(East Lansing, MI) –A new study reveals Michigan teachers have suffered the worst inflation-adjusted pay drop in the nation over the last 30 years. The report from Michigan State University’s EPIC Center shows that, while overall teacher pay sits near the national middle range, real wages plummeted29 percent since the mid-1990s. Compounding the issue, Michigan’s average starting teacher salary of 43-thousand dollars ranks 44th in the country — the lowest in the Great Lakes region.
Researchers warn the shrinking purchasing power is fueling statewide teacher shortages, though local polling shows strong public support for establishing a mandatory minimum salary floor.
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