Teachers are an important part of the education system.

In South Dakota, that isn’t reflected in teacher pay. According to the National Center for Educational statistics, South Dakota is in last place.

Under Governors Rounds and Daugaard, South Dakota the average annual salary is about $38,500.00 That is actually a REDUCTION in salary from previous years. Under these two Governors, teacher pay has DECLINED to a level below what it was 14 years ago.

This team of South Dakota Governors doesn’t exactly “share the pain” when it comes to income.

Rounds earns more than the average teacher from his membership on the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Governor’s Council ($40,000). That’s just part of his nearly half-million dollar ($435,000) a year income total. Daugaard earns around $100,000 as Governor. Information on his investment income or other income was not immediately available at the time this article was written.

In 1999-2000, teacher pay was higher than it is today. Back then it was over $39,800.00. Under the Rounds-Daugaard administrations, teacher pay has REDUCED by about $1,300.00 for the average teacher.

The US average pay is about $56,400.00. The highest teacher pay average is in New York, which pays it’s teachers an average of $75,279.00

Maybe it’s time South Dakota changed directions in the way it pays teachers.

***Gordon Howie is a nationally syndicated author, host of Liberty Today TV and CEO of Life and Liberty Media***

“America needs to know the truth, without which, she will surely lose her freedom.”

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