Sunday, May 22, 2011

Top 10 States with the Best Paid Teachers


This list includes the QualityCounts grades as well. Educational results are average as measured by the QualityCounts survey issued by Education  Week.

1. New York (B)

  • Average Salary 2010/2011: $72,708
  • # of Enrolled Students Per Teacher 2010/2011: 11.8 (4th)
  • Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Math Score 2009: 282.57 (31st)
  • Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Reading Score 2009: 264.28 (31st)
  • Average Daily Attendance as a % of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 116.8% (1st)
  • High School Graduation Rate as % of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 6.86% (18th)

Officials in New York City are investigating allegations that some city schools were manipulating test scores. Fourth and eighth graders in New York schools scored below national and state science exams. Governor Andrew Cuomo is reportedly interested in changing state law to allow merit to be considered in determining teacher layoffs.

2. Massachusetts ( B-)


  • Average Salary 2010/2011: $71,017
  • # of Enrolled Students Per Teacher 2010/2011: 13.58 (15th)
  • Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Math Score 2009: 298.85 (1st)
  • Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Reading Score 2009: 273.58 (1st)
  • Average Daily Attendance as a % of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 94.4% (19th)
  • High School Graduation Rate as % of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 6.68% (20th)

Four-year graduation rates in the state’s public schools rose in 2010 for the fourth year in a row. Officials at the North Middlesex Regional School Committee are considering substantial job cuts. The Boston public schools want to close a $63 million shortfall by cutting about 250 positions, the Boston Globe says.

3. California ( C)


  • Average Salary 2010/2011: $69,434
  • # of Enrolled Students Per Teacher 2010/2011: 21 (49th)
  • Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Math Score 2009: 270.44 (46th)
  • Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Reading Score 2009: 252.63 (49th)
  • Average Daily Attendance as a % of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 97.5% (6th)
  • High School Graduation Rate as % of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 6.35% (31st)

The Sacramento Bee summed up the dire situation this way: “More than 20,000 public school teachers in California have received pink slips during each of the last three years. The state’s ongoing economic and budget troubles mean that trend is likely to continue with upcoming March 15 layoff notices.” Teacher layoffs loom in Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego.

4. New Jersey ( B-)


  • Average Salary 2010/2011: $66,985
  • # of Enrolled Students Per Teacher 2010/2011: 11.8 (5th)
  • Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Math Score 2009: 292.65 (5th)
  • Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Reading Score 2009: 272.8 (2nd)
  • Average Daily Attendance as a % of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 104.8% (2nd)
  • High School Graduation Rate as % of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 7.21% (11th)

Relations between New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and the New Jersey Education Agency border on the toxic. “Christie takes aim at your paycheck” is one of the kinder statements on the union’s website. Christie’s recently proposed budget includes a $250 million in additional funding for school, making up for the more than $800 million cut the previous year.

5. Connecticut ( C+)

  • Average Salary 2010/2011: $65,571
  • # of Enrolled Students Per Teacher 2010/2011: 13 (10th)
  • Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Math Score 2009: 288.6 (10th)
  • Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Reading Score 2009: 271.81 (4th)
  • Average Daily Attendance as a % of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 101.4% (4th)
  • High School Graduation Rate as % of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 7.29% (8th)

Governor Daniel Malloy’s proposed budget maintained spending levels for primary and secondary education though colleges and university funding was slashed. Hartford Superintendent Steven Adamowski’s plans to overhaul teacher tenure was thwarted by an arbitration panel. Layoffs loom in the New Haven district.

6. Maryland ( B+)


  • Average Salary 2010/2011: $65,113
  • # of Enrolled Students Per Teacher 2010/2011: 13.7 (17th)
  • Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Math Score 2009: 288.43 (32nd)
  • Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Reading Score 2009: 267.29 (14th)
  • Average Daily Attendance as a % of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 99.1% (5th)
  • High School Graduation Rate as % of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 7.26% (9th)

Only 1 in 2o fourth and eighth graders in Baltimore’s public schools was found to be proficient in science, according to the Baltimore Sun. Last year, officials in the Montgomery County district in the ritzy suburbs of Washington, D.C. decided to sell its curriculum to other school systems to help defray costs. Student-teacher ratios in Prince George’s County are due to widen because of staff cuts.

