Teachers from Apollo Elementary in Oklahoma City were among those gathered outside the State Capitol as protests over school funding continued for a third day. A teacher walkout closed many schools in the state. (The Associated Press)
Comparing teacher pay helps explain why teachers have marched in protest in Oklahoma, Arizona and West Virginia.
All of those states in 2017 ranked in the bottom five in average pay for elementary school teachers, according to state figures compiled by The World-Herald.
Oklahoma pay ranked last, though it was 48th when adjusted for the state’s low cost of living. South Dakota also ranks low, 49th in both actual and adjusted dollars.
Nebraska and Iowa both ranked well, Nebraska’s $56,070 average salary climbing from 25th to 13th when adjusted for cost of living. Iowa ranked 29th and 21st.
Kentucky, another state where teachers walked out last week, ranked in the top half when adjusted for costs. Teachers in that state, though, are primarily protesting changes to state pensions.
Average salary for elementary school teachers in 2017
