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November 21, 2002

News Release

NEA State Rankings and Estimates Now Available Twice a Year

Fall Report Provides Latest Information
on Teacher Salaries

Washington, D.C. – Rankings and Estimates, the National Education Association’s (NEA) state-by-state comparison of key education indicators, will now be available semi-annually, beginning with the Fall 2002 Update at http://www.nea.org/edstats/reupdate02.html.

This updated Rankings and Estimates report reveals that since the 2000-01 school year, total revenues for education are expected to increase by only 4.3 percent, or 1.6 percent less than the rate of growth reported for last year. Teacher salaries grew more slowly than the economy, with an expected increase of just 2.7 percent for the 2001-02 school year.

“These new numbers show that despite the vital importance of education for our future, public schools around the country are just barely holding their own,” said NEA President Reg Weaver. “As federal and state policymakers begin planning next year’s budgets, they should be mindful of committing the resources our educators need to ensure that all children receive a quality education.”

Among the facts in the latest Rankings and Estimates (through August 2002):

• The average salary of a U.S. public school teacher for the 2001-02 school year was $44,499 - with 36 states below the average. The highest-ranking states in teacher pay were California, Connecticut, and New York. The lowest were Mississippi, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
• Public school enrollment for the 2000-01 school year rose by almost 500,000 students nationwide, with the biggest leaps in Nevada, Arizona, and Florida. The smallest increases were seen in Vermont, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia.
  Using information provided by state education agencies and analyzed by NEA researchers, Rankings and Estimates has presented selected education statistics since the 1960s. The previous full report can be found at http://www.nea.org/edstats/images/02rankings.pdf.

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.