7. Illinois ( C)


  • Average Salary 2010/2011: $63,005
  • # of Enrolled Students Per Teacher 2010/2011: 14.504 (27th)
  • Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Math Score 2009: 282.43 (32nd)
  • Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Reading Score 2009: 264.51 (29th)
  • Average Daily Attendance as a % of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 94.2% (21st)
  • High School Graduation Rate as % of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 6.27% (32nd)

8. Alaska (C-)


  • Average Salary 2010/2011: $61,093
  • # of Enrolled Students Per Teacher 2010/2011: 14.502 (26th)
  • Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Math Score 2009: 283.04 (30th)
  • Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Reading Score 2009: 249.44 (39th)
  • Average Daily Attendance as a % of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 89.1% (41st)
  • High School Graduation Rate as % of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 5.93% (38th)

The head of the Alaska teacher’s union recently called for the state to increase spending on education. Meanwhile, the Anchorage School District is proposing its most extensive cut in years, including layoffs to about 50 staff. Gov. Sean Parnell is undecided about whether to support legislation requiring school attendance from ages 6 to 18 instead of 7 and 16.

9. Rhode Island ( C)


  • Average Salary 2010/2011: $60,923
  • # of Enrolled Students Per Teacher 2010/2011: 13.81 (20th)
  • Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Math Score 2009: 277.92 (37th)
  • Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Reading Score 2009: 259.88 (36th)
  • Average Daily Attendance as a % of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 85% (46th)
  • High School Graduation Rate as % of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 7% (15th)

Rhode Island was in the headlines last year after officials decided to fire all the teachers and principals at a struggling high school. The workers were later rehired after agreeing to a new evaluation system. Officials in Providence recently warned that more teacher layoffs are looming. In fact, the school board in Providence voted Friday to send out termination notices to the city’s 1,926 public school teachers as the city tries to close a $40 million budget deficit.

10. Pennsylvania (B-)


  • Average Salary 2010/2011: $60,536
  • # of Enrolled Students Per Teacher 2010/2011: 13.83 (22nd)
  • Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Math Score 2009: 288.3 (13th)
  • Average National Assessment of Educational Progress Reading Score 2009: 270.7 (6th)
  • Average Daily Attendance as a % of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 95.3% (11th)
  • High School Graduation Rate as % of Fall Enrollment 2010/2011: 7.75% (7th)

Former Governor Ed Rendell increased education spending by $250 million, boosting education funding by $4.6 billion a year for programs such as full-day kindergarten, preschool and tutoring assistance over his two terms in office. School districts in the state remain strapped for cash. Arlene Ackerman, the Superintendent of the Philadelphia School District, plans to work without pay for 20 days this year, 10 more than she had previously planned.

Read more: The Ten States That Pay Teachers The Most (And Why It Doesn’t Matter)

Posted by BetterThanZero at 10:11 PM
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Long Island Property taxes most important issue, say LIers

No surprise here ! To stop this ridiculous rise in property taxes we have to educate our fellow LIers and contact your representative that they should demand Speaker Silver respond to the pleas of homeowners across the state and support a property tax cap in New York. It has already passed the senate but is being stalled in the Assembly by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

Also this year we are seeing some enormous rise in property taxes in school districts such as William Floyd 12.47% and Seaford 8.99%. Some school districts such as Middle country is resorting to blackmailing its residents. The deal for districts residents is either approved a 6.68% increase or the district is going to force 21.61% increase in tax levy.


Published by THOMAS MAIER at Newsday

By a wide margin, property taxes are the most important issue facing Long Islanders, according to a Newsday / News 12 Long Island / Siena Research Institute Poll. Property taxes were cited overall by 45 percent of respondents, more than twice the 21 percent who cited "availability of good jobs" as the second most pressing issue for Long Islanders. "Property taxes are really an issue here because it keeps the young people from staying on Long Island and it will prevent the older people from staying, too," Tafuri explained.

Property taxes also are a large part of why the 57 percent of those polled said Long Islanders are headed in the "wrong direction" rather than the "right track" in the poll. A similar margin said New York State was headed in the wrong direction as well.

Property taxes are a particularly raw issue in Nassau County, where 53 percent cited them as the biggest issue, compared to 36 percent in Suffolk. Islandwide, Republicans and people 55 years or older complained about property taxes the most. "The Democrats love to spend money and they have to get it from the taxpayers," said one poll respondent, a retired Republican who lives on Nassau County's South Shore.

School costs - the biggest part of property tax bills - were also on the minds of Long Islanders who cited "the quality of public schools" among their top concerns. "The first thing I would do is eliminate tenure for teachers in public schools to cut costs," said another poll respondent, a 50-year-old Garden City man who is a Republican and who did not want to give his name. Although he was happy that his two children attending local schools got a good education there, he said his family's property tax bill has been overwhelming.

Property taxes hit a chord with all respondents, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, location or party affiliation. In addition to identifying the most important issue, the poll underlined the intensity of Long Islanders' general feelings about property taxes, with 86 percent calling the issue "very important" and 11 percent as "somewhat important." Crime, schools, good jobs and health care also received strong reactions, with traffic congestion and the local environment getting milder reactions.