Based on several metrics, Oregon has one of the lowest performing K-12 education systems in the country. Teacher compensation is part of the problem.
Oregon has one of the lowest performing K-12 systems in the country. Teacher compensation is part of the problem.
Data cited in this piece is courtesy of WalletHub’s Best and Worst States for Teachers report.
Click through for 5 facts that help explain the challenges facing state educators.
1. Oregon teachers have the second-lowest starting salary in the country
The Beaver State took 50th place in a national state by state comparison of starting wages for teachers.
When adjusted for cost of living, Oregon’s average starting wage is $26,818. Washington pays its teachers at a rate of $35,203 (good for 23rd).
2. Oregon’s median annual salary also lags
The state has a median annual salary of $47,811 (46th place).
If you want to be a teacher, it might make more sense to reverse the migration course and move to California, where the median wage is $56,360 (11th place).
3. Teachers’ earning potential lags the rest of the nation
This is a problem for two of the three states that make up the Northwest region: Washington comes in 51st in this metric, while Oregon has an income growth potential of 1.33%, which is good for 40th place.
Idaho is 8th in the nation for teacher earning potential with a 1.52 rate.
4. Student overload
Packed classrooms plague the West Coast. Oregon is 48th place with an average of 22.25 pupils to each teacher.
Washington isn’t much better at 19.59 pupils to one instructor. California is in last place with a whopping 23.66 students per educator.
5. The state average allocation
One thing that Oregon does to support educators is allocate an average amount of money per student. At $11,127 spent on each child, the state ranks 22nd in the nation. By comparison, Idaho spends $8,928, which ranks 43rd.
