Do Teachers Get Paid "Peanuts"? (counselor, professors, salary)
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No one forced us to become teachers. The point that most of us have made here (perhaps you should read the entire thread?) is that we constantly hear about what a cushy free ride we teachers are on, at taxpayer expense. All of our efforts here have been to explain misconceptions, and outright lies.
Upon hearing that this was my 20th year teaching I have had three different people (all at Little League games) ask me if I was going to retire. "Are you doing 20 years and out?" "Oh, so you have enough years to retire now." Just last night, at my son's baseball game, I was told, "Hey! 20 years! That's your magic number, right?" Somehow people have this idea that I can retire with 20 years of service. Maybe technically I can draw a greatly reduced state retirement, but all of them were surprised that I will work another 13-14 years before I can claim my full benefits. I still won't be "old", but retiring with 34 years of service is a far cry from a "20 years and out" scenario.
Gee another public shool teacher self pityfest thread.
Wunderbar!
Try teaching for 5 years and you'll join us.
I've never worked as hard as I do, as a teacher, for so little pay and respect. I got twice the money and 10 times the respect for half the work when I was an engineer. Oh, I put in more face hours but actually worked a lot less as I never took my work home with me.
I miss the pay, respect and time off I had as an engineer. I miss my evenings and weekends being my own. I miss being able to read a book any time during the year. Being able to make Christmas gifts because I had time. I really appreciate a job I took for granted for so many years. Hopefully, this will all be rectified soon.
As for teachers being overpaid ... no. Given the fact that they are required to continue their education regularly and on their own dime, that they routinely take work home, and that they have a heap of crap to deal with in the classroom and out, most are probably underpaid for the amount and intensity of the work they do.
And those "summers off" -- 8 to 10 weeks, if they're lucky. For which they do not get paid.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hensleya1
The state hasn't done anything about the levy system because nothing needs to be done. Frankly, I like the idea of holding the school districts accountable to the voters periodically.
OK, I'll agree with this. I like Ohio's system of forcing the school board to justify the need for more money. Of course, the boards always hang busing and sports over the heads of the taxpayers, but in many cases, if the expense increase is truly justifiable, rationally presented, and in line with reality, taxes are approved.
Where I live now (Pennsylvania), school boards can raise taxes within certain limits whenever they darn well please ... and they do,every single year. In addition, there's some mysterious income tax formula between the school district and the cities/townships that comprise it; the city collects the tax and shares it with the school district. And that can go up without voter approval as well; a few years ago, my income tax went from 1.6 percent to 2.1 percent. And nobody asked the voters if it was OK with us.
Quote:
it's far better than handing the school district a blank check via an earnings tax.
An earnings tax is not a blank check; how can it be? The residents of the district earn only so much in salary, and the school board can't change that.
What the earnings tax does do is grow as income grows, and property taxes do not. For instance, say the voters approve a 1-mill levy. By Ohio law, voters have approved the amount of money that 1 mill will bring in on the day it takes effect. So as property values increase, the actual millage levied on the property decreases because property owners are paying the amount of taxes levied against the property on the day the levy went into effect. The amount of money always stays the same on that 1-mill levy, and renewing the levy does not increase the amount collected.
Whereas, a 1 percent income tax increases as household income increases. Taxing authorities don't have to go back to the voters as often, the tax is shouldered by a larger number of people, the tax does not expire. School officials prefer it because they can better forecast their income.
I've never worked as hard as I do, as a teacher, for so little pay and respect. I got twice the money and 10 times the respect for half the work when I was an engineer. Oh, I put in more face hours but actually worked a lot less as I never took my work home with me.
I miss the pay, respect and time off I had as an engineer. I miss my evenings and weekends being my own. I miss being able to read a book any time during the year. Being able to make Christmas gifts because I had time. I really appreciate a job I took for granted for so many years. Hopefully, this will all be rectified soon.
mmmmmm hmmmmm
Well then why don't you tell me the stroy about the time that someone held a gun to your head and made you chosse teaching in the public school system as a career.
Well then why don't you tell me the stroy about the time that someone held a gun to your head and made you chosse teaching in the public school system as a career.
I didn't say anyone did. I just said that I work harder as a teacher than I did as an engineer and I am not valued as a teacher. What's your point? That people should accept miserable working conditions, lack of respect and pay that sucks because they chose the field? That's BS and you know it. We all have the right to fight for good working conditions, respect for what we do and decent pay and the first step towards a public employee, like teachers, to get that is making the public aware of the situation.
I stand by what I said. I work a lot more hours as a teacher than I ever dreamt of as an engineer for half the pay and none of the respect. I think that's a problem that should be fixed even though I'm planning on moving back into engineering. I will lobby for that to be corrected for the rest of my life after having lived it. I think teaching should be a valued profession that pays well and has working conditions that allow teachers to do their jobs well. There's a lot riding on teachers.
Well then why don't you tell me the stroy about the time that someone held a gun to your head and made you chosse teaching in the public school system as a career.
It isn't pity to defend against claims that we are OVERPAID.
Remember, and I've said this many times: very few people question engineers, doctors, scientists, dentist, trash men, etc. Why? Because those occupations all have specialized training (so does teaching) and very few people have even tried to understand the training.
On the other hand, everyone has gone to school and as a result think they are experts, even though they have none of the specialized training needed to be a teacher.
As I've also said before: you have a question about building a pier or seawall you ask a Marine Engineer. You want to know how to get kids to read you ask the guy in front of the liquor store holding a 40oz. in a paper bag.
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"Are you doing 20 years and out?" "Oh, so you have enough years to retire now." Just last night, at my son's baseball game, I was told, "Hey! 20 years! That's your magic number, right?" Somehow people have this idea that I can retire with 20 years of service. Maybe technically I can draw a greatly reduced state retirement, but all of them were surprised that I will work another 13-14 years before I can claim my full benefits. I still won't be "old", but retiring with 34 years of service is a far cry from a "20 years and out" scenario.
