Mar 13, 2018, 1:49 PM
(from Vox.com) Maybe teachers in public schools aren't paid so well relative to independent schools after all. An analysis of teacher pay nationwide shows that teachers in many states have actually experienced pay cuts over the last 15 years, when adjusted for inflation. The recent nine-day strike by West Virginia public school teachers, which ended only when the state agreed to a 5 percent raise and a hold on increasing health care premiums, drew attention to this reality. By this analysis, teachers in West Virginia had seen their pay drop by 11.2 percent since 2010. On average nationwide, teachers have had their pay cut by 3 percent when adjusted for inflation — to $58,950 annually in 2016, compared to $61,742 in 2010.
States defying the trend include California, where pay has grown slightly, to $78,711 annually, on average.
Interactive chart at Vox.com
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