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Wisconsin's teacher salaries continued to slide on a national scale in 2003-04, falling to 7.2% below the national average, according to figures compiled by the National Education Association.
In its latest update to the annual National Rankings and Estimates report, the NEA said Wisconsin's average teacher salary in 2003-04 was $43,382, compared to the national average of $46,726.
While teacher salaries nationally rose 2% in 2003-04, they increased by only 1.4% in Wisconsin. That continues a steady decline in relative teacher salaries in Wisconsin, from 104% of the national average in 1988-89 to 92.8% of the national average in 2003-04.
"These numbers provide a window into the future of our school system," said WEAC President Stan Johnson. "What we see is a steady erosion of support for the people who have made our school system one of the very best in the nation. These declining salaries will cause the best of our teachers to leave the state or leave the profession, and will deter the best and brightest of our young people from choosing the education profession. If the quality of our teachers declines, so will the quality of the education this state provides its children."
Wisconsin teacher salaries have been declining, relative to inflation, since 1993, when the Legislature passed and then-Governor Tommy Thompson signed a restrictive collective bargaining law for teachers, called the Qualified Economic Offer law.
Wisconsin teacher salaries were 13th in the nation in 1991-92, and have been on a long-term decline in ranking ever since. For 2002-03, Wisconsin's teacher salaries ranked 22nd in the nation.
"We believe every kid deserves a great school," Johnson said. "But every child will not have a great school in Wisconsin if we continue to send the message that we disrespect our great teachers."
Johnson noted that Wisconsin public schools are consistently ranked among the best in the nation. For example, Wisconsin students have been first or tied for first in the nation on the ACT college entrance exams for the last 10 years.
"Today, our teacher salaries rank 22nd in the nation; tomorrow the quality of our education could also drop to 22nd," Johnson said. "We can't let this erosion continue. We should take enormous pride in our great schools and do everything we can to preserve them."
Posted December 3, 2004