This will also contribute to the number of dropouts or failures. Teachers' average annual pay in New Jersey is higher than the national teachers' pay of about $63,000, adjusted to cost of living. Hawaii with an average retirement benefit of only $9,000 and a 28 to 1 student-teacher ratio, it is no wonder this state ranks among the worst states to be a teacher in the United States. about a college, university or advancing your degree, then youre in the right place. Middle school teachers in the state can expect a 7.7% increase in available positions between 2020-2030. The state's overall grade is F, worse than the previous three years when it was awarded a D or D-. Oregon has the second lowest high school graduation rate in the nation, at 76.7%. The job outlook for teachers in D.C. looks bright despite the ongoing shortages and pandemic. In Oregon, the average classroom size is 36 students for every teacher, the fifth largest of all states. These aspiring teachers will receive up to $3,000 per school year while enrolled and for their first two years of full-time teaching. For close to two decades, Sarah Harris has worked as a professional writer covering every niche and topic imaginable. Like most states where teaching is a relatively difficult profession, teachers in Colorado are paid relatively lower wages. General Requirements to Become a K-12 Teacher, No; however, a master's or graduate coursework is required to advance to a professional teacher's certificate, Florida General Knowledge Test or GRE General Test, 3 years (for temporary certificate) or 5 years (for professional certificate), No; however, a master's is one route to an Advanced/Lead Professional Certification, 3 years (for provisional certificate) or 5 years (for induction certificate), No; however, a master's is one route to an Advanced License, State-approved pedagogy/developmental exam, 1 year (for Tier 1) or 2 years (for Tier 2), No; however, a master's may be required to advance to a Professional Certificate, No; however, a master's is one route to a Professional Teaching License, No; however, a master's degree is one route to an Advanced Educator Certificate, Praxis Subject Tests or other approved subject area competency verification method, Generally no; some endorsements require Praxis Subject Tests, Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessment or National Evaluation Series, Praxis Core Mathematics, Reading, and Writing, California Subject Examinations for Teachers, ACT, SAT, GRE, or Praxis Core Mathematics, Reading andWriting tests, Praxis Subject or American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages tests, No; however, a master's is required to receive a Master Educator license, Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching, No; however, a master's degree is required for Rank II certification, GRE or Praxis Core Mathematics, Reading and Writing tests, No; however, a master's is required to earn a Level 3 Professional Certificate, ACT, SAT, or Praxis Core Mathematics, Reading and Writing, Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching exams, No; however, a master's degree or graduate coursework is required for the Advanced Professional Certificate, No; however, earning a master's is one route to earning a Professional License, Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure or, No; however, earning a master's is one route to earning a Professional Certification, Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (taken before college admission), ACT Plus Writing, SAT, GRE Praxis Core, or Minnesota NES Essential Academic Skills exam, No; however, a master's is required to receive a Class AA license, Missouri General Education Assessment (before enrolling in a teacher preparation program), Missouri Educator Evaluation System for Teacher Candidates. If you opt to move to the western part of the state, you are just a days drive away from Las Vegas and California. There are on average 29 students for every teacher in Hawaii, the 14th highest student-teacher ratio in the country. However, they reported the most shortages in specialty middle and high-school subjects, such as science and technical education.6. Prospective teachers in Indiana must possess a bachelors degree from an accredited institution. More than 3 million public school teachers serve this vital purpose in the United States. A four-year longitudinal study published by the Center for Public Education found that small classroom sizes of 18 or fewer students is linked to better academic achievement. With demands including smaller class sizes, more staffing, and an end to charter school expansion, the strikes and other actions of teachers in the state led to a 5% pay raise in legislation passed last year. One reason . Workload the ideal student-teacher ratio should be 18 to 1. But her record wasn't quite good enough to meet New York state's stringent licensure requirements. In fourth place, we have Connecticut. With 54 school districts, there is a high demand for teachers. Even after adjusting for cost of living, however, the state's average annual salary for teachers of $52,575 is the ninth lowest of all states. The cost of living in New Hampshire is among the 10 highest in the United States, with prices about 6.0% higher than the national average. However, the information provided does not indicate reciprocity. The typical annual benefit for new retirees is about $53,500, the second highest of all states. Special education teachers at the middle and secondary school levels will see a 5% and 3.7% growth, respectively, by 2030. Thirty-eight states . Average teacher pay: $70,094 (6th highest), Student-teacher ratio: 23 to 1 (6th lowest), New teachers expected to qualify for a pension: 55.0% (15th highest), High school graduation rate: 87.9% (15th highest). Despite these favorable policies, Louisiana's public school teachers are paid exceptionally low salaries compared to other states on this list. We address everything from certification requirements, median pay, and career outlook. Most states have policies in place to extend reciprocity for certain teachers, but few states provide full reciprocity for all fully licensed teachers from other states. The 2022-23 teacher Attracting Excellence to Teaching Program incentive program provides forgivable loans to undergraduate and graduate students preparing for teaching careers. Shortages are particularly high in math, science and English. According to the Washington State Employment