Isle teachers’
pay among lowestHawaii's cost of living drops
average salaries to the nation's
sixth lowest, a report says
Hawaii's average teacher salaries rank among the lowest in the nation, according to a report that factored in the islands' cost of living.
The average salary for Hawaii's public school teachers during the 2001-2002 school year was $44,306, up from $40,536 the year before, and ranks as the 17th highest for teachers in the nation.
But when Hawaii's cost of living is indexed with the annual income, the figure shrinks by almost $8,000 and drops to the sixth-lowest average teacher salary in the nation.
The report was prepared by the American Federation of Teachers, one of the nation's largest unions, and for the same year that Hawaii's average teacher salary increased by 9.3 percent, a jump that was met or exceeded by only 17 other states nationwide.
Nationally, teachers' salaries increased by 6.3 percent during the same year.
"Given the very high cost of living in Hawaii, one would expect to see higher salaries," said Janet Bass, Federation of Teachers spokeswoman.
But compared with other far West states, Hawaii ranks next to last in average teacher salaries even without the cost-of-living differential.
California teachers were the highest paid in the nation, averaging $54,348 a year, followed by Michigan ($52,497), Connecticut ($52,376), Rhode Island ($51,619) and New York ($51,020). Other states in the far West region, Alaska, Oregon and Nevada, ranked 10th, 14th and 15th in the nation, respectively.
With the cost of living factored in, Pennsylvania teachers made the most in the nation, followed by Ohio, Maryland, Michigan and New York.
South Dakota was the state with the lowest average salary, at $31,383. Puerto Rico came in even lower, at $25,430.
Karen Ginoza, outgoing president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association -- the union representing the state's 13,000 public school teachers -- said the Hawaii numbers show the need for urgency in increasing teachers' salaries, especially for beginning teachers.
"It's really a bad commentary on our state," she said. "We're losing teachers every year. They stay one or two years, and then they turn around and leave."
Hawaii ranked 14th in the nation without the cost-of-living factor for its average beginning teacher salary at $31,340, up 7.3 percent from the year before.
Ginoza said the salary rankings are doubly disparaging given a shortage of more than 1,500 Hawaii teachers for the coming school year.
"The state must do more in terms of a good induction program," she said.
Bass said any teacher shortage indicates that beginning teachers are not being paid enough.
The nation is facing considerable teacher shortages in math, physics, chemistry, earth science, biology and other areas where prospective teachers could garner higher salaries in the private sector, she said.
"Look, money talks in the teaching profession," Bass said. "When beginning teachers are paid better, they will come."
Because of the state's budget crisis, salaries for Hawaii's teachers will stay at present levels for at least the next year. A one-year extension of the teachers' contract, through June 30, 2004, ratified in May did not include any wage increases, but under terms of the agreement the state will increase its share of medical insurance to cover the growing costs of insurance premiums.