state.

Do you think performance based compensation-- e.g., providing teachers a bonus when their students meet or exceed expectations-- is a promising strategy for improving student outcomes? Performance-based compensation is one strategy for improving student outcomes, but it should not be used in isolation. Most teachers are very dedicated to their students, they just need the tools to help them to be successful. Teachers should be compensated for supporting students in many different ways, not simply in the acquisition of higher test scores. For examples, teachers should be compensated for innovating, engaging families and communities, engaging in social justice pursuits, advancing college and career readiness, and leading transformation. Are unions beneficial to teachers? What about to students? Unions can be beneficial to teachers when they provide advocacy that is not focused on teachers alone, but also includes advocacy for students, their families, and communities. After all, we teach because we care, and we want to make a difference. Kimberly Kappler Hewitt Director of the Principal Preparation for Excellence and Equity in Rural Schools Program and Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Cultural Foundations at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro What are the biggest issues teachers face today? I see a lot of stress and feelings of being overwhelmed amongst the teaching population, and I think there are a number of things contributing to that. One is the severe accountability pressures that teachers feel, in terms of student performance on state standardized tests and in demonstrating student growth from year to year. In some states, teacher evaluation is tied to how students perform, and this ramps up teachers’ stress concerning accountability. That is paired with the feeling of loss of creativity and a narrowing of the curriculum as a function of the accountability pressures. I believe teachers feel a great deal of responsibility to differentiate in the classroom for all types of learners, who are at different levels of their development. Most teachers believe that this is important to do, but also incredibly difficult. Another thing that drains teachers is the fact that they work incredibly hard and dedicate their hearts to their profession, and yet there is not a lot of esteem for teachers and the teaching profession in our culture. I also think that the working conditions are challenging as well. There’s a common saying in our field -- “teachers don’t leave schools, they leave principals.” One of the aspects of the working conditions is the effectiveness of the school leadership team, and other factors, such as how much time teachers have to plan, how often are there interruptions to their instruction, the facilities, materials, equipment, pay and benefits -- the working conditions of teachers in general. How can local officials attract and retain the best teachers? In terms of retaining them, I must circle back to the importance of the leadership team. A strong leadership team that has a clear vision, feasible objectives and goals for the school, a sense of relational trust throughout the school, and a sense collective responsibility creates a healthy school culture and climate, in which teachers tend to stay. Also, schools with distributed leadership, where principals frame themselves as “leaders of leaders” tend to have a stronger sense of belonging and self-efficacy amongst teachers, which can strengthen retention. Furthermore, support in terms of mentoring and additional professional development is especially important for teachers during their first several years. Schools that have strong professional networks have higher retention rates, and giving teachers a say in what kind of professional growth they pursue is another important thing for schools and districts to work on. In terms of attracting and recruiting teachers, there are some age-old recruiting strategies, such as having HR representatives and principals attend recruitment fairs, connecting with local universities and preparation programs, having a good teacher induction mentoring program, or offering signing bonuses and housing assistance. In some rural area schools which have extra space as a function of reduced enrollment, the school district will put an early childhood program in the school to serve as a daycare facility, primarily for people who work in the district -- I believe this is a really creative way to recruit teachers with children. Districts can also attract professionals through social media, by creating, for example, a video about the unique features, strengths and benefits offered by them. “Grow Your Own” programs offered by schools constitute another wise approach, as they introduce middle schoolers and high schoolers to the idea of going into a teacher preparation program. Research shows that teachers tend to go back and teach in or near the area they grew up. Some districts even offer tuition support or loan forgiveness for the person who agrees to come and teach at their schools, which can also be a helpful recruitment strategy. What tips can you offer young teachers looking for a place to settle?

• Look at the available data. In North Carolina, we have the “Teacher Working Conditions” data, which can help get a sense of which schools are healthy places to be, and which are in crisis. Teacher turnover data is publicly available for 6 years, which can also be helpful.

• When candidates attend interviews, they should be asking questions about the culture of the school, and what sort of mentoring and induction is available for new teachers.

• Look at pay scales, local salary supplements, benefits -- not just entry-year pay scale, but the arc of the salary: number of steps, the requirements in place to achieve next steps, and whether these steps have been frozen as a function of economic distress in the district.

In evaluating the best states for teachers, what are the top 5 indicators?

