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New teachers are definitely underpaid but on the flip side experienced teachers make can easily crack 100K. Furthermore, their retirement is a joke. It is very back end heavy and most teachers don't get close to a full pension. Overall, I think it is a fair deal.
As many have said, the job is demanding and just made worse by parents and crappy administrators. My wife is a teacher and I hear all of the stories on how they can't touch a kid even when they go off the deep end. One school had to call the police on a second grader because the parents refused to come to the school and deal with their child.
New teachers are definitely underpaid but on the flip side experienced teachers make can easily crack 100K.
Only in areas with a high cost of living, where $100K doesn't go as far as you'd think it would.
My husband has nearly 30 years of experience and only just in the last couple of years made it to $50,000....and that's including a couple of yearly bonuses based on county sales taxes, which fluctuate.
I will add that teachers in my area have additional sick days when they are injured on the job by a student. It's not part of worker's compensation. There is a limit of days before the teacher files for worker's comp. I was assaulted twice, once having to take off a few days for medical care and recovery. Teachers are also eligible for free psychological counseling when this happens.
In Kentucky any days missed as a result of a student assault are covered 100%, as they should be.
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New teachers are definitely underpaid but on the flip side experienced teachers make can easily crack 100K. Furthermore, their retirement is a joke. It is very back end heavy and most teachers don't get close to a full pension. Overall, I think it is a fair deal.
As many have said, the job is demanding and just made worse by parents and crappy administrators. My wife is a teacher and I hear all of the stories on how they can't touch a kid even when they go off the deep end. One school had to call the police on a second grader because the parents refused to come to the school and deal with their child.
I teach in one of the highest paying states when it comes to teacher salaries. Only a handful of districts have a teaching guide that goes above $100k for teaching. If someone becomes an administrator or department chair, or takes on a bunch of clubs or stipended extracurriculars much more likely but "just" teaching, not common enough to say they "easily crack $100k".
If you've never experienced the misery of grading... you've never been a teacher and understand nothing.
The act of "teaching" - meaning doing the actual performance - is the easy part of being a teacher. It's the fun part, the creative part, the part we see as students. As a student, you don't see any of the back-end work.
I'd put teaching on par with legal work for the amount of mundane & time-consuming banality that goes on in the back-end. And lawyers get paid a heck of a lot more than teachers, and are far more respected.
That's without taking any discipline issues into account, which others already have.
My wife has a "normal" professional job. No, her job does not follow her home like teaching does. She has to put in more direct office time, but long story short, what happens at work stays at work. Not so with teaching. All the grading and the planning has to take place during off-hours. It can be life-consuming if you let it. I've seen enthusiastic young teachers literally do nothing but work, and of course they wash out in 3 years or less. No one can stand that stress for long.
As far as they're paid, considering they're on 10 month contracts, I think it's okay, but not for those districts who pay like $30k to start. Teachers everywhere should be paid 40-45k to start at least. I'd say the end of career top-out should be around $85-90k. Experienced teachers really are much, MUCH better than new ones. It takes 3-5 years just to get the ropes down and learn what works for the individual teacher. I would be fine with extending the school year to a full year, and paying teachers accordingly for a 12 month contract.
Last edited by redguard57; 11-30-2016 at 12:04 PM..
As far as they're paid, considering they're on 10 month contracts, I think it's okay, but not for those districts who pay like $30k to start. Teachers everywhere should be paid 40-45k to start at least. I'd say the end of career top-out should be around $85-90k. Experienced teachers really are much, MUCH better than new ones. It takes 3-5 years just to get the ropes down and learn what works for the individual teacher. I would be fine with extending the school year to a full year, and paying teachers accordingly for a 12 month contract.
I don't get how teachers can start at 30K. That is terrible.
The experienced teacher argument is an interesting one. When my wife started teaching 4 years ago, she was worried the parents would be all over her for being a new teacher and request to pull the kids out of her class. What happened is that she had parents begging her to move their kids INTO her class. One of the other experienced teachers was terrible and everyone knew it. Furthermore, as she moved into year 4, she is spending significantly less time prepping lessons. The joys of a union and teacher tenure.
I don't get how teachers can start at 30K. That is terrible.
The experienced teacher argument is an interesting one. When my wife started teaching 4 years ago, she was worried the parents would be all over her for being a new teacher and request to pull the kids out of her class. What happened is that she had parents begging her to move their kids INTO her class. One of the other experienced teachers was terrible and everyone knew it. Furthermore, as she moved into year 4, she is spending significantly less time prepping lessons. The joys of a union and teacher tenure.
Maybe she's naturally good, which some people are. Some people are naturally good with kids and hold their attention. Others need more practice. In my experience, seasoned teachers always have better control.
You said she's on year 4, which is about the point you know what you're doing enough that it doesn't take all your time.
Like I said, teaching has a performance aspect, and like actors, some are better than others. That doesn't mean that studios should fire all actors because they are all not academy award winners.
I don't know what was wrong with the teacher you're referring to.
I don't get how teachers can start at 30K. That is terrible.
The experienced teacher argument is an interesting one. When my wife started teaching 4 years ago, she was worried the parents would be all over her for being a new teacher and request to pull the kids out of her class. What happened is that she had parents begging her to move their kids INTO her class. One of the other experienced teachers was terrible and everyone knew it. Furthermore, as she moved into year 4, she is spending significantly less time prepping lessons. The joys of a union and teacher tenure.
Just going to ask how her gaining more experience and skill developing lessons interacts with the "joys of a union and teacher tenure"?
You wrote, "...districts compete with each other for good teacher through benefits".
I agree. Our benefits and pay are lagging behind surrounding districts. So, that is why I wrote, "That's probably why we have so many unfilled teaching positions".
Teachers everywhere should be paid 40-45k to start at least. I'd say the end of career top-out should be around $85-90k. Experienced teachers really are much, MUCH better than new ones. It takes 3-5 years just to get the ropes down and learn what works for the individual teacher.
I don't think you can put a blanket pay range like that and say teachers everywhere should get that amount. It's been mentioned before. The COL has to be considered.
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