COLUMBUS, Ohio-A recent report by the National Education Association reveals that teachers in Ohio and across the nation are facing a 5% decline in purchasing power due to lagging salaries. 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 shortages and retain educators.
The report highlights that starting teacher salaries in some districts have reached or exceeded $40,000, with nearly 500 districts offering starting salaries of at least $60,000 annually. DiMauro emphasizes the role of collective bargaining states in achieving higher educator salaries, with average salaries 26% higher than non-collective bargaining states. Despite these efforts, teacher pay has sharply declined compared to other college-educated professionals, reaching its lowest level since 1960, according to the Economic Policy Institute.