• Per pupil spending;

• Teacher pay, not just entry level, but the arc;

• Teacher turnover rates;

• Cost of living -- looking at the salary alone is not sufficient;

• Education policies -- teacher evaluation policy, policies regarding student-teacher ratios, and the accountability and assessment system. In North Carolina, we have a notable teacher shortage, as the state has not been investing appropriately in education in terms of salaries and the stagnation in salaries, lack of resources, and increase in student-teacher ratio (although reduced ratios are supposed to go into effect with the 2018-2019 school year).

Do you think performance based compensation-- e.g., providing teachers a bonus when their students meet or exceed expectations-- is a promising strategy for improving student outcomes? I examine teacher accountability policies, and I think that the systems we have tried thus far are focused too heavily on student performance on tests -- the better your students perform, the more likely you are to get some kind of additional compensation, and this is based on student growth over time. In theory, it sounds fantastic, but the methodology used to determine that leaves teachers feeling baffled. Student growth may jump from year to year, and sometimes teachers don’t feel they have done anything to warrant those differences. One year they receive a big bonus, the next one none at all, even though their practices have not changed. Data shows that teachers who have high proportions of students with disabilities, or English language learners, are less likely to get those bonuses because of how their students perform. This is a major disincentive to work with those students, which is the opposite of what we should be doing, since those students have traditionally been underserved, and we need to provide the best teachers to serve them. So, we have to be careful that the performance-based compensation systems have the intended effect of both recruiting and retaining the best teachers, and don’t have any unintended consequences, such as being a disincentive to work with the students who need them the most. Are unions beneficial to teachers? What about to students? States with collective bargaining tend to be the best in some ways, and highly problematic in other ways. In North Carolina, the teacher pay is one of the lowest in the country; we are not a collective bargaining state, and I think it there is a relationship between the two. Conversely, when I was in Ohio, where they do have collective bargaining, one day a principal jumped in to substitute someone who was out, and as a result, there was grievance against that principal -- she was doing the work of a person who was in the union, and instead of paying a union member to do that job, she had filled in. Because of the union contract, it became a very problematic action, even if the principal thought she was doing the right thing for the school and the kids. Jon N. Hale Associate Professor of Educational History in the Department of Teacher Education at the College of Charleston What are the biggest issues teachers face today? The biggest issues teachers face are numerous, burdensome, and interconnected. The more pressing issues are financial. Teachers are not compensated as professionals, and in fact earn only approximately 83 percent of what accountants or registered nurses, and less than 50 percent of what lawyers earn. To compound the poor compensation of teachers, teachers are expected to solve a host of highly complex social and economic problems pertaining to student achievement, many of which are beyond the control of even the best teachers. Moreover, teachers are forced to implement poor pedagogical practices, such as standardized testing, which good teachers know does not advance student learning, but is instead a result of unfounded pressure from policymakers who never taught in a public school. How can local officials attract and retain the best teachers? Local officials can attract and retain the best teachers by providing a much higher salary than is currently offered. They can provide more autonomy to educators by allowing them to make their own decisions on how best to meet the needs of their students. They can provide institutional and professional support to teachers, such as mentorship by established and effective veteran teachers. At the same time, teachers must be open to peer review, ongoing professional development, teaching year-round (if paid appropriately) and living in the community in which they serve. What tips can you offer young teachers looking for a place to settle? No matter where you teach, historically, some of the best teachers lived in the community in which they taught. They knew the parents of the students they taught. They saw them in church on Sundays or at the grocery store. They could visit and call home if anything was amiss in their classrooms. Today, too many (largely white) teachers are physically and culturally disconnected to their increasingly racially diverse students. In evaluating the best states for teachers, what are the top 5 indicators? It seems that the top indicators are salary, high standards for certification, unionization, and institutional support. Do you think performance based compensation-- e.g., providing teachers a bonus when their students meet or exceed expectations-- is a promising strategy for improving student outcomes? Historically, performance-based compensation is not a promising strategy for a variety of reasons. There is often a lack of objective criteria, for instance. Oftentimes, advocates of performance-based compensation utilize value-added measures, but these do not address factors such as trauma, that are far beyond the control of teachers. Moreover, on average, administrators often receive more compensation for performance than teachers, as they make the decision in regard to who receives compensation. Finally, performance-based compensation breeds competition and animosity, when research has revealed that cooperation, collaboration and professional working relationships are instrumental to good teaching. Are unions beneficial to teachers? What about to students? Yes, unions are beneficial to teachers. There are strong indicators that unionized teachers are paid more, have better benefits, and attain better results in regard to student performance. Additionally, unionized teachers are protected from a lack of due process, and from policies such as value-added measurements and standardized testing that teachers know for a fact to be antithetical to genuine student learning. Contrary to anti-union sentiment that inaccurately equates unions with strikes, when teachers protect themselves and their professionalism, students benefit. It must also be noted that it is difficult to fire bad teachers, in both union-friendly and "right to work" states. Films like “Waiting for ‘Superman’” sensationalize this as a union problem, which is inaccurate. Still, it is clear that bad and ineffective teachers should be terminated, and unions do not deny this. The AFT and the NEA have yet to develop a truly effective method to remove bad teachers from the classroom. We must still demand that demonstrably poor teachers be removed from the classroom, while recognizing that good teachers must be compensated and supported fairly. M. Evelyn Fields Professor of Early Childhood Education & Immediate Past and Chair of the Department of Teacher Education at South Carolina State University What are the biggest issues teachers face today? I believe some of the challenges facing teachers in the Amazon/Tech world is getting and retaining students’ attention -- either because they don’t believe the lecture or activity pace is fast enough, or they are constantly distracted by their personal technology (phones, pads, etc.). Another challenge would be the student-to-teacher ratio. With the high number of teachers retiring or leaving the profession and funding being slashed all over the nation, the student-teacher ratio has gone up tremendously. This provides a disservice for several reasons. First of all, it makes it impossible for teachers to teach effectively, and secondly, the students get less individual attention and this is a problem, especially when there is a learning disability that has gone undiagnosed or if students have limited experience and exposure and is already at a deficit. How can local officials attract and retain the best teachers? Teachers are attracted to a supportive working environment and one that will allow them to be creative. Salary increments can also be an incentive. Retaining teachers often does not have to do with money. It has to do with autonomy and appreciation. Professional development is also a plus. What tips can you offer young teachers looking for a place to settle? Find a school where you can grow; where you can also be a lifelong learner. Find a school where you can do the things that inspired you to want to be a teacher in the first place. Find a school where you would have wanted to go. More importantly, find a school where you can make a difference and it will be a rewarding experience, one that no matter how long you do it, will make an impact on you for the rest of your life. In evaluating the best states for teachers, what are the top 5 indicators?

