Teachers in the nation’s capital are pulling in nearly $9,000 more a year than the national average, putting them toward the top of the salary list when compared to other states, according to information released by the National Education Association this week.

The average D.C. educator earned $59,000 in the 2006-2007 school year, falling below only California, Connecticut, New Jersey and Michigan.

That amount is identical to the previous school year. Ten years ago, however, teachers in District schools made 31.6 percent less.

Elsewhere in the region, Virginia teachers are paid significantly less, earning $44,727 during the 2006-2007 school year, while their Maryland counterparts made $56,927, or ninth-highest nationally, according to the report. The national average was $50,816.

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A more telling comparison, though, in the view of the Washington Teachers Union, is to examine how D.C. fares in relation to counties across the region, because those school systems compete most directly with the District for staff.

This school year, the city’s average starting salary for teachers is $42,369, which is lower than Arlington, Fairfax County and Montgomery and only ahead of Prince George’s County, according to WTU President George Parker.

And for top salaries, the District also falls behind those three systems by several thousand apiece.

“If we’re serious about creating a world-class education system, we’re going to have to make raising salaries a priority,” Parker told The Examiner. “Hopefully we can put our money where our mouth is.”

The union is in the midst of contract negotiations, as the current teachers contract expired at the end of September. Last negotiation cycle, WTU was able to raise pay to a level where D.C. ranked third in average pay regionally. The hope this time is to make the same type of strides, he added.

dlevitz@dcexaminer.com