October 5 was World Teachers Day. A recent report by Wallethub details what it considers the best and worst states for teachers.

In light of World Teachers Day on Oct. 5, WalletHub analyzed the 50 states and the District of Columbia to ease the process of finding the best teaching opportunities in the country. We did so by examining 18 key metrics, ranging from average starting salary to teacher job openings per capita. … Like any professional seeking an ideally balanced work situation and personal life, educators are no exception. Teachers must be able to make a reasonable living in order to meet the challenges of their positions.

The top states include:

1

Wyoming

2

Pennsylvania

3

Minnesota

4

Massachusetts

5

Virginia

 

The bottom states include:

47

Hawaii

48

South Dakota

49

West Virginia

50

Mississippi

51

North Carolina

The Washington Post’s Valerie Strauss complains that factors not considered include state policies on teacher protection or, as Strauss puts it, “under-prepared Teach For America corps members are replacing veteran teachers.”

That’s ed-speak for teacher tenure and not having to be certified—requirements that research shows have little if any positive impact on improved student learning.

Teachers are the leading factor to students’ success. Directing limited public resources toward teachers based on their positive  impact on their students learning would benefit teachers, students, and taxpayers alike.