Security Department, the market for teachers is projected to increase by 2.09% by 2028. As of January 2020, there were 1846 vacancies, and these figures were gathered prior to the mass exodus described above.13 The state got to work remedying these teacher shortages, but many positions remain vacant. Hence, you are less likely to earn as much as you have contributed when you retire. Average teacher pay: $69,524 (9th highest), Student-teacher ratio: 33 to 1 (8th highest), New teachers expected to qualify for a pension: 50.0% (19th highest), High school graduation rate: 80.2% (9th lowest). Maine one would consider the low student-teacher ratio in the State of Maine to be a redeeming factor. Teacher Certification Requirements by State. While the states overall shortages are not as drastic as some other states, they have had extreme difficulties filling specialty teaching positions. The state of Arizona had plenty of issues hiring and retaining teachers before COVID-19, and the pandemic only exacerbated the staffing issues. Learn more here. While there may be many causes for the Arizona teacher shortage in 2023, salary is not one of them. In order to combat teacher shortages, Montanas primary strategy comes in the form of a pay raise for new teachers. Without a degree in education, you can become a teacher by completing a teacher-preparation program and passing the required assessments for your state. The report lists no strengths at all in the state's teaching quality policies. Worse still, no new teacher expects to qualify for a pension. The recent and ongoing wave of teacher strikes that swept the nation last year and since in states like West Virginia, Arizona, and Oklahoma (each among the lowest paying states for teachers), demonstrates that in some states compensation structures and working conditions for teachers are a serious issue. The state is home to powerful teacher associations that advocate for teachers rights and benefits, namely the Virginia Education Association. Does the state provide special reciprocity (or other supports) for military spouses? Washington has no shortage of teaching opportunities. While Washingtons total number of vacancies is not as high as in states like California, it is important to keep in mind that the two have drastic differences in total population. Generally speaking, you must be at least 18 . With a cost of living adjusted average teacher pay of $72,643 a year, New York public school teachers are paid better than teachers in every state except for Massachusetts. But the very low student to teacher ratio and the relatively high share of new teachers who are expected to stay in the profession long enough to retire and collect benefits bumps its rank among the states where it's best to be an educator. Full reciprocity means the teacher certification transfers over with no issue or additional requirements. Based on information submitted to the U.S. DOE, many of these vacancies are in special education classes for grades K-12. As shown, the states mentioned above do not measure up to this standard. While it is tough to discern an exact number of openings for the state, it is estimated to be in the thousands. Middle school teachers in general can expect a 9.2% rate of growth through 2030, and postsecondary teachers should see growth of up to 6.8%! For example, some preschool teachers enter the profession with an associate degree. In Alabama, there are on average 32 students for every teacher, the ninth worst student-teacher ratio of all states. This measure estimates the likelihood a new teacher will leave the profession before being entitled to receive retirement benefits. If youre thinking The type and number of exams will depend on the grade level and subject matter that you want to teach. The city is also home to some of the countrys best museums and art galleries. Requirements to Become a Teacher in . Between that and the great teaching schedule, you will have plenty of time to soak up the sun and sand. Abou 58.0% of new teachers in Missouri are expected to remain in the profession long enough to qualify for retirement benefits, the ninth highest share among all states. One year later in August 2021, just over 25% of those vacancies remain unfilled. Current education level, additional college credits, and experience level will likely influence bonus amount and starting salary. Its 37 to 1 student-teacher ratio also contributes to the factors that make it a hard state for teachers because each teacher is saddled with the responsibility of two teachers. Because her training was out-of-state and [] Teacher shortages have ravaged a handful of states more drastically than others. Eight states offer full teacher license reciprocity for all eligible, fully licensed teachers. According to Salary.com, teachers make an average salary of $55,690 in 2023. It is the second lowest average annual teacher compensation among states and almost $15,000 below the national average for teacher's pay of almost $63,000. However, the state has been forced to bend the rules to get people in classrooms. The Selkirk district has filled nearly one-fourth of positions with these limited certification holders.9. Currently, the 5 states with the highest demand for teachers are: California. As is the case in only two other states, less than one-quarter (22%) of new teachers in Mississippi are expected to stay in the profession long enough to qualify for a pension. Average teacher pay: $51,550 (4th lowest), Student-teacher ratio: 28 to 1 (19th highest), High school graduation rate: 82.7% (17th lowest). The study reports that Mississippi has the lowest salary for teachers at just more than $45k per year but that is still 8.6% higher than the average salary in the state. For this calculation, we counted teachers as defined by the CCD as any professional school staff member who instructs students in prekindergarten, kindergarten, grades one through 12, or ungraded classes, and maintains daily student attendance records. Reasons for the teacher shortage range from low teacher pay to large class sizes, difficulty with teacher retention to burnout from the coronavirus. Does the state require out-of-state teachers to take additional coursework? Once the degree has been obtained, candidates must then pass a state- specific teacher certification exam. Average teacher pay: $69,617 (7th highest), Student-teacher ratio: 30 to 1 (13th highest), New teachers expected to qualify for a pension: 34.0% (14th lowest), High school