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That's some wishful thinking, Enrico Fermi. In Hartford, CT it starts at more like $40K. Do you already have two master's degrees? Then you might be closer to 60K.
There is no way Hartford starts that low. Last I checked a couple years ago it was $47k starting with no master's degree.
Check appendix C. For last year, it was 37,811 step 1. It took me 6 seconds and if I wanted to spend another 6 seconds, I could find the current schedule.
I think people have to understand that where you live/work definitely plays into how others see teachers. For example, I live on Long Island. My sister-in-law makes over 100k...I know this for a fact because my brother-in-law always complains about not being the bread-winner and blah, blah, blah. Anyway, she is making over 100k per year, is off from mid-June to the first, sometimes second week of September and does not work during that time at all. All she does all summer is play with her 2-year old toddler.
She gets 2 full weeks off for Christmas break, 1 week off in February for Winter break, 1 and 1/2 weeks off for Spring/Easter break, and many days off peppered throughout the year. She does bring work home on weekends to do...as I have witnessed her grading papers at family functions. (Not sure that it is really fair for a teacher to speed-read through papers in between conversations at the dinner table when they were done by students who may have worked very hard on those assignments...but that is another conversation).
Back to my point, which is: in my area teachers have a pretty sweet deal. Even my sister-in-law's OWN HUSBAND complains to her over and over about how 'cushy' her job is. And, she is just one teacher that I know. I have many teacher friends in my area who do not work in the summers, do not work on their holidays/breaks and make enough money for their husbands to stay home. And, if you do not believe me, that is your choice.
So, like I said, maybe in some parts of the country teachers are being unfairly picked on...but around here no one wants to hear their complaining.
I have to add, I really am ignorant regarding teacher salaries in other parts of the U.S. However, I do know what we have here is not considered 'typical'. I also know that teaching is a hard job, so for those that are underpaid...I really hope things turn around for you. It really stinks to work hard all day and still have trouble paying the bills.
Teachers in my area are grossly underpaid. I think starting pay at our district for a new teacher with just a 4 year degree is $32K/year. Rent for a 2br apartment in my area is about $650-800 per month, so that's close to half of your income (after taxes and retirement).
Most of the younger teachers in my building are either married with a spouse who works, or they have a roommate.
My wife works part time and attends school. It's tough to get by. Hopefully this will be my last year teaching. I love the teaching aspect, but not every day (constantly nagging students for missing work, dealing with behavior issues, immaturity). But I hate the meetings, acronyms for everything, new buzzwords. I've honestly thought about finding a new job and resigning, but I think I can manage to get through this year.
Here, a new teacher without a Master's makes around $47,000. Rent for a studio or one-bedroom apartment in my part of the county is around $1400-$2000/month (the higher end comes with other perks). So, that makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for single teachers to live on their own.
If you don't get those breaks off then where are the teachers? Certainly not at school. And if you say professional development, then you're right back at the argument that teachers have professional development and other professions don't. There is not one thing you've said about "PD that does NOTHING" or lost time doing overhead chores, or any of the rest, that pretty much the whole professional work world does.
And where did you get this idea that "you can work as much as you want to get the job done because you aren't constrained?" Projects have both budget and time limits that dictate everything.
That's my point, teachers keep making these arguments like they are a special case when everyone who has to do all the same "stuff" knows they aren't. I'm not against teachers getting paid what they are worth, as I've stated elsewhere. But you're constantly using an absolutely losing argument when teachers keep arguing that what everyone else considers routine stuff is somehow special. You're not getting any traction and need to change up the argument to be about ROI and value added, and what you bring to the table.
And, for your question " If you do work for an employer like this, why would you stay?" Because I know enough to recognize the BS, meetings, PD, etc is in all jobs and so as a professional I am not exempt from the requirements of my profession.
Sounds like you need to start your own thread. I'm not a teacher....But, I too have training to keep my lic. However, this OP has come here out of frustration which they have a right to do. Seriously....have some empathy....there is no reason to argue every point the OP is trying to make.
I honestly think some of this frustration only someone in the teaching profession can understand.
