Teaching can be a profoundly rewarding career, considering the critical role educators play in shaping young minds. But many teachers find themselves overworked and underpaid. Education jobs are among the lowest-paying occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree, and teacher salaries consistently fail to keep up with inflation. Meanwhile, the Every Student Succeeds Act demands growth in student performance. And this year, the COVID-19 pandemic has made teachers’ jobs even harder than usual.
Teachers in districts that hold in-person learning are having to do things far differently than normal, implementing social distancing procedures in the classroom. Some teachers are doing a combination of online and in-person teaching.
To help America’s educators find the best opportunities and teaching environments, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on 25 key indicators of teacher-friendliness. Our data set ranges from teachers’ income growth potential to the pupil-teacher ratio to whether the state has a digital learning plan.
Tennessee ranked 43rd out of 51.