Credit: Pexels / Christina Morillo

Teaching is a tough gig anywhere. However, a new study suggests it may be tougher in Texas than in many other states.

Financial site WalletHub compared the teaching profession across 50 states and the District of Columbia using a variety of criteria including job opportunities, salaries and work environment.

Texas ended up at No. 23 on WalletHub’s Best States for Teachers list, which ranked New York as the best in the nation. The Lone Star State topped two categories, but its overall ranking was dragged down by dismal scores in multiple others. The two categories Texas led were starting salary and the existence of a digital learning plan. In contrast, the state ranked 27th for quality of school systems and student-to-teacher ratio. It also landed at No. 30 for both spending per student and projected teacher income.

The Lone Star State’s worst performance, however, was in income growth potential, were it ranked 39th. In other words, Texas offers good starting salaries for teachers but offers few opportunities for them to keep up with rising living costs.
The WalletHub study follows a poll released this summer by the Texas State Teachers Association in which a record 70% of the state’s teachers said they’re considering leaving the profession. They blamed low pay, burnout and politicization of their jobs.

“If local officials disrespect them, parents and boards challenge their professionalism, the environment around schools is unsafe and poorly maintained, and the local media promotes negativity, teachers will leave,” Rene S. Parmar, dean of the School of Education at Lehman College, City University of New York, said of the WalletHub study.
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This article appears in Sep 21 – Oct 4, 2022.