According to the National Education Association’s latest figures, New York State’s average spending on its K-12 students is about $20,000 per student and its average teachers’ salary is $77,957. California’s average spending per student is around $12,000 and its average teacher salary is $72,842.

By comparing each state’s per student expenditures with its average teacher salary, it shows that California’s teachers are taking a much larger portion of what their state is spending on education for their average salary than New York’s teachers receive from New York State’s funding of its K-12 education.

If New York’s teachers were to receive the same portion of their student funding as the average salaried teacher in California, their average salary would increase, over $42,000-more than a 50%- to over $120,000 a year.

George Laase

Culver City