A new study ranks Arizona the third worst state in the nation to be a teacher. Credit: Shironosov/iStockPhoto.

PHOENIX – Arizona ranks third worst in the nation for teachers, according to a new study released Monday.



The report from WalletHub crunched the numbers for all 50 states plus Washington D.C., and found that Arizona ranks 49th overall – sitting in the bottom three for salary and student-teacher ratio.



Andrew Morrill, president of the Arizona Education Association, blames the situation on poor decision making in the state legislature.



"What set this up was year after year after year of tax cuts that left the state absolutely bereft of sufficient funds," he says. "We created a charter system that drained money from the public schools."



The study also found Arizona last in the country for spending-per-student and last for a satisfactory academic and work environment.



Jill Gonzalez with WalletHub says the rankings are similar to last year – and the data has consequences for student achievement.



"We did find a direct correlation between the student test scores and these low teacher salaries," she says. "We've seen year after year that when we look at grades four and eight, when we look at high school tests as well, they are consistently in the bottom five."



In the 2015 budget, the state increased education funding by $74 million to cover inflation and higher enrollment. But according to a 2014 ruling by the state Supreme Court, that sum is dwarfed by the $336 million the state owes the school districts.



A coalition of education organizations is currently suing the state legislature to recover the money.