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The median salary at our district is $69,965. 50% of teachers are making more than that. I'd say that's very fair.
It looks like the median house or condo value in '08 was $701,900 and the median contract rent is $1,575. If that's an accurate comparison, then I don't think the median salary is that great.
It looks like the median house or condo value in '08 was $701,900 and the median contract rent is $1,575. If that's an accurate comparison, then I don't think the median salary is that great.
Look at it this way:
Median household income is $148,468. From living here, I know that almost everyone household has two working individuals. So that splits up to an average of $74,000.
That's only $4,000 more than the median income of teachers.
Median household income is $148,468. From living here, I know that almost everyone household has two working individuals. So that splits up to an average of $74,000.
That's only $4,000 more than the median income of teachers.
I see your point. That median household income seems low compared to the COL. To compare, the median home value here in '09 was $470,400 and the median household income was $102,499. http://www.city-data.com/county/Fairfax_County-VA.html The average teacher salary (I don't know the median salary) for this year is $64,249.
I see your point. That median household income seems low compared to the COL. To compare, the median home value here in '09 was $470,400 and the median household income was $102,499. http://www.city-data.com/county/Fairfax_County-VA.html The average teacher salary (I don't know the median salary) for this year is $64,249.
I grabbed the median teacher salary off of Wikipedia:
Depends on who you ask. I can tell you this, I was hired because of them but that would not have been the case in all districts. Most districts value the jack of all trades general science certificate, over subject matter expertise, because with that, a teacher can teach all science in grades 6-12 and that makes scheduling easier.
Do I need them? I'd say yes because I think you need very strong content knowledge to teach science at the high school level. I'm amazed by how many mistakes I find in books and professionally done videos (Bill Nye the science guy...isn't always right. (for example, his video on bright line spectra talks about atoms giving off light when the electric current makes them come apart and they go back together ... ... which is, blatently, wrong. They don't come apart.)
I also have a very good understanding of what my students will need in the real world because I came from the real world. One thing they're lacking is the ability to self assess or perform a task without someone giving them a check list to follow. In other words, the ability to think for themselves.
Last edited by Ivorytickler; 11-06-2011 at 03:19 AM..
This is a no win argument. Salaries vary considerably from district to district and state to state. In some people's eyes anything over babysitter rates is too much. The question remains whether or not people will accept teachers as deserving of compensation similar to other positions requiring similar education and experience?
The discussion usually deteriorates with inaccurate statements such as 3 months off in summer, only working half a year, 6 1/2 hour day, etc. Many people refuse to recognize the time outside of the classroom needed to prepare lessons and assess student performance. Few people will analyze another profession and accuse them of only working 5/8 of a year (my old corporate job 230 days after vacation, holidays, weekends).
I feel that my current compensation is fair. As TabulaRasa stated, if more keeps getting added then my opinion would be different.
I wouldn't be so quick to say that happens in every field.
Sent from my autocorrect butchering device.
I agree... I am Not saying that teacher's shouldn't be paid more because I believe they are not paid well, HOWEVER, it is incorrect that other fields pay more money for increased responsibilities. More people are doing more as part of their jobs and not seeing any type of increases.
Last edited by NYMD67; 11-06-2011 at 05:47 AM..
Reason: Missing wor..
Another question I have. If you asked 100 people on the street(not one teacher), if they thought they deserved more money for the work they do, and if they thought there responsibilities haven't increased as well... What do you think the answers would be?
So it pointless to ask any profession if they deserve more money. They will argue and bring up points displaying there why they deserve more until the end of the world.
It's about supply and demand.
I personally do not think if starting tomorrow all teachers got $15k more a year our school performances would improve. All that would mean is teachers have been sandbagging this whole time and those type of employees won't change. This isn't a knock on teachers, its a observation of employees everywhere. An open question to teachers, are the schools full of shotgun teachers protected by unions?
So either our teachers now suck and our horrible, or there is a different problem causing our schools to fail. There are threads and threads on here explaining why our teachers do not suck and how they are some of the hardest workers out there, with amazing educations.
So that leaves us with the other answer.... There is a problem with the system. Throwing money at teachers won't fix the system. We need to identify the problem, discover a solution, and focus our money and efforts on that.
That is how the problem will be fixed and our schools improve.
Sent from my autocorrect butchering device.
Last edited by MustangEater82; 11-06-2011 at 06:13 AM..
I also have a very good understanding of what my students will need in the real world because I came from the real world.
Ivorytickler, I believe you are an engineer and came to education from industry, right?!? Did you have to take pedagogy classes and do student-teaching before you went into the classroom?
The reason I ask is that my 7th grade daughter has a math teacher this year who was an engineer and came from industry. They hired her before she had taken any pedagogy classes OR student taught. She is taking her 1st pedagogy class now...I know because she sent home a permission slip for me to sign allowing her to videotape her lessons to prove her "student teaching".
The problem is she has absolutely no knowledge of how students learn. On multiple occasions, my daughter (who is very good at math) has learned a new concept in class, but is frustrated because she can't seem to get the right answer. When she and I do it together, I walk her through the steps and every single time, there is at least 2 or 3 steps this "expert engineer" teacher failed to show to the class.
When I've spoken with this teacher about it, she always says "Oh, I thought 7th graders knew how to do that. I guess I just realized they weren't taught that yet." When I refer her to the curriculum map our district has for all teachers telling them when skills are taught so they can articulate their curriculum, she tells me she doesn't know how to read a curriculum map and doesn't know what the term articulate means.
At least she is honest....but just because you have expert content knowledge doesn't mean you will be good at teaching it to our students.
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... which is, blatently, wrong. They don't come apart.) 