• Curriculum (autonomy);

• Parent involvement;

• School resources;

• Salary;

• Student-teacher ratio.

Do you think performance based compensation-- e.g., providing teachers a bonus when their students meet or exceed expectations-- is a promising strategy for improving student outcomes? No, because some of the best teachers are those who scaffold their students in increments that cannot be measured on a test. The highest scores on test do not always indicate the percentage of progress. Are unions beneficial to teachers? What about to students? Unions are beneficial because they allow teachers to freely teach and focus on the achievement of their students, as opposed to protecting the tenants or the teaching profession and their livelihood on a daily basis. That is the job of the union. Edmund Adjapong Professor of Educational Studies in the College of Education and Human Services at Seton Hall University What are the biggest issues teachers face today? Teachers today are inundated with a number of tasks outside of their primary task of teaching. In many schools, teachers are responsible for dealing with students’ social-emotional needs, which takes away from instructional time from the larger group of students, and often a teacher’s personal time during the day. Teachers today also face the lack of preparation of being able to engage our increasingly diverse population of students effectively. With less time to teach and larger classes, in many cases, teachers are expected to engage students who have recently migrated to the United States and students with special needs, without adequate training. Finally, there is a disconnect and distrust between policymakers and practicing teachers. There is a hyperfocus on standardized exams and using data from flawed exams to assess teachers' teaching. Standardized exams traditionally are known to assess students on more than content knowledge. Standardized exams are literacy-based and include cultural references and dispositions that do not reflect the culture of all students. The hyperfocus of standardized exams influences teachers to abandon innovative and engaging teaching practices to solely teach students to exams. There is a lack of trust for teachers as trained professionals to effectively teach students content. How can local officials attract and retain the best teachers? To attract and retain the best teachers, we must look at the requirements for teacher certification across the country. In New York alone, pre-service teachers must pay hundreds of dollars and successfully pass three standardized exams before receiving an initial certification. Instead of taking many standardized exams, which certain groups of individuals tend to be more successful on, pre-service teachers will benefit from more time in the classroom shadowing an effective teacher and student teaching, which better prepares them for the classroom, better than any standardized exam could. Many of the best teachers that I know are individuals from the community and understand the realities of the students that they teach -- they may not be the best test takers, but love engaging and working with youth. Finally, there is a lack of respect for teachers across the board, as teachers are first to bear the blame for student and school failure, without closely interrogating the actual experiences of teachers. What tips can you offer young teachers looking for a place to settle? Teachers looking for a place to settle should consider what type of school (urban, rural, suburban, parochial, private, etc.) they would prefer to teach in, as each school serves different populations of students and faces its unique challenges. Teachers should understand the evaluation criteria of the school district that they are looking to settle in, and understand the requirements for obtaining tenure. Finally, young teachers should ask about the culture of schools that they are looking into working at -- are there uniform requirements? Are there a certain number of hours that must be spent in the building after school? Are there community engagement requirements? Do you think performance-based compensation-- e.g., providing teachers a bonus when their students meet or exceed expectations-- is a promising strategy for improving student outcomes? Initially, performance-based compensation sounds like a great idea, as it suggests that teachers who are more effective in moving students toward positive student outcomes be awarded a bonus in salary, but it doesn’t take into account the inequities in education. Students who attend schools that are under-resourced tend to underperform on standardized exams, and tend to be students of color from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Teachers of these students would be disadvantaged due to factors out of their control. Therefore, teachers would have a greater interest in teaching schools that are adequately resourced. Ultimately, better-trained