Teacher pay can vary widely across just a single county. For instance, in Oakland the average teacher pay is $55,000 a year. In nearby Pleasanton it is $84,000 a year.
Ryan Smith, executive director of The Education Trust - West spoke to KALW's Hana Baba about how wide ranging teacher pay is in districts around the state and why salaries need to increase in the lowest paying districts.
SMITH: "Compensation is a big sign of how we value our teachers, it's a big sign of how we recognize the work that they're putting in. If we don't do that for our lower performing schools and districts that traditionally had a hard time turning around their academic achievement, then we are telling a generation of students that they don't matter."
Ryan Smith is the executive director of The Education Trust - West, which advocates for equity in California's schools. You can find their reports on their website.