Story at a glance
- A new WalletHub survey found that Virginia, New York and Utah are the most teacher-friendly states.
- New Hampshire, Washington D.C., and Hawaii are the least teacher friendly, the survey found.
- The U.S. is facing a shortage of 300,000 teachers and staff, according to the National Education Association.
Virginia, New York and Utah are the best states for teachers, according to a new WalletHub survey.
The personal finance website ranked all 50 states and Washington D.C. from most teacher friendly to least.
WalletHub compared teaching opportunities, competition and well as academic and work environment across the 50 states and D.C. in order to come up with its ranking, according to a release.
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The list is relevant now more than ever given the nation’s teacher shortage.
Schools have struggled to retain educators for years, but teacher turnover hit a new high after the end of this last school year.
U.S. schools are now facing a shortage of up to 300,000 teachers and staff, according to the country’s largest teacher union the National Education Association.
Many teachers cite low and stagnating wages as a one of the primary reasons for their decision to transition out of the profession. The average teacher makes $3,644 less than they did a decade ago, according to the NEA.
Burnout, growing violence in schools and growing polarization about what can and can not be taught in the classroom are other top reasons why educators are choosing to leave the classroom, educators say.
“More than ever before, schools and classrooms have become the battleground for controversial political/social/cultural issues,” said Mark T. Haynal, a professor in the teacher education and mathematics division at Lewis-Clark State College.
“While they are doing so for radically different reasons, both conservative and liberal teachers are leaving the profession because they are tired of having to deal with certain issues or being told not to deal with certain issues.”
Here are the best states for teachers:
- Virginia
- New York
- Utah
- Washington
- Florida
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- North Dakota
- New Jersey
- Georgia
Worst states:
- New Hampshire
- Washington D.C
- Hawaii
- Maine
- Nevada
- Vermont
- Missouri
- New Mexico
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee