Monroe County Education Association

08/25/2026

08/25/2026

Michigan needs stable, rational policy that supports students and educators. At the very least, education policy should aim to promote the public good, not balkanize our institutions and segregate our students.

08/24/2026

Wait. What’s this??

Michigan teachers have seen their inflation-adjusted average pay fall more than teachers in any other state over the past 30 years, even as most Michiganders surveyed say starting salaries should be higher.

A new Michigan State University Education Policy Innovation Collaborative report found average teacher salaries dropped 29% in purchasing power from 1995 to 2025. Adjusted for inflation, that is the equivalent of falling from $100,064 to $71,023.

For comparison, Indiana had the next-largest decline at 20.7%, while the national average decrease was 4.2%.

Michigan once regularly ranked among the nation’s top 10 states for teacher pay from 1970 through 2007. Today, the state ranks No. 22 for average teacher salary, according to the National Education Association.

The picture is tougher for new teachers. Michigan ranked 31st nationally for starting pay in 2017, but fell to 45th by 2025. The state’s average starting salary was $43,093, up from $41,645 the year before.

Researchers also found Michigan teachers earned 28.8% less in 2024 than other college-educated professionals with similar education and experience, the 12th-largest gap in the country.

At the same time, an MSU survey of 1,000 Michigan adults found nearly 72% believed starting teacher salaries should increase. Respondents put the ideal starting salary at $55,074, nearly $12,000 above the current average.

School districts are trying to recruit and keep teachers while navigating shortages, regional pay differences, and rising costs.

For Michigan communities, the numbers raise a basic question about what it will take to keep experienced teachers in classrooms and persuade the next generation to choose the profession.

08/24/2026

Democracy is a team sport! I had fun knocking doors for Senator Chedrick Greene. It was also good to see my friend and colleague, Senator Stephanie Chang.

08/24/2026

Bedford_O President Kate Schmus opening school

08/23/2026

08/23/2026

Find the best discounts at over 300+stores

08/23/2026

Eddie says…

08/23/2026

The tears!😭

08/22/2026

Novel concept. Discuss, Monroe County EA—-

El Paso ISD central office administrators are heading back to the classroom this school year under a new plan the district says could save millions while also reconnecting decision-makers with the campuses they serve. https://bit.ly/4wD3vi9