October 25th, 2021

Exploration of Florida’s K-12 Education Wage Gap

Blog by DAG Intern, Emily Grusky

The DeVoe L. Moore Center’s (DMC) overall mission is to increase the public’s
understanding of state government; some of these sectors include the government regulations
of private businesses and individuals, economic growth, and land-use regulation and
government transparency. The Data Analytics Team at the center works on research to analyze,
develop, and present this information at the state and local level. Over the last two decades,
Florida teachers’ pay has decreased 12.5% when adjusted for inflation. Believe it or not, Florida
stands out for its many unique factors that have kept teachers’ salaries so low for so long.

According to a report from the Economic Policy Institute, teachers are paid less than
other college-educated workers with similar experience and other characteristics they may
possess. This disincentive to enter that job field discourages college students from entering the
teaching profession, and makes it difficult for school districts to keep current teachers in the
classroom. Their report also shows that the teachers get paid about 20% less than people in
other professions that have similar educational backgrounds. The DMC created data
visualizations which make understanding this more clear. While exploring these K-12 schools
data visualizations, the audience may focus their thoughts on Florida’s average salary by either
title or job.

In a 2020 study by the National Employment Law Project, teachers experienced the
greatest decline in wages out of all the occupations included in their report - a whopping 18.6%
reduction in median hourly wage from 2009 to 2018. This can create an instant red flag, in
which one can realize there is a link from low wages to student performances.

In a study done by EducationWeek, researchers tested if a higher pay leads to smarter

teachers which may result in better student output. The study was conducted in the United
States, studying the impact of certain subjects taught and learned. The study found clear
evidence that higher teacher pay is associated with an increase in teacher’s cognitive skills --
which, in turn, is associated with greater student performance. This can raise awareness to
policymakers as they can work to ensure that higher salaries are given to result in greater
effectiveness in the classroom.

Factors such as the renewed focus on the role of teachers during the pandemic may
bring an influx of questions, one of which concerns Florida’s school districts. According to the
DeVoe L. Moore Center’s average salary by district for 2019-2020, viewers can see that
individuals in certain districts earn a larger salary on average than others. This can be used to
project future data in which certain districts' pay may be based on factors such as student
population and general education as opposed to certifications plus additional skills. Once I have
the data gathered and put into visualizations, I hope to explore more of how COVID-19 has
specifically impacted these districts and the K-12 education wage gap.

#dmcfsu #dmc #floridastate #floridastateuniversity #fsu

Research Articles:
https://www.epi.org/publication/teacher-pay-penalty-dips-but-persists-in-2019-public-school-
teachers-earn-about-20-less-in-weekly-wages-than-nonteacher-college-graduates/

https://s27147.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Data-Brief-Minimum-Wage-Increases-Reverse-Post-
Recession-Wage-Declines-Workers-Lowest-Paid-Jobs.pdf

https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/higher-pay-leads-to-smarter-teachers-global-study-
says/2019/02#:~:text=The%20study%20found%20clear%20evidence,in%20protest%20of
%20low%20wages.