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.
Well, if the profession pays less than other, comparable disciplines, you're not going to attract the brightest. Simple enough isn't it?
BTW, I was a public school teacher. Now I'm a state government employee. I think anyone whose salary is paid by taxpayers should NOT be able to unionize or strike.
For the second time, you misspell, of all words, "embarrass" - even after having it pointed out to you and, in addition, having a spell checker at your fingertips.
Talk about embarrassing - and reading comprehension - slow learner?
Yeah? So? 25 years ago, I bought a house in California for less that 25K - the same house now sells for nearly half a million.
Are we supposed to be impressed that your 25 year ago salary was only 10K?
That's absolutely not true. People complain all the time about grossly inflated CEO salaries. And sports stars. And actors. But at least they're not raiding MY WALLET.
Simple. If I, as a tax payer, am paying that salary, I want to know whether the money is well spent. After all, the government is confiscating my earned money against my will. I don't think I'm getting value for my money out of the public education system so I don't want to keep giving more money to it. Now, don't get me wrong. I want teachers to make more money. But I don't think giving more money to the education bureaucracy is going to make that happen; it'll just fund more bureaucracy.
On the other hand, shareholders pay the CEO's salary. Shareholders willingly take their own money and buy shares in a company. If they don't like the way the company's run, including the pay packages for executives and officers, investors can take their money elsewhere. It happens all the time.
Not entirely true. If a corporation is a given a tax break, and the loss in revenue is to be made up by raising taxes in another area it could potentially hit you in your wallet. Also, if you live in a city that subsidizes a sports franchise by building an arena or stadium at taxpayer expense then that likewise could hit you in your wallet.
No. 1: living expenses in West Texas are far lower than even here in Maine, where the salaries are below Texas - and Texas, in addition, doesn't have state income taxes.
No.2: Pay them more if you want them to teach better???
How would that rationale work in the 'real' workaday work place?
"Hey, boss, you want me to do a good job. Pay me more!" That modus operandi would get the employee a boot out the door.
It works the other way around...in the real world.
"My sister in law teaches 10th grade English in southern California and makes $70,000 a year. Not bad."
If you ever hear her complain, remind her that she is earning at the rate of $124,000 if she had a real full time job instead of her cushy half-day, summers-free, I-can't-make-it-in-get-me-a-sub job, and that she is making more money than 90% of the population.
The typical response I get from teachers to this reminder is "but my job is hard work!" Sure it is, like everyone else's, except that you don't need any creativity, you can just recycle the same curriculum each year, and if all esle fails just dump off your mistakes to the next grade level.
1. Salaries - Do not assume that ALL teachers make 60K a year. After 20 years of teaching, I make 43K a year. Not all states pay high salaries.
2. Generous vacations. Think of it as "comp time." True, I only work 39 weeks a year, but those are 60 hour work weeks. That doesn't include extra time and money I spend taking classes for recertification.
3. Every profession in America has its share of lazy bums, perverts, and liberals. Teaching is no exception. There are lots of us who are dedicated, hard-working, morally upright, non-union, and conservative.
4. Teaching has always had many challenges, but there is an extra challenge we face today: scorn and disrespect. Supposedly, all (or most) teachers are either greedy, lazy, studid, or are a pervert.
5. In spite of the heartaches and difficulties I have on the job, no matter the long hours, no matter the scorn and disrespect that is heaped on teachers on this forum, I still love teaching.
Preach it sister Molly.
How about English? Did your students "past" that? :o)
Hmmm - maybe you consider that these folk are the product of today's schools -
"How about English? Did your students "past" that? :o)
The spelling police strikes again."
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I think it was done by one of FR's drive-by commedians.
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