Inflation Trumps Teacher Salaries Says NEA Report.

Across the nation, teachers are losing spending power for themselves and their families as inflation outpaced increases in teacher salaries last year. According to the National Education Association's (NEA) update to the annual report titled, "Rankings and Estimates: Rankings of the States 2004 and Estimates of School Statistics 2005," inflation increased 3.1 percent over the past year, while teacher salaries increased by only 2.3 percent. Some of the key findings of the report include the following:

Teacher salaries, which rose 2.3 percent to $47,808 since last year, failed to keep pace with the nation's 3.1 percent increase in inflation.

Average teacher salaries actually declined in three states -- Maine, West Virginia and Alabama.

Education revenue increased 4.1 percent since last year.

Education expenditures rose 4.7 percent over the past year.

Read the NEA Report.