There is no evidence of a correlation between union strength in states and shares of certified teachers that disadvantage high-poverty schools: Relationship between union strength and share of certified teachers, 2011

By union strength

State Share  Rank 
AL 95.6% 32
AK 95.4 37
AZ 79.5 1
AR 90.7 4
CA 84.4 46
CO 84.4 17
CT 80.8 35
DE 96.3 33
DC 56.7 19
FL 90.7 2
GA 91.8 7
HI 98.6 51
ID 96.1 16
IL 97.9 44
IN 96.3 21
IA 87.5 25
KS 94.6 20
KY 92.1 24
LA 88.0 10
ME 93.1 30
MD 84.4 29
MA 81.2 31
MI 91.9 36
MN 96.0 38
MS 92.9 6
MO 92.7 14
MT 93.0 49
NE 94.6 26
NV 85.2 27
NH 10.0 22
NJ 10.0 45
NM 90.9 15
NY 86.1 43
NC 79.4 12
ND 94.7 28
OH 95.6 40
OK 94.4 9
OR 91.3 50
PA 93.5 48
RI 97.2 47
SC 87.0 3
SD 85.6 18
TN 92.8 11
TX 93.1 8
UT 84.4 13
VT 90.2 41
VA 77.4 5
WA 89.2 42
WV 93.8 39
WI 91.5 34
WY 96.1 23

By collective bargaining coverage

State Share  Rate 
AL 95.6% 64.2%
AK 95.4 91.2
AZ 79.5 47.0
AR 90.7 28.4
CA 84.4 89.1
CO 84.4 66.8
CT 80.8 89.6
DE 96.3 79.5
DC 56.7 68.0
FL 90.7 57.4
GA 91.8 31.3
HI 98.6 87.6
ID 96.1 57.0
IL 97.9 89.4
IN 96.3 80.5
IA 87.5 78.1
KS 94.6 69.6
KY 92.1 56.2
LA 88.0 35.4
ME 93.1 86.6
MD 84.4 81.7
MA 81.2 94.6
MI 91.9 91.9
MN 96.0 90.5
MS 92.9 29.8
MO 92.7 54.1
MT 93.0 85.5
NE 94.6 73.4
NV 85.2 70.0
NH 100 84.5
NJ 100 89.5
NM 90.9 55.4
NY 86.1 92.5
NC 79.4 23.8
ND 94.7 69.3
OH 95.6 85.7
OK 94.4 49.7
OR 91.3 91.2
PA 93.5 91.1
RI 97.2 92.4
SC 87.0 26.9
SD 85.6 43.5
TN 92.8 43.1
TX 93.1 41.2
UT 84.4 56.5
VT 90.2 87.6
VA 77.4 36.0
WA 89.2 86.3
WV 93.8 65.2
WI 91.5 86.1
WY 96.1 42.6

By union strength

State Share  Rank 
AL 95.8 32
AK 93.3 37
AZ 82.9 1
AR 92.7 4
CA 88.5 46
CO 84.7 17
CT 89.4 35
DE 94.9 33
DC 62.7 19
FL 91.8 2
GA 93.5 7
HI 86.1 51
ID 95.6 16
IL 98.2 44
IN 97.3 21
IA 91.6 25
KS 97.0 20
KY 93.2 24
LA 88.5 10
ME 93.9 30
MD 94.2 29
MA 89.3 31
MI 94.1 36
MN 95.6 38
MS 91.9 6
MO 95.3 14
MT 95.1 49
NE 98.0 26
NV 87.9 27
NH 95.7 22
NJ 94.8 45
NM 93.0 15
NY 89.3 43
NC 83.4 12
ND 93.5 28
OH 91.7 40
OK 92.9 9
OR 93.3 50
PA 93.8 48
RI 99.2 47
SC 90.9 3
SD 96.9 18
TN 93.3 11
TX 93.1 8
UT 91.8 13
VT 96.0 41
VA 88.9 5
WA 93.3 42
WV 94.3 39
WI 93.2 34
WY 97.2 23

