HONOLULU — A new study ranks Hawaii as the least teacher-friendly state in the nation.
The study published by WalletHub on Monday says that Hawaii teachers also get the lowest annual salary based on cost of living, about $24,000.
The study says the average salary for all teachers is about $30,000.
The Hawaii Teachers Association agrees with the study’s findings.
The association’s President Corey Rosenlee says because Hawaii teachers are the worst paid in the nation, about a third of Hawaii students don’t have a fully qualified teacher.
He says the percent of Hawaii teachers leaving the state for the mainland has gone up by 84 percent since 2010.
The Hawaii State Department of Education said in a statement that it is working with a national organization to compile comparative data and policy considerations.