Which states are the best for educators to teach?

The National Education Association's latest ranking of states in 2014, as well as the estimation of school statistics in 2014, provides some insight according to the NEA's website. The research highlights population in states, enrollment, classroom teachers, salaries, expenditures per student, and more. 

The Washington Post looked at this recent ranking, and presented five sets of data about teachers across the country with maps of the U.S. The five categories are salary, classroom size, enrollment, spending, and a comparison to how much teachers are paid now to ten years ago. 

"The state with the highest average starting teacher salary is New Jersey at $48,631 per year," the article said. "The lowest is Montana at $27,274 a year." Teachers have seen the biggest salary bump in Wyoming, with a 15.2 percent increase from their salaries ten years ago and North Carolina teachers experienced a 15 percent drop in salaries compared to ten years ago.

In terms of classroom size, Vermont and Nebraska have the smallest classrooms, "with student-to-teacher ratios of 9.2 and 9.8, respectively," according the Post. California's ratio is the highest in the country at 24.9 students for every teacher. In terms of enrollment, teachers in North Carolina, North Dakota, and Utah have the best job security, and public school enrollment has increase from fall 2011 to fall 2012. Enrollment slid by 2.1 percent in South Carolina. 

The article also explores the amount of money spent on students for K-12 public schools. New Jersey, New York and Vermont lead that pack while Utah and Arizona were ranked lowest.

 Read the full story. 

Article by Kassondra Granata, EducationWorld Contributor