graduation rate: 84.2% (23rd lowest). Many of these requirements may be met through online training and workshops, at conferences, or as part of community service and engagement. Louisiana's beneficial policies include rewards for effective teachers, options for teachers to earn higher pay for working in high-need schools, and incentives for districts to compensate new teachers who demonstrate prior work experience. This means that the classes are crowded, whereas the success of teaching has been attributed to teachers having one-on-one interactions with their students. Forty-three states and the District of Columbia require that some or all out-of-state teacher candidates take additional assessments. Teacher Preparation Program Completion: Full Weight (~5.38 Points) A teacher preparation program is designed to prepare both undergraduate and graduate students to become licensed teachers. Virginia is the only state the National Council on Teacher Quality has given an A- grade for its policies on elementary teacher preparation, the best of all states. The outlook for teaching positions in Arizona varies depending on the subject matter. No; however, a master's is requied to receive a Professional Certificate, No; however, a master's is required to earn a Professional License, Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching (secondary and middle school licenses), Praxis Subject Tests and/or Pearson's Foundations of Reading Test (depending on credential), No; however, a master's is one route to Level 3 licensure, Praxis Performance Assessment for Teachers or edTPA assessment, Assessment of Professional Knowledge or edTPA, Oklahoma Professional Teaching Examination, Oregon Educator Licensure Assessments or Praxis Subject Tests, Protecting Student and Civil Rights in the Educational Environment, Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching, edTPA or PPAT, No; however, a master's is one route to an Advanced Teaching Certificate, PPAT or Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching, 1 year (for Initial Certificate) or 5 years (for Standard Certificate), 2 years (for Associate Educator License) or 5 years (for Professional Educator License), No; however, a master's is required for a Postgraduate Professional License, Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment, Praxis Subject Tests or Praxis Series Reading for Virginia Educators, 3 years (for a Provisional License) or 10 years (for a Collegiate Professional License), Washington Educator Skills Tests - Basic or, WEST - Endorsements/National Evaluation Series or, 3 years (for Initial Teacher Credential) or 4 years (for Standard Teacher Credential), Grade level (elementary, middle, high school), Subject matter (English, science, mathematics, social studies), 2023 TheBestSchools.org, a Red Ventures Company. Established in 1996, Universities.com is the trusted source used by millions Header Image Credit: Maskot | Getty Images. When discussing the states with teacher shortages, it can also be helpful to identify some of the states that offer the best pay for educators. San Diego City College. Also, it may not be a bad idea to get a side hustle. Our third state is also located in the western part of the country. These shortages have been magnified over the past 3 years. No; however, earning a master's is one route to Class 1 Educator Licensure. Kiersten Franz has a bachelor's degree in math, a master's in education, and several years' teaching experience under her belt excellent qualifications, presumably, for becoming a New York City high school statistics teacher. Aspiring teachers in Montana must hold at least a bachelors degree from an accredited university or college. For example, state policies promote teacher quality by requiring middle school teachers to pass a rigorous single-subject content test. Teachers can retire at any age after 35 years of teaching, more than the standard of 30 years, or at age 66 after any amount of service, also longer than the standard of 60 years. In this April 25, 2019 . Upon completion of the program, you will obtain state certification and your bachelors degree. AUTHOR(S): Alyssa Evans, Cassidy Francies, Tiffany McDole. While the National Council on Teacher Quality graded the state well overall for teacher quality, it gave an F to Rhode Island for teacher compensation structures known to support better academic achievement and teacher working conditions. Bachelor degree students can specialize in earth science, physical science, and chemistry. A four-year longitudinal study published by the Center for Public Education found that small classroom sizes of 18 or fewer students is linked to better academic achievement. As of November 2021, some school districts are also increasing teacher base pay, along with a series of stipends over the next two years.21. The state also ranks high in percentage of new teachers who may qualify for retirement benefits. Each state has a wide variety of teaching statistics and information on: Alabama. When it comes to retaining effective staff, none of the measures, including supporting teacher leadership opportunities and considering effectiveness during layoffs, are implemented. : On social media, calls for boycott of retailer because co-founder supports Donald Trump. 1996-2021 Universities.com. In addition, The National Council on Teacher Quality ( offers a nationwide searchable database of teacher prep programs, including rankings, stats and testimonials. Some states mandate the type of degree a teacher holds, specific coursework, and the amount of practical experience completed. Despite this, only about 25% of new teachers expect to qualify for a pension at the end of the day. Masters in Special Education Degree Guide 2022, 5 Moments That Made My Masters in Special Education Worth It. Mississippi a high student-teacher ratio of 27 to 1 and an expected qualification for a pension of new teachers being 22% also qualifies this state as one of the worst. West Virginia public school teachers were at the forefront of a wave of teacher strikes that swept the nation last year. D.C. also requires that teaching applicants pass an educator test and complete a criminal background check. D.C. public school teachers enjoy many perks and benefits, including a retirement plan, flexible spending accounts, health and life insurance, loan cancellation or deferment opportunities, and more. What is the best state to be a teacher? 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