Teacher Salary Information

The Impact of the QEO on Teacher Earnings
September 1997

There are two ways in which the Wisconsin Education Association Council tracks teacher salary data statewide. The first is by “benchmarks,” key places on teacher salary schedules, and the second is by the statewide average teacher salary.

Benchmarks

Benchmarks represent what teachers actually get paid at that point on the salary schedule. There are six benchmarks currently used to track teacher salaries. They are the BA minimum, the BA 7th step, the MA minimum, the MA 10th step, the MA maximum, and the schedule maximum for each district. An average of these six benchmarks is also calculated to create an “average benchmark.”

Benchmarks are weighted by the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers for each district. The weighted average for the 1996-1997 BA minimum, for instance, was $24,822. This represents a snapshot of what the average starting teacher with a BA made in the state. However, the range of starting salaries extended from a low of $20,684 to a high of $30,112.

The average of the six benchmarks for 1996-1997 was $36,108. This represented a 1.9% increase over the previous year’s average. To compare, between 1994-1995 and 1995-1996, the percentage increase in the average benchmark was 1.54%.

See the attached chart which shows the impact that the QEO law has had on the rate of increase in the average benchmark. The average increase in the three years prior to the QEO was 4.82%. The average increase in the benchmarks for the three years after the QEO was just 1.68%.

Average Salaries

The average teacher salary is determined by analyzing the Fall Staff Reports. The figure is calculated by the Department of Public Instruction. Average salaries are calculated by dividing the total amount of dollars paid to teaching staff by the number of employees (FTE equivalent). The average includes the costs of longevity (step increases) and lane changes (BA to MA, for instance) which may occur during a teacher’s employment. Thus, the figure can be used to assess the aggregate impact of these costs on teacher pay through time.

In the three years since the implementation of the QEO, average teacher salaries only increased 2.03% annually. In the three year period prior to the QEO, average salaries increased an average of 3.88% annually.

Conclusion

Analysis of both benchmark and average teacher salaries show the impact of the QEO on teacher earnings. As measured by benchmarks, the rate of increase in teacher earnings in the three years prior to the QEO was over twice the rate experienced after the QEO was implemented. As measured by the average teacher salary, the rate of increase in the three years prior to the QEO was nearly twice the rate experienced after the QEO.

These facts have serious consequences on life-long retirement earnings for teachers, which are based on maximum salaries, and on teachers’ purchasing power through time. With inflation running just under 3%, teachers are experiencing a decline in their standard of living every year that the QEO stays in effect.

Benchmark and Average Teacher Salary Analysis