I'm overpaid...or am I?

[shooter1201]

My current salary is WELL BELOW the national average @ $35,600....and THAT is with 20 years and a Masters...not simply based on 15 years experience as is the norm when determining 'average pay' for teachers. What the article DOESN'T say is that teacher pay in most school systems TOPS OUT at 15 years. After that, there are no more 'pay grade' increases for experience.
Teacher Pay

[207]

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Connecticut leading the way at $53,507

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My niece teaches and is near that salary. She had her 1st book published just recently and what amazes me is where she found the time to write it.
It seems she is always hauling work home to be reviewed/corrected, etc. There is no overtime. And contrary to what some think, they don't really have the summer off with all the meetings and preparing for the next semester.

The local high school here has two full time police officers assigned to it in an attempt to keep the violence and criminal mischief to a minimum. At least it's not as bad as NYC where I've heard some teachers actually wear body armor.

Personally, I wouldn't want a teaching job. Just working at a University PD and experiencing the appalling actions and attitudes of some students is enough.

A "high five" to all that can endure the teaching profession. IMO your earning every dollar.

[jellybean40]

Both my sisters are teachers (near retirement), one niece, and my sisters husband.

They feel their pay is fair now, but years back they had VERY low pay. My one sister loves her job, she teaches "Reading Recovery." she was a first grade teacher for many years, THAT was hard work. she did tons of work at home, and parent meetings and special functions at nite. my brother-in-law is a PhysEd teacher for elementary school, he loves his job, has very little work to do at home.

My other sister is a Pre-K teacher, after teaching kindergarten for years. she has a very hard job with lots of work at home, including all kinds of projects shes always figuring out for them to do. she works in a very poor, problem-ridden city, and she often has to let the kids keep sleeping after nap-time, because they dont get sleep at home. she feels for the kids and really cares about them.

But they will all tell you that they think its a good job. they dont go to any summer meetings that i know of. they have weekends off, and lots of 3-day weekends and special breaks. however, none of them get home real early, they work an 8-hour day. They will tell you that the kids are way worse than years ago, way more violent, and they listen much less. But to them its a rewarding job. I could NEVER do it...I respect anyone that puts up with kids all day.

[Neinta]

People ask me how I will survive on a police officer's salary. I reply, I saw my parents do even better on two teacher's salaries. My mom is a substitute, working periodically. My dad was a health and PE teacher for 32 years. He retired making roughly the same as I will be making as a starting officer. If you manage your money correctly, you can make a little seem like a lot... They did.

[Oregon Mike]

For the amount of time and effort that K-12 teachers put in, their pay is appalling low. Yet the amount of money that governments give to school districts is appallingly high. The system is one of government's biggest messes.

In the Portland School District, a full third of certified teachers are in non-teaching roles. The average class size would be 15 students if every teacher had a class to teach. Meanwhile, some of the top district administrators are paid close to a million a year. Instead of cutting administration when money started to get tight this year, the district tried to blackmail residents into approving a tax increase or face the loss of all spring sports. Fortunately private donors came up with enough to save the sports teams.

Oregon's legislature requires every school district to offer a program called CIM/CAM, the Certificate of Initial Mastery and the Certificate of Advanced Mastery. It's basically a set of classes that teach to a specific standardized test. Students that pass the test(s) earn their CIM and/or CAM on their diplomas. The idea is for it to be used during the college admission process, but even public colleges in Oregon don't use the CIM/CAM as a consideration for admission. The entire program is an enormous black hole that sucks money away from worthwhile programs.

I could go on and on. Public schools are no place for public money.

Mike

[Neinta]

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Originally posted by Oregon Mike:
The idea is for it to be used during the college admission process, but even public colleges in Oregon don't use the CIM/CAM as a consideration for admission. The entire program is an enormous black hole that sucks money away from worthwhile programs.

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WooHoo!!! Standing Ovation! *claps* *whistles* This is the sentiment of The People. Why doesn't government get a clue? Becuase it's failed in so many states that Oregon government is determined to make it work.

[Mitzi1]

I no longer teach because I just could not keep up with all the requirements put on teachers. It was ridiculous. I tutor now and make 25$ an hour and REALLY get to teach. It's so much fun. I don't have people interuptting my classes, a zillion checklists to keep on kids and the parents are great. I have 11 students right now.
I have a neighbor who has taught 12 years and makes only around $30,000 a year. Rookies make more then she does. But I still say thay can't pay police enough. And with the way kids are today, teachers don't get paid enough.
I taught many years but just could not stand all the stuff I called "make work". I would have the reading specialist or math specialist run in and say they needed half my kids for an hour to work on their accreditation. I would refuse because III was working on accreditation, county requierments and school requirements. They learned to schedule with me.
I once had a parent come in unannounced with a clown, birthday cakes and photographers galore. She was infuriated when I showed her the door and wanted to know where the presents were the kids bought her child. I informed her that she was told at the begining of the year that there would be no invitations sent out unless the whole class was invited, that the kids did not bring presents to school and no gifts were given. The most we allowed was cupcakes for all students and we sang Happy Birthday. As it was, I caught flack from my principal for letting one student have one candle on his cupcake.
She showed up drunk the next day with a knife in her purse but the door had been locked since it was after school.
Our principle once had a parent arrested for cursing a teacher out and threatening to kick her a** all the way to the moon if she kept his child after school again.
I could go on and on and on with examples but bottom line is teachers and police don't get paid enough for all they do.

[team green]

Mitzi's experience mirrors some of the experiences I had as a public school teacher. I was able to live on the meager salary, but I couldn't deal with all of the nonsense and hoops one had to jump through to be a teacher. I was forced to use a worthless state-mandated text, and was reprimanded for getting better results by using other methods.

It is no wonder people don't want to teach anymore. I enjoy being able to arrest bad guys for twice the money, and not have to take home work without compensation.

[n567]

Well, my mother isn't too crushed she doesn't teach High School English anymore. Though she still is amused by the student that threatened to sue her because she gave him an F.

Being a college professor is much easier. My dad kicks a couple kids out of the class on the first day, and that usually sends a clear enough message... He does give'm a second chance though!

[banjoppd]

My thoughts on teacher pay is in the Houston school system teachers start out in the low 30,000 then after 20 years top out around 50,000. Not bad for the fact they are paid for actual work in the class room 10 months of the year, off 2 months summer, 2 weeks Christmas, 1 week spring break, 1 week Thnksgiving. They are given a choice to be paid 26 paycheck a year. Not bad pay I could think of worse jobs that require a college degree. PD's are now require at least 2 years college and in the Dallas area some PD require degrees.
The upper level administartors for the School district make big bucks,,Asst Supers around 75,000 to 85,000, most have PHDs but some have masters

Go figure.

[shooter1201]

$50K after 20 years would be GREAT in my area(rural West TN). I'm not so sure it's all that hot for the Houston, TX area, though.

Currently, the Tennessee Supreme Court has ORDERED Tennessee to equalize pay for its teachers. One idiot in Nashville has actually recommended to the legislature that they IGNORE the Court's ruling....