teachers will work in schools that are adequately resourced, leaving the teachers of students of low-SES backgrounds at a disadvantage for performance-based compensation. Are unions beneficial to teachers? What about to students? Unions are beneficial to both teachers and students. Unions serve as a liaison between teachers and school administrators to remediate any discrepancies, and ensure that teacher contracts are not violated. Unions ensure that the education system that already requires a lot from teachers and leaves them with limited time to complete daily tasks is not abused, and provide parameters around their responsibilities. However, unions are not to be used as a means providing limited effort in the profession. Clive Belfield Associate Professor of Economics in the Queens College at the City University of New York What are the biggest issues teachers face today? Big issue for teachers -- the growing gap between their earnings and those of others with B.A. degrees working in other industries. How can local officials attract and retain the best teachers? Teaching is never going to be high-paying, so districts need to maximize job quality (e.g., respect for teachers, professional time, collegiality). What tips can you offer young teachers looking for a place to settle? The research shows that teachers really like to go home after a few years elsewhere (e.g., grew up in Virginia, so teach for a few years in Washington, DC). So, they should choose the "elsewhere" with the knowledge that they are probably going to go home after a few years. Do you think performance based compensation-- e.g., providing teachers a bonus when their students meet or exceed expectations-- is a promising strategy for improving student outcomes? Performance-based pay is already in existence, just weakly (don't turn up, don't get paid). Strict performance-based pay has not got much evidence to support it -- teachers do not like the risk of getting a class of students who can't learn; plus, teachers who want to work hard can just do summer sessions or extra duties without the risk -- this extra work is usually worth much more than any performance bonus. Are unions beneficial to teachers? What about to students? Unions are beneficial to teachers in preserving pay and conditions -- they are also beneficial to students because there is a lemons problem in education. I don't think unions are very important in affecting educational quality overall. Arnold Spinner Interim Dean of the Graduate School of Education at Touro College What are the biggest issues teachers face today? Negative reputation of the education profession, poor working conditions, especially in inner cities, and the high cost of obtaining degrees and certification. How can local officials attract and retain the best teachers? Better compensation, better working conditions, more resources in the schools and for ongoing training (tuition reimbursement for additional training, such as ABA certification and more), and ongoing professional development. What tips can you offer young teachers looking for a place to settle? This depends on the individual’s personality and goals. Do they want a quiet place or do they like the challenge of inner city? My feeling is that the greater the challenge, the greater the ultimate reward when a teacher attains success for her students. I would choose the inner city for the challenge, but this is a matter of personal preference. In evaluating the best states for teachers, what are the top 5 indicators? High standards for educators, community support for schools and teachers, job security and potential advancement in the school system, compensation for public school teachers, and a positive work environment. Do you think performance based compensation-- e.g., providing teachers a bonus when their students meet or exceed expectations-- is a promising strategy for improving student outcomes? I believe this is a promising strategy for improving student outcomes. Compensation should not just be based on longevity, number of degrees or time on the job. Meritocracy serves teachers and students. It motivates teachers to excel and serve their students better. Are unions beneficial to teachers? What about to students? To a limited degree -- unions are beneficial in protecting teachers’ rights, and when they support a positive educational environment. From an educational point of view, it can be good when teachers are able to focus on developing curriculum, motivating students, improving classroom strategies and do not need to spend their time worrying about job security. Unions also institute initiatives that benefit teachers and students, such as mentors for new teachers. But there is a flip side -- unions also protect some people who may not be doing the most outstanding job, by ensuring that they are paid based on how many years on the job they have and their years of education, and not their success in the classroom.

