Educators continue to be undervalued and underpaid across the commonwealth as average teacher pay drops from 41st to 42nd, average starting pay falls from 45th to 48th among states.
FRANKFORT, Kentucky – Four new reports examining educator pay and school funding from pre-K through college reveal that despite growth in educator pay last year, chronic problems plague educators, including low wages and a lack of professional respect. The annual reports released by the National Education Association show that salaries continue to undervalue those tasked with preparing our children for their future, limiting the ability to attract and retain quality educators amid a continuing educator shortage and sagging educator morale due chiefly to low pay and poor working conditions.
The data released today include “Rankings and Estimates,” a report NEA has produced since the 1960s and widely cited as an authoritative source on average teacher salaries and per-student expenditures. NEA’s “Teacher Salary Benchmark Report” provides information from over 12,000 school districts on starting teacher salaries and salaries at other points of the teaching career continuum. The “Education Support Professional Earnings Report” offers a pay breakdown for school support staff, also known as education support professionals, working in K-12 public schools and higher education. NEA’s “Higher Education Faculty Salary Analysis” examines full-time faculty and graduate assistant salaries at the national, state, and institutional levels. Additionally, NEA released financial snapshots for four demographics: teachers at the preK-12 level, higher education faculty, and support staff at both the preK-12 and higher education levels.
WHY IT MATTERS IN KENTUCKY:
Teachers in Kentucky are the backbone of our democracy. As one of the most underappreciated and underpaid professions, we are seeing a shortage of educators, jeopardizing the future of our children. In 2024, there were more than 2,000 teacher vacancies across Kentucky, according to a report by the Annenberg Institute. Data shows that over the past year, little has been done to improve teacher pay in Kentucky. When teachers don’t feel supported, especially financially, it becomes nearly impossible to address the teacher shortage plaguing the commonwealth.
Data highlights and trends:
The average Kentucky public school teacher salary increased 3.6% from the previous year to $58,325, but nationally Kentucky ranks 42nd in the nation, down from 41st last year.
The average beginning teacher salary rose 2.4% in Kentucky to $40,161, ranking 48th nationally down from 45th last year.
Classified support staff (bus drivers, janitorial workers, cafeteria services, administrative staff) make, on average, $28,088 per year in Kentucky, a 3.7% increase from the previous year, and ranks 49th across the country (44th last year).
Competitive pay among bordering states is plaguing the teaching profession in Kentucky. Of the seven states surrounding Kentucky, only Missouri ranks lower at 49th on both average starting salary and average teacher salary.
SEEK funding (Support Education Excellence in Kentucky), which is the funding formula the legislature uses to provide resources to schools per student, is below 2008 levels in Kentucky, when adjusted for inflation.
Teacher pay gap. Compared to other college-educated professionals with similar experience, teachers in Kentucky only earn 75 cents on the dollar in comparison. (Economic Policy Institute, September 2024)
The union advantage: Teachers earn 24% more on average in states with collective bargaining.
There is a clear need for change in Kentucky. Teachers already spend their own money on school supplies for their students. If they can be expected to use their own paychecks on others, the least we can do is increase their pay. If Kentucky’s teachers can expect any change, then the students, parents, teachers, and neighbors must unite to call on their legislators to support the teachers who are the bedrock of their communities. Without an increase in teacher pay, the educator shortage crisis cannot be resolved. It takes all of us to stand up for teachers in the fight for better pay.
“It’s no secret that educators in Kentucky are not competitively compensated for educating our children, and KEA is deeply concerned about the general assembly’s lack of investment in Kentucky educators’ pay,” said KEA President Eddie Campbell. “Every school district across the commonwealth faces shortages of teachers, substitutes, bus drivers, custodians, and office staff nearly every day of the school year. Properly investing in our teachers’ pay could help remedy this critical shortage and make Kentucky a competitive destination for educators working in our neighboring states. Until then, Kentucky will continue to struggle with staffing our public schools.”
(David Patterson, Communications Director – Kentucky Education Association)