And, I personally have a lot of empathy for teachers, the one's my kids had over the years were very hard working, and often spent their own paychecks to supply their classrooms and children with essentials.
I think it sounds to me like the ESL children need to get special tutoring and that is something we as a country need to address, before we send them into the general classroom to feel the defeat this OP is attempting explain.
I would like to know the differences in private schools and how they are addressing these issues with ESL students...and what can be changed in our public schools to improve these issues across the board.
OP hang in there....it is hard to change locations, and perhaps you will need to give yourself some time to adjust, the transitions make life difficult. But, if you really love teaching, don't throw the time you've invested away. I hope you can come to grips with your feelings and it all works out. Good luck to you
I think people have to understand that where you live/work definitely plays into how others see teachers. For example, I live on Long Island. My sister-in-law makes over 100k...I know this for a fact because my brother-in-law always complains about not being the bread-winner and blah, blah, blah. Anyway, she is making over 100k per year, is off from mid-June to the first, sometimes second week of September and does not work during that time at all. All she does all summer is play with her 2-year old toddler.
She gets 2 full weeks off for Christmas break, 1 week off in February for Winter break, 1 and 1/2 weeks off for Spring/Easter break, and many days off peppered throughout the year. She does bring work home on weekends to do...as I have witnessed her grading papers at family functions. (Not sure that it is really fair for a teacher to speed-read through papers in between conversations at the dinner table when they were done by students who may have worked very hard on those assignments...but that is another conversation).
Back to my point, which is: in my area teachers have a pretty sweet deal. Even my sister-in-law's OWN HUSBAND complains to her over and over about how 'cushy' her job is. And, she is just one teacher that I know. I have many teacher friends in my area who do not work in the summers, do not work on their holidays/breaks and make enough money for their husbands to stay home. And, if you do not believe me, that is your choice.
So, like I said, maybe in some parts of the country teachers are being unfairly picked on...but around here no one wants to hear their complaining.
I have to add, I really am ignorant regarding teacher salaries in other parts of the U.S. However, I do know what we have here is not considered 'typical'. I also know that teaching is a hard job, so for those that are underpaid...I really hope things turn around for you. It really stinks to work hard all day and still have trouble paying the bills.
My kids have never ever gotten 2 full weeks off for Christmas. Sometimes, the spring break can run over one week, depending on how Easter/Passover falls, but it is never ever a full 2 weeks off. While I agree that Long Island teachers do have it better than many other teachers in other parts of the country, the description of your SIL's devotion to her job is atypical. NYS licenses are no longer "forever" and newer teachers must take 178 credits through either college courses or approved in-service classes every 5 years in order to renew their license. Most LI teachers are also heavily involved in professional organizations, serve on committees and write materials for publications, as well as curricula. Like everywhere else, there are numerous meetings throughout the school year, which doesn't end until around June 21 or so, not mid-June as you pointed out. Most teachers do go into school during the summer and usually spend quite some time in August setting up their classrooms. It may be that your SIL is a lazy teacher who is grandfathered into the old policies, but most others appear to me, to be more dedicated and seem to spend a great deal of outside time. I remember my kid's middle schools social studies teacher came to our home twice to take a look at a project that was entered into a prestigious competition. I am also grateful for the high school English teacher,2 guidance counselors, social studies chairperson, math chairperson who helped with the tumultuous junior and senior years of the college application process for selective schools. My kid would never have been offered the scholarships and acceptances from Ivies without those teachers' help over and beyond the regular school day. To be fair to your SIL, it is possible that since she has a toddler, she may be doing the minimum for now, as her priority is to be available for a very young child of her own. I can understand her desire to spend the summer with her own child.
What is a fall break? I have never heard of that. My kids would have loved your calendar. They only got 1 week for Christmas and spring breaks.
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Actually, we really don't care much for it. First, seems like none of the schools in the state are on the same schedule (maybe not literally, but it seems that way), so while my kids were out, often their friends were not and vice versa. Second, we lost a lot of summer to make up for it. So they were in school during some of the best vacation season and out of school during mud season.
All told we'd have much rather had the traditional school calendar.
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