Report: Missouri pays teachers 2nd lowest starting wage in U.S.
A recent report by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education outlines a list of challenges currently facing the state’s teaching workforce, including a decline in the number of qualified applicants, a lack of diversity and a poor standing among other states in the starting annual salaries for teachers.
“Teachers leave the profession due to family reasons, lack of administrative support, low salaries and challenging working conditions,” the report said.
Nationwide, math teachers were found to be in the highest demand, with nearly every state reporting a shortage. Special education teachers were the next highest reported vacancy area, followed closely by science.
“Attracting and retaining good teachers starts with providing adequate salaries, which Missouri does not,” said Bruce Moe, executive director of the Missouri State Teachers Association. “But it doesn’t stop there. Working conditions, professional respect, administrative support, student behavior and an overemphasis on high-stakes testing are contributing factors in this emerging crisis. The only way forward is for school boards, administrators, parents, teachers and the state to work together.”
According to the report, Missouri ranks 49th nationally in average starting teacher salary at $31,842.
Missouri was also found to be 39th in average teacher salary at $48,925, which is more than $10,000 below the national average.
In the state of Missouri, 79 percent of teachers are female and 93 percent of teachers are white, according to the report.
The demographics of age and number of years in the profession are a little more scattered.
Margie Vandeven, Missouri’s Commissioner of K-12 Education, said resource sharing between districts may be an immediate solution to the shortage of science and math teachers in the state.
An extended interview with the commissioner can be viewed below:
The full report on teacher workforce from the Missouri DESE can be viewed by following this link.