Methodology

In order to determine the teacher-friendliest states in the U.S., WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across two key dimensions, including “Opportunity & Competition” and “Academic & Work Environment.” 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.

We evaluated the two dimensions using 21 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for living and working as a teacher.

Finally, we determined each state and the District’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its total score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Opportunity & Competition - Total Points: 70

• Average Starting Salary for Teachers: Full Weight (~7.00 Points)Note: This metric was adjusted for the cost of living.
• Average Annual Salary for Teachers: Full Weight (~7.00 Points)Note: This metric was adjusted for the cost of living.
• Teachers’ Income Growth Potential: Full Weight (~7.00 Points)
• 10-Year Change in Teacher Salaries: Full Weight (~7.00 Points)Note: This metric measures the change in constant dollars for teacher salaries between the 2005–2006 and the 2015–2016 academic years.
• Average Teacher Pension: Full Weight (~7.00 Points)Note: This metric was adjusted for the local cost of living.
• Share of New Teachers with Inadequate Pensions: Full Weight (~7.00 Points)Note: This metric measures the percentage of new teachers who will not break even on their pensions. In other words, the amount of their future pension benefits will be less than the contributions they made to the state pension plan during their career.
• Projected Teacher Competition in Year 2024: Full Weight (~7.00 Points)Note: This metric measures the projected number of teachers per 1,000 students by year 2024.
• Public-School Enrollment Growth: Full Weight (~7.00 Points)Note: “Growth” was measured by comparing public-school enrollment in fall 2016 versus fall 2015.
• Teacher Tenure Protections: Full Weight (~7.00 Points)Note: This metric measures the strength of the state law, if any, protecting teachers’ tenure.
• Share of Uncertified Teachers: Full Weight (~7.00 Points)Note: This metric measures the percentage of teachers who have not met state certification requirements. Teachers counted in this metric include those who are “teaching while still finishing their preparation, or teaching with an emergency-style credential,” according to the Learning Policy Institute.

Academic & Work Environment - Total Points: 30

• Quality of School System: Triple Weight (~7.83 Points)Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “States with the Best & Worst School Systems” ranking.
• Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Full Weight (~2.61 Points)
• Public-School Spending per Student: Full Weight (~2.61 Points)Note: This metric measures the annual state and local expenditures for K–12 public schools per capita.
• Presence of Annual Teacher-Evaluation Requirement: Full Weight (~2.61 Points)Note: This binary metric considers the presence or absence of an annual evaluation requirement for all teachers in the state.
• Presence of Teacher-Effectiveness Requirement: Full Weight (~2.61 Points)Note: This binary metric considers the presence or absence of a state requirement for “objective student growth as part of teacher evaluation system,” as described by the National Council on Teacher Quality.
• Projected Share of Teacher Turnover: Full Weight (~2.61 Points)Note: This metric measures the percentage of teachers “planning to leave the teaching profession as soon as possible or as soon as a more desirable job opportunity arises,” according to the Leaning Policy Institute.
• Teacher Union Strength: Full Weight (~2.61 Points)Note: This metric is based on the Thomas B. Fordham Institute’s state-by-state comparison of U.S. teacher unions.
• Teacher Safety: Full Weight (~2.61 Points)Note: This metric measures the percentage of public-school teachers who reported being threatened with injury by a student from school during the previous 12 months.
• Average Commute Time: Half Weight (~1.30 Points)
• Prevalence of Childhood Disadvantage: Half Weight (~1.30 Points)Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “States with the Most Underprivileged Children” ranking.
• Working Mom-Friendliness: Half Weight (~1.30 Points)Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst States for Working Moms” ranking.

 

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Education Association, National Center for Education Statistics, Council for Community and Economic Research, TeacherPensions.org, National Council on Teacher Quality, Projections Central - State Ocuppational Projections, Learning Policy Institute, The Thomas B. Fordham Institute and WalletHub research.

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