Report says Hawai'i teachers lowest paid
By Jennifer Hiller
Advertiser Education Writer
Hawai'i teachers appear to earn paychecks that match the national average, but their dollars don't go as far as those of their counterparts across the country, according to a national report that takes the state's high cost of living into account.
Although Hawai'i's average teachers salaries ranked 17th highest, when adjusted for the state's cost of living, Hawai'i's average dropped to 51st, behind all other states and the District of Columbia, according to a report by a national teachers' union.
Hawai'i's average salary was $44,306 during the 2001-02 school year; the average national teacher salary was $44,367. But Hawai'i teachers lose $12,546 from their salary when the state's high living costs are considered.
The report, from the American Federation of Teachers, compared average teacher salaries for the 2001-02 school year.
According to the report, California had the highest average salary at $54,348, followed by Michigan, $52,497; Connecticut, $52,376; Rhode Island, $51,619; and New York, $51,020.
Among the states, South Dakota had the lowest average salary at $31,383. Puerto Rico came in even lower, at $25,430.
The AFT report traditionally has been used as political ammunition both by the teachers' union and the governor's staff during contract negotiations, with teachers touting the poor salary after the cost-of-living adjustment and the governor's office touting the state's overall ranking.
"It's different ways of looking at it," said Greg Knudsen, spokesman for the Department of Education. "It's the best and worst ways. They're both valid. What they're missing is the improvement that has happened over the years."
Knudsen pointed out that Hawai'i teachers have done well when compared with the average worker in the private sector in Hawai'i, who earns about $29,813.
Hawai'i's public school teachers in May ratified a partial contract settlement with the state that calls for no pay increases but keeps their health benefits in place.
But Karen Ginoza, outgoing president of the Hawai'i State Teachers Association, said that Hawai'i's high cost of living means that teachers cannot afford to buy houses — something that she said is a key reason for people deciding to avoid to profession or leave it.
"It's a sad commentary on how teachers are treated in Hawai'i," Ginoza said.
The AFT calculates its cost-of-living index for Hawai'i using information from the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association. Hawai'i's index is 139.5, meaning that $1.39.5 is needed in Hawai'i to purchase what would cost $1 on average elsewhere. It is the highest cost-of-living index in the nation, followed by Alaska at 122.9. West Virginia and Oklahoma have the lowest indexes, at 87.3.
The Department of Education hires about 1,500 teachers each year to replace those who have resigned or retired.
Nationally, improved beginning teacher salaries and a depressed job market for college graduates in fields outside teaching have helped alleviate the teacher shortage, according to the survey. But overall salary growth has been slowed because of state fiscal crises.
For the 2001-02 school year, the average national teacher salary was up 2.7 percent over the previous year. The average beginning teacher salary was $30,719, up 3.2 percent over the previous year.
Although the shortage of teachers for most subjects dropped in 2002, considerable shortages remain for math, physics, chemistry, earth science, biology and Spanish-language teachers. At the other end of the spectrum, there was an oversupply of physical education teachers. The report found a balanced supply-and-demand situation for elementary school teachers.
The complete report can be found at www.aft.org/reports.
Reach Jennifer Hiller at jhiller@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8084.
