Posted on 06/17/2006 5:15:15 AM PDT by wintertime
One of the ongoing controversies in the public schools is the issue of teacher salaries. Teachers largely claim they are too low while taxpayers are equally vehement that they are more than adequate.
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Then there are the actual salary levels. Statistics in 2005 showed the average teacher salary in the nation was $46,762, ranging from a low of $33,236 in South Dakota to $57,337 in Connecticut. Even this ignores the additional compensation teachers receive as fringe benefits, which may add an additional 33% or more to the costs, primarily for very good retirement and health coverage plans. Further, averages include starting teacher salaries, which may begin at $30,000 or less, which teachers gladly mention, but ignore the high salaries of career teachers at or near the maximum on their salary schedule, important because retirement pensions are often based on the best three or so years.
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Last year, the New York State Department of Education issued a study that reported maximum teacher salaries in that state of $100,000 or more and median salaries as high as $98,000 per year. That is, there were districts, in Westchester County for example, where half of the teachers earned more than $98,000 a year.
A novel approach a few years ago by Michael Antonucci, director of the Education Intelligence Agency in California, compared teachers average salaries to average salaries all workers state by state. First prize went to Pennsylvania where the teachers received 62.5% more than the average employee. That difference is even greater when it is further considered that teachers average a 185 day work year while most workers put in 235.
(snip) Women who had been educators were 7.4% of the total deceased that year but 20.6% of them, nearly three times the statistical expectation were among the affluent few. Former male educators didn't do quite as well but even they were represented among the wealthy decedents by a ratio nearly 1.5 times the anticipated numerical ratio.
And in California, $70,000 is what part of the cost of a modest house?
I also dated a 4th grade teacher at one point. And, she worked about 60hrs/week and taught summer school. The idea that all teachers are leeches and are to be scorned is absurd.
At the middle school where I teach, the entire 7th and 8th grade teaching teams are conservative.
As to teaching salaries, my first position as a teacher (25 years ago), had a salary of less than 10K a year.
I did not go into teaching for the salary neither did I go into it for the vacation.
In fairness I now do make 65K a year but I figure it all balances out in the long run.
Not interested? I didn't think so...
That is true, and it's worthy to note. Also note that many of these administrative jobs present promotion opportunities to those teachers that place politics above performance. As one who has experience in government employment, I can say with certainty that politics plays a much larger role in one being considered for promotion than does competence. Of course politics is part of any job, but in the government world, it ranks much higher.
How many vice-principals and psychologist/social workers does a school really need?
LOL! Where do you teach? I used to teach in MA and am now in NH. The faculties are 90% socialist..and openly so!
That's true. But if the assumptions in the article and by the poster of the article are true, why would they quit such a cushy job?
And why aren't more people trying to become teachers?
A day care with 25 students would be required to have from 3-5 people on the payroll to help herd the kids. They would also have the expenses to cover, like rent, utilities, - liability insurance - and employee wages, matching taxes, longer hours (kids are dropped off BEFORE parents get to work, picked up after,sometimes quite a time after, daycare doesn't get summers off, - etc etc.
Take those off the top of the $97,175 and I doubt what's left comes up to your salary.
Hope you aren't a math teacher.
Since teachers do so little and are paid so much - why don't you join them?
You too could revel in a relaxing, highly paid part time job. Could it be you don't believe what YOU are whining about?
BTW - I'm USAF, and don't care what teachers make. Teacher's salaries are a small part of the school budget. Figure the average class size multiplied by the average student cost runs maybe $230K/year. Few teachers make a third of that - so most of the cost is in buildings and admin.
Strawman argument..
Not bad when they've proven to be more incompetent year after year! If I had school-aged kids, I'd consider it child-abuse to send them to public schools; I'd quit my job (senior computer planner) and home school them. Anyone with a logical braid could teach more in 1/2 / day than they do in a month!
Their biggest drawback is that they care NOTHING about anything but their salaries!
Are teachers overpaid or underpaid? Who knows. Like one of the previous posts stated, since these are government jobs the wage is not being determined by a free market.
ping
I'm curious. I would like to know what everyone here thinks the average salary of a teacher should be.
We are fighting the fight from the trenches.
The administration is also conservative, each year I request two personal days so I can attend CPAC.
Our superintendent's son is a grad from the Naval Academy and is on active duty.
One of my best friends who teaches 8th grade lost her son on 911. He was on the 90th floor of the first tower hit.
Another 7th grade team member's sister, was in the Pentagon when it was hit. It wasn't her time to go. Her office had just been completed but because the officer in charge of her office had a complaint regarding the lighting they had not moved into it yet.
According to our governor and general assembly, each high school needs and will get at least one more next year - a counselor to prevent dropouts.
My personal opinion is that if they'd put that money and effort into boosting basic skills in lower grades, they wouldn't need the dropout prevention counselor, but no one asked me.
Not true, at least with this one. If it were all about the money I would quit tomorrow and go back to practicing law. I will tell you what it's about. It's about hearing a parent say to you, "Dr. Morton I don't know what your doing, but keep it up, because my daughter has never been so interested in school as she has been this year. All she talks about is how great it is to be in your class." Not necessarily the accolades, but knowing that I am having a positive impact on at least one student's life.
Oh by the way, on that state test that all 8th graders are required to take. 94% of our students past the Science portion of the test. 35% advanced proficient.
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