On Friday, the media reported Gov. Sam Brownback used teacher salary information for Kansas and Missouri that was not comparable; making it appear as though Kansas teachers earned more than Missouri teachers. You can read an example here.
The issue was apparently that the numbers Brownback used came from KSDE and included supplementals and board paid fringe benefits, whereas the Missouri numbers did not include these things.
In response, KASB wanted to present comparable information as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics in their annual Digest of Education Statistics. The following figures are from a table that can be found online here:
Average Teacher Salaries by State
United States | Kansas | Missouri | ||||
Current $ | Constant $ | Current $ | Constant $ | Current $ | Constant $ | |
1970 | $ 8,626 | $ 53,655 | $ 7,612 | $ 47,348 | $ 7,799 | $ 48,511 |
1980 | $ 15,970 | $ 48,335 | $ 13,690 | $ 41,434 | $ 13,682 | $ 41,410 |
1990 | $ 31,367 | $ 58,044 | $ 28,744 | $ 53,190 | $ 27,094 | $ 50,137 |
2000 | $ 41,807 | $ 58,025 | $ 34,981 | $ 48,551 | $ 35,656 | $ 49,488 |
2010 | $ 55,202 | $ 59,845 | $ 46,657 | $ 50,582 | $ 45,317 | $ 49,129 |
2013 | $ 56,103 | $ 56,979 | $ 47,464 | $ 48,205 | $ 47,517 | $ 48,259 |
2014 | $ 56,689 | $ 56,689 | $ 48,221 | $ 48,221 | $ 48,329 | $ 48,329 |
The “Current $” columns represent actual dollar amounts, as shown in the chart below:
The “Constant $” columns represent annual changes in the cost of living (to show salaries in 2013-14 dollar amounts), as shown in the chart below:
This data indicates that both Missouri and Kansas salary amounts have been consistently below the national average since 1970. It also indicates that for 1990 and 2010, Kansas’ average teacher salary was above Missouri’s. However, the data for the two most recent years shows Kansas and Missouri with virtually identical average teacher salaries; with Missouri showing a slightly higher salary in both years.
This is contrary to Gov. Brownback’s assertion that “Kansas average teacher salary has increased every year since 2010, and last school year totaled $54,907. This compared to Missouri, where teachers have experienced two pay cuts since 2010, and average just $47,847 per year.”
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