WalletHub ranks North Carolina as one of the worst states for teachers

In May, thousands of teachers and supporters rallied at the Capitol, expressing concerns about teacher salaries in the state. Now, a new study by WalletHub found that North Carolina is one of the worst states for teachers to be employed.

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According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about a fifth of all public-school teachers leave their positions before the end of their first year. However, some states provide teachers with better pay and more fair treatment, which causes retention rates to remain higher.

Wake NCAE President Kristen Beller, who represents more than 10,000 teachers in the county, said the study mirrors what the organization has been fighting for.

"The General Assembly has not provided the resources that educators need and ultimately our kids need," Beller said.

The NCAE is encouraging voters to take action on the November ballot.

"There's no state House or Senate district that can't be flipped and can't be changed in order to provide a representative who is truly going to prioritize ... school funding and our kids and our staff," Beller said.

To help educators find the best opportunity, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on 22 key indicators of teacher-friendliness.

RELATED: I-Team: How much do teachers in North Carolina get paid?

The data was based on a number of things such as teachers' income-growth potential, pupil-teacher ratio, and teacher safety.

The research ranked North Carolina 49 out of the 51 contenders, only ahead of Arizona and Hawaii.

"Once again, another ranking that puts teaching in North Carolina near the bottom in the nation," said NCAE President Mark Jewell. "Our public school students deserve better, our educators deserve better, and our communities deserve better. The priorities of this General Assembly have been to cut taxes for corporations and millionaires, leaving our public schools starving. Even the latest drop in business rankings points to the chronic underfunding of our public schools as a major problem."

The Wake NCAE is holding another march October 20. It is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. that Saturday at NCAE Headquarters at 700 South Salisury St.

See a full break down of WalletHub's findings.