Sad but True: One of the Worst States for Teachers is in New England
Words cannot express how much we appreciate all the teachers out there.
In addition to spending their days interacting with and managing classrooms full of children or teenagers (while simultaneously interacting with unruly parents at times), these people are, unfortunately, often underpaid and undervalued. Teaching is a selfless profession that requires dedication, patience, and a true love for the classroom, and many teachers leave a positive impact on their students that stays with them for the rest of their lives.
This writer can think of several teachers who regularly put a smile on her face in the classroom. She also has friends in the profession, and commends them for the work they do each and every day.
Unfortunately, one New England state is among the worst in the country for teachers, according to WalletHub.
The personal finance website recently conducted a study to determine the best and worst states for teachers in the US, using two dimensions: Opportunity & Competition, and Academic & Work Environment. 24 metrics (which you can see here), were then used to evaluate these dimensions.
It turns out that the best state in the country for teachers is New York, followed by Utah (??), Virginia, and the list goes on. The first New England state to be mentioned is Massachusetts, coming in at #8. That shouldn't be a surprise, considering the countless colleges and universities that call Boston home, especially.
As for which New England state fared the worst, that would be...New Hampshire.
Yup, it turns out that New Hampshire is the second worst state in the entire country for educators. Yikes. The only state worse than us is Hawaii. Come on, people.
After examining the results, it looks like the Granite State came in last place for Opportunity & Competition, which probably tanked the cumulative score. At least we came in #9 for Academic & Work Environment?
Either way, we've got some work to do.