Teacher Salary Lags Behind Inflation
Source: National Education Association
Despite the value of education to Americans, the National Education Association published figures today showing that investments in America's public schools remain stagnant, as the average increase in teacher salary continues to trail behind the rate of inflation for 2005-06. No state has achieved adequate and equitable funding despite years of court cases and education reform proposals.
According to NEA's publication, Rankings and Estimates: Rankings of the States 2006 and Estimates of School Statistics 2007, the average one-year increase in public schoolteacher salaries was 2.9 percent, while inflation escalated 3.9 percent. Over the past 10 years, the average salary for public schoolteachers increased only 1.3 percent after adjusting for inflation. Because of inflation and other economic factors, teachers have not been able to keep pace with basic household expenses.
Full report (PDF; 1.4 MB)