New study ranks NC 2nd-worst state for teachers

Photo of a teacher in a classroom.

As for how neighboring states fared, Virginia ranked the second best overall with Tennessee coming in at 34 and South Carolina at 46. The rankings are done by Wallethub, an online personal finance information clearinghouse. Last year, North Carolina was ranked 51st. North Carolina schools are home to just the 33-best pupil-to-teacher ratio in America, giving some credence to educators’ claim that teacher aides are vital to students’ success.

Education World would like to hear from teachers across the country: Do you agree with your state’s ranking on WalletHub’s 2015 list?

Past year the Tarheel state was ranked 51.

Maness said other things like spending per pupil are also up to state lawmakers, who are looking at improving them.

In summation she said, teachers must feel safe, respected, trusted, and overall treated as professionals with competitive pay and clear growth and security to match.

WalletHub reported its experts hoped to highlight promising teaching opportunities in the “2015’s Best and Worst States for Teachers” list with those struggles in mind. Alaska and the District of Columbia had the worst school systems, whereas Utah and California had the highest student-to-teacher ratio. North Carolina ranks 40 in average starting salary for teachers, and the state has the 12-worst median annual salary for teachers. Georgia ranks 37th overall, and Massachusetts ranks 1st.