Teacher Salaries: More Attention Needed to Specifics ( The Millionaire Next Door)

EducationNews.org ^ | June 16, 2006 | David W. Kirkpatrick

[frankensnake]

Well, if the profession pays less than other, comparable disciplines, you're not going to attract the brightest. Simple enough isn't it?

[Sisku Hanne]

Hello?! When those other "average joes" hold MY tax money hostage and extort ever higher salaries from ME without competition, then I'll b!tch about them too.

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.

[maine-iac7]

teach you to embarass yourself on public forums by making wrong ...

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?

[Clara Lou]

Talk about embarrassing - and reading comprehension - slow learner?
Wow. What a powerful point you made! ~not~ Shall we follow you around and see if you've ever made any posting errors?

[alvindsv]

Your right it is an emb, embar, oh forget it! It looks funny! I'm just glad I don't teach English. By the way, I'm sure I spell checked it. Oh well, it is Saturday morning, and I have only had two cups of coffee.

:)

[maine-iac7]

As to teaching salaries, my first position as a teacher (25 years ago), had a salary of less than 10K a year.

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?

[Sisku Hanne]

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.

[frankensnake]

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.

[alvindsv]

People complain all the time about grossly inflated CEO salaries. And sports stars. And actors. But at least they're not raiding MY WALLET.

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.

[maine-iac7]

Maybe if they became a little more particular about the teachers they hire and pay them a little more (at least here in West TX) we will have higher averages for reading, writing and math scores across the country.

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.

[gakrak]

" Also, admission to teaching programs are NOT competitive either and teachers are among the lowest with SAT scoreS."

I know every time I talk to a teacher I get the feeling that I am talking to a wall. They remain clueless outside of their little club. The profession is filled with some of the dumbest of the dumb. Amen.

[HighWheeler]

"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.

[Molly K.]

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.

[alvindsv]

Preach it sister Molly.

[maine-iac7]

94% of our students past the Science portion

How about English? Did your students "past" that? :o)

[Clara Lou]

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, Texas just has property taxes that are sky high to make up for the lack of a state income tax.
No.2: Pay them more if you want them to teach better???
You added the bolded part. That wasn't part of the original reply.

[maine-iac7]

Try teaching. Try passing the test. Try getting a job as a teacher. I have a hard time watching bankers, real estate agents, and sales people make cash. Talk about no skill easy money.

Hmmm - maybe you consider that these folk are the product of today's schools -

[gakrak]

I feel much as you do and in addition, I really get bent when I hear the winning about underfunding. The Rochester NY school district averages $18,000 per student and are always in deficit. The surrounding towns pay between $14,000 and $17,000 per student. The 90+% of all of this goes to labor, admin, pensions and health care (100% paid for). They sued the state and want another 5 to 6 billion a year for this failing system. Amen.

[Clara Lou]

How about English? Did your students "past" that? :o)
The spelling police strikes again.

[HighWheeler]

"How about English? Did your students "past" that? :o)

The spelling police strikes again."

-- --

I think it was done by one of FR's drive-by commedians.