Wisconsin Teacher Salaries Now 5% Below National Average

Wisconsin's teacher salary ranking has fallen again, with state teacher salaries now estimated to be more than 5% below the national average, according to new figures released Thursday (November 21, 2002).

According to the National Education Association’s “Rankings and Estimates” for the 2001-02 school year, the average Wisconsin teacher salary is now estimated to be 22nd in the nation.

For the 2000-01 school year, Wisconsin salaries were 21st in the nation, 2.8% below the national average. (This was revised from an earlier estimated ranking of 19th in 2000-01.)

The new figures place the average Wisconsin teacher salary at $42,232 for 2001-02, up only 0.3% from the previous year. The estimated national average is $44,499, and the estimated national average teacher salary increase for 2001-02 was 2.7%.

Wisconsin teacher salaries have been declining, relative to inflation, since 1993, when the Legislature passed and the governor signed an extremely 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.

Adjusted for inflation, Wisconsin teacher pay dropped 2.7% from 1990-1991 to 2000-2001.

"This continued slide in teacher salaries can only mean one thing for Wisconsin – a long-term decline in the quality of education that our schools provide for the children of this state," said WEAC President Stan Johnson.

"Quality teachers are leaving the teaching profession for better-paying jobs in this state, and the best and brightest young people are opting for other professions as they see what is happening," he said.

"Every child in this state deserves a great school. If we don't reverse this trend very soon, fewer and fewer children will be getting the quality they deserve in their education."

Johnson said he knows that Governor-Elect Jim Doyle understands the urgent need to address the issue of state teacher salaries and the need to eliminate the QEO law. He said he hopes Doyle and Legislature can quickly come to an agreement on ways to protect schools from further erosion.

Nationally, the report said, teacher salaries grew more slowly than the economy, with an expected increase of 2.7% for the 2001-02 school year.

"These new numbers show that despite the vital importance of education for our future, public schools around the country are just barely holding their own," said NEA President Reg Weaver. "As federal and state policymakers begin planning next year's budgets, they should be mindful of committing the resources our educators need to ensure that all children receive a quality education."

Other facts in the latest Rankings and Estimates (through August 2002):

• The highest-ranking state in teacher pay was California, at $53,870, followed by Connecticut and New York. The lowest were Mississippi, North Dakota, and South Dakota ($31,295).
• Public school enrollment for the 2000-01 school year rose by almost 500,000 students nationwide, with the biggest leaps in Nevada, Arizona, and Florida. The smallest increases were seen in Vermont, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia.

Posted November 22, 2002