Teachers in Michigan are taking home less pay than they did in past years, according to new research from Michigan State University.
The average annual salary of almost $65,000 for a Michigan teacher is similar to the pay in nearby states, although it is slightly below the national average. The researchers found a significant decline in teacher pay over the past two decades, when adjusted for inflation.
Jason Burns at MSU’s Education Policy Innovation Collaborative is the report’s lead author.
“It’s hard to point to a single specific thing that’s like, this is the smoking gun, kind of. In a lot of ways, what it comes down to is Michigan just hasn’t invested in education as much as a lot of other states have.”
Burns says until the year 2000, Michigan was one of the top-paying states for educators. However, it’s now around 16th or 17th due to an approximate 20% decline in inflation-adjusted salaries.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer recommended retention bonuses for teachers last year, but they didn’t make it into the final state budget. This year’s final state budget included enough for Michigan school districts to give teachers $600 to $800 more per year.
