COLUMBUS, Ohio-A recent report by the National Education Association highlights a 5% decrease in the purchasing power of teachers’ salaries in Ohio and across the nation. While Ohio lawmakers approved a 17% raise in the base annual salary for teachers last year and committed to funding the state’s Fair School Funding Plan, Scott DiMauro, president of the Ohio Education Association, stresses the need for further state investment to address teacher shortages and retention issues.
The report also notes that starting teacher salaries have reached or surpassed $40,000 in 1,300 school districts nationwide, with nearly 500 districts offering starting salaries of at least $60,000 annually. DiMauro emphasizes the importance of collective bargaining in securing higher salaries for educators, with collective bargaining states boasting average salaries 26% higher than non-collective bargaining states. Despite these efforts, teacher pay has declined sharply compared to other college-educated professionals, reaching its lowest level since 1960 according to the Economic Policy Institute.
