Posted on 09/20/23
| News Source: FOX45
Maryland ranks 6th in the nation as the best state for teachers to work, according to a survey released by WalletHub.
Based on the survey, along with being the 6th best state for educators Maryland ranks higher in the following:
18th – Avg. Salary for Teachers (Adjusted for Cost of Living)
8th – Quality of School System
25th – Pupil-Teacher Ratio
18th – Public-School Spending per Student
11th – Teachers’ Income Growth Potential
29th – Projected Competition in the Year 2030
14th – 10-Year Change in Teacher Salaries
1st – Existence of Digital Learning Plan
Associate Professor from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Ramon Goings commented on the results of the survey:
“When I chat with college students about why they do not want to become a teacher, the top reasons they give me are actually quite similar to what I hear from practicing teachers. Teacher payhas historically been low and has not kept up with inflationThe COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the work ethic of an entire generation of K-12 students. For many years before the pandemic, there had been a steady decline in our country’s ‘culture for learning’ – the extent to which we as a culture, as a population, value education, and demand that our children do their homework, study, and cooperate with their teachers. During the pandemic, our ‘culture for learning’ took a huge hit. More students than before do not take homework or deadlines seriously. More students than ever think they should be able to redo any assignment as many times as they want. More students than ever do not want to study and work hard.”
Mark T. Haynal who is the Professor and Chair of the Teacher Education and Mathematics Division, at Lewis-Clark State College elaborated on how teachers can find good places to work:
“If possible, talk to the parents whose children attend the school (or district) you are looking to apply to so you can understand their experiences with the schools. Parents have a lot of great insight that could help prospective teachers. Don’t base your decision on a particular school solely based on hearsay/reputation of the school or district. As a former teacher, I will say the experience you have will vary greatly from school to school even within a school district that has a stellar reputation. My advice would be to find schools with great leaders as they make an extreme difference in your experience. Lastly, when looking for schools also consider the communities that you want to live in. For example, can you find a barbershop or hair salon within a 20-mile radius that can do your hair? Is there a spiritual community you can get involved with if you seek this? Are there opportunities outside of the school to get involved in various community activities? These are some important questions to consider.”
The best state for teachers in the U.S. is Virginia and the worst state is New Hampshire, as mentioned by WalletHub.