WTVD reports that “WalletHub ranks North Carolina as one of the worst states for teachers.”  As usual, North Carolina does not rank in the bottom five of any variable used to rank the “teacher-friendliness” of states (perhaps with the exception of teacher union strength), but it magically appears in the bottom five of the overall ranking.

The author of the “study,” WalletHub financial writer Adam McCann, does not indicate how his chosen variables are indicative of teacher-friendliness, nor does he provide empirical research that justifies his decisions to weigh variables in the manner described.  Of course, a defensible methodology is beside the point.  The point is to get attract as many visits to the WalletHub website as possible.

Teachers in states that did well in the ranking dismissed it. According to a Fox affiliate in Illinois, “Educators question study that ranks Illinois 4th best state for teachers.”  (HT: EIA) This may lead one to believe that unhappiness is the natural condition of the teaching profession in America.