By collective bargaining coverage

State Share  Rate 
AL 95.8% 64.2%
AK 93.3 91.2
AZ 82.9 47.0
AR 92.7 28.4
CA 88.5 89.1
CO 84.7 66.8
CT 89.4 89.6
DE 94.9 79.5
DC 62.7 68.0
FL 91.8 57.4
GA 93.5 31.3
HI 86.1 87.6
ID 95.6 57.0
IL 98.2 89.4
IN 97.3 80.5
IA 91.6 78.1
KS 97.0 69.6
KY 93.2 56.2
LA 88.5 35.4
ME 93.9 86.6
MD 94.2 81.7
MA 89.3 94.6
MI 94.1 91.9
MN 95.6 90.5
MS 91.9 29.8
MO 95.3 54.1
MT 95.1 85.5
NE 98.0 73.4
NV 87.9 70.0
NH 95.7 84.5
NJ 94.8 89.5
NM 93.0 55.4
NY 89.3 92.5
NC 83.4 23.8
ND 93.5 69.3
OH 91.7 85.7
OK 92.9 49.7
OR 93.3 91.2
PA 93.8 91.1
RI 99.2 92.4
SC 90.9 26.9
SD 96.9 43.5
TN 93.3 43.1
TX 93.1 41.2
UT 91.8 56.5
VT 96.0 87.6
VA 88.9 36.0
WA 93.3 86.3
WV 94.3 65.2
WI 93.2 86.1
WY 97.2 42.6

By union strength

State Gap Rank 
AL .2 32
AK -2.1 37
AZ 3.4 1
AR 2.0 4
CA 4.1 46
CO .3 17
CT 8.6 35
DE -1.4 33
DC 6.0 19
FL 1.1 2
GA 1.7 7
HI -12.5 51
ID -.5 16
IL .3 44
IN 1.0 21
IA 4.1 25
KS 2.4 20
KY 1.1 24
LA .5 10
ME .8 30
MD 9.8 29
MA 8.1 31
MI 2.2 36
MN -.4 38
MS -1.0 6
MO 2.6 14
MT 2.1 49
NE 3.4 26
NV 2.7 27
NH -4.3 22
NJ -5.2 45
NM 2.1 15
NY 3.2 43
NC 4.0 12
ND -1.2 28
OH -3.9 40
OK -1.5 9
OR 2.0 50
PA .3 48
RI 2.0 47
SC 3.9 3
SD 11.3 18
TN .5 11
TX 0.0 8
UT 7.4 13
VT 5.8 41
VA 11.5 5
WA 4.1 42
WV .5 39
WI 1.7 34
WY 1.1 23

By collective bargaining coverage

State Gap Rate 
AL .2 64.2
AK -2.1 91.2
AZ 3.4 47.0
AR 2.0 28.4
CA 4.1 89.1
CO .3 66.8
CT 8.6 89.6
DE -1.4 79.5
DC 6.0 68.0
FL 1.1 57.4
GA 1.7 31.3
HI -12.5 87.6
ID -.5 57.0
IL .3 89.4
IN 1.0 80.5
IA 4.1 78.1
KS 2.4 69.6
KY 1.1 56.2
LA .5 35.4
ME .8 86.6
MD 9.8 81.7
MA 8.1 94.6
MI 2.2 91.9
MN -.4 90.5
MS -1.0 29.8
MO 2.6 54.1
MT 2.1 85.5
NE 3.4 73.4
NV 2.7 70.0
NH -4.3 84.5
NJ -5.2 89.5
NM 2.1 55.4
NY 3.2 92.5
NC 4.0 23.8
ND -1.2 69.3
OH -3.9 85.7
OK -1.5 49.7
OR 2.0 91.2
PA .3 91.1
RI 2.0 92.4
SC 3.9 26.9
SD 11.3 43.5
TN .5 43.1
TX 0.0 41.2
UT 7.4 56.5
VT 5.8 87.6
VA 11.5 36.0
WA 4.1 86.3
WV .5 65.2
WI 1.7 86.1
WY 1.1 42.6

Note: High-poverty schools are those in which more than 50 percent of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. On the inverse Fordham index of union strength, 1 is the lowest value. The CBC rate is the share of teachers covered by collective bargaining.

Source: Data on teacher certification are from the National Center for Education Statistics (8th-grade math); union strength rankings are from the Fordham Institute (Winkler, Scull, and Zeehandelaar 2012) and collective bargaining data are from the Current Population Survey

View the underlying data on epi.org.