Arizona ranks 49th nationwide in per-student spending, 39th for average starting teacher salaries

A new report from the National Education Association shows Arizona has fallen to 49th in the nation for per-student spending.

The NEA report shows Arizona has the highest number of students enrolled per teacher of any state in the country. It also found that while educator pay has increased in recent years, it hasn’t kept pace with inflation over the past decade, leaving many educators worse off.

Darla Trujillo Knight is a special education teacher in Gilbert.

“Unfortunately, salaries in our district are low and housing prices are quite high," Trujillo Knight said. "After more than two decades in the classroom, my annual salary is just a little over $67,000 which isn't enough to cover our bills.”

Arizona ranks 39th in the nation for the average teacher starting salary. The report shows collective bargaining remains one of the clearest drivers of higher pay for teachers, which Arizona doesn’t have.

“I hope that our government and community truly see what teachers do and what we deserve," Trujillo Knight said. "That all boils down to legislation, though. I pray decision makers will recognize our hard work, stop piling on extra demands and compensate us fairly.”

A written release from the Arizona Education Association said the data demonstrates "a lack of investment that has real consequences for student learning and teacher recruitment and retention."