Is North Dakota Absolutely Awful For Teachers?

The school year just started in North Dakota, and kids are piling on buses with their backpacks packed, ready to see their friends and spend a day learning.

While getting into the swing of going back to school can be challenging for kids, it's not easy for parents either. But...what about our North Dakota teachers?

A study was done by WalletHub, ranking each state. They were trying to determine which states were the best for teachers and which were the worst.

To compile these rankings, they examined the salaries of teachers in each state, teacher-to-pupil ratios, and public school spending per student.

The Worst States

The worst states for teachers, according to the source, are Hawaii, Montana, Maine, New Hampshire, and South Dakota.

What about North Dakota? Sadly, the source ranked us pretty low on the list. North Dakota ranks 32nd among all the other states in the country. While that's certainly not the worst, it's definitely far from the best.

Personally, I never attended school in North Dakota; I didn't grow up there, so I can't speak to the classroom environment. I also don't personally know any teachers, so it's hard for me to say what the issues may or may not be.

(Also Read: Biggest Issue For Bismarck Parents & Kids On School Days)

Possible Factors

Here's a bit of info I found, that might help paint the picture:

According to Salary.com, the average teacher in North Dakota makes $52,000 per year.

According to the Institute of Education Services, rural districts face a high turnover rate, with teachers frequently moving to nonrural districts.

Burnout and stress also seems to be a negative trend/feedback coming out of Nort Dakota.

Do you think this is accurate? If you're a teacher in North Dakota, particularly in the Bismarck-Mandan area, feel free to share your concerns and struggles on the app. We will keep it confidential.

Remember: we appreciate all our teachers and commend them for the work they put into shaping North Dakota's young minds.