What a way to feel valued as a teacher...

[booker81]

Things are going kaput here in MI too for the teachers - and I really feel for them. There is just no way someone can not only control, but TEACH classes that are over 40 students of young kids, how do they expect it to happen? You can throw the highest salary you want, but expecting one person to be a daycare, teacher, parent and mediator for that many kids is just insane.

The Governor also wants to cut another $300 per pupil in funding for the school as well - who does that help? Schools already can't afford supplies.

For the $100k, ok, it's $54k in wages and the rest benefits. What are the benefits? How many kids are they teaching? What supplies are they purchasing from that paycheck? Honestly, I don't find that "a lot".

I'm at an entry level job in IT, but even my benefits are pushing a fair number, rough guess right now of about $20k (employee discounts, 401k matching, profit sharing, bonus etc. ) My husband is a line clearance worker, GED education, and makes about $50k a year, but our health insurance, vision and dental is completely paid for, plus his pension - so probably about another $50k in fringe for him. There ya go folks, you too can make $100k with a GED...if you like climbing trees with chainsaws by powerlines.

Apples and oranges. You couldn't pay me enough to make me be a teacher. I have all the respect in the world for those who did well with what they had when I was in school. They earned every dime, and I feel I owe them a lot more.

 

[Mattemma]

I hope things work out for you. Have you ever looking into online schools,profit schools,or being a tutor? Might be an option for staying in that area.

We do private school while we have the cash.Pay the tuition,supply fees,gym fees,and so on. One thing that bums me out about the local public school system is people retire,get their retirement benefits,and then get RE-HIRED.So they get retirement benefits AND a salary. Yea,they might be more experienced,but it does mean one less job for a graduate.

Anyway I do hope things work out for you! Around here toll workers(people sitting in a booth collecting money) get $18 and hour. How much better it would be to pay them $10 an hour,and allocate the rest towards education. Some people get way to much for jobs that really should be on a lower pay scale.

School administrators-well there are to many.Why 4 principals for a small high school? Lol,again instead of cutting teachers and programs maybe revamp the whole pay and benefit scale for EVERYONE involved. I know that will never happen so I am looking forward to the kids being done with school soon.

 

[WyandotteTX]

Welsummer, I think you need to not speak of things you dont know about.
Average teacher salary in Texas is around $40,000.
Need to earn my paycheck huh? Right, because the 12 to 18 hour days I spend at work isnt enough.

You know its amazing how everyone spouts the figures of how the US is behind in education but they dont know the truth behind those figures. In the other countries we are compared against they DONT include every student. But here in the US we have every person from the smartest to those who have an IQ of 75 because their mother was a crack head or an alcoholic. Many want to complain about discipline in schools as well but they are usually the same person who calls the Principal, Superintendent and School Board when their child is suspended because of drugs or some other horrible thing.
Its amazing how people who have never done your job always think they can do it better than you can.....

 

[10 point]

Teachers are only second to family when it comes to importance in life.

 

[pbjmaker]

Quote:
Thank you - in other countries children are also given tracks based on their testing abilities at a young age (I think in Japan it is 10 years old)

They DO NOT include their mentally challenged children, nor recent immigrants. I sat just this week for a major national test with a mentally and behaviorally challenged kid who cannot read at grade level yet he was given the grade level test along with 4 other students in the same position. In fact one girl who was very Caucasian was just guessing at the personal information bubble. She put in that she was African American and they mostly spoke Spanish at home. She couldn't read the questions and the tester wasn't allowed to help her.

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

This is an ad in Wisconsin for teachers. I am pretty sure if they were trying to recruit and the average salary was actually $100,000 they would be telling people that!

http://www.teacher-world.com/statespages/Wisconsin.html

The list of average salaries is listed on the right. I know Wisconsin teachers and none of them are hauling home that kind of money. Additionally, the strike is teachers, fire fighters, police and all other public employees.


There are too many people who think it is OK to pay a sprots figure millions of dollars a eyar, but teachers - who are our future by the way - are over paid....

There is not enough money or valium on the planet to get me to put up with what they do.

Always check where you're getting your info - if the group making it has an agenda ask yourself if their agenda influences their numbers.

 

[Raiquee]

There is no doubt that teachers work very hard for their money. I am from WI, and altho I don't believe teachers get 100k a year (okay maybe in private schools, or maybe in a university with a masters/phD) everyone knows whats been going on lately in WI.

I have a friend whos a teacher, elementary school and he meets us at starbucks and grades papers on his off time. How many of us say we bring home work with us? If I brought home work with me each night, I'd be upset. Teachers constantly do work outside of work, learning plans, grading papers, bringing in things for class, etc etc. There is no reason to say they do not work hard for their wage. Now with college professors they have them doing online courses. I am amazed at how many classes my college professors have on campus, and then some of them even work in the field they are teaching about, to keep fresh for the students. That's dedication in my eyes! That same professor that teachs a full day, goes to work in a hospital odd hours, also helped me get a job by giving me a reference and writing me a letter of recommendation. Holy cow!

I think those statistics are correct, but you need to realize cultural differences play a big role here. A lot of other countries are in desperate need to better themselves by education, because it's their only way to survive. They need education because if they don't they will live in poverty. It's a life/death situation. In our culture, most kids are able to live in the basements of their parents until...well....see the problem? If there is no fire lite under their bums, whats motivating them to go to school and further their education. If they can work at McD's and spend their money on whatever because mama and daddy buy them everything, whos really at fault? My parents taught me the importance of going to college, but i had a job at a petstore and they paid for the roof over my head so I got to spend my money on whatever I wanted. Then I decided I could do it on my own, and got a reality check. Making $7 an hour was not going to pay for an apt, my phone, oh I have to pay for electricity and my food too? Once my parents said they wouldn't let me move back in and I had to figure it out (tough love which I LOVE them for) I went back to college!

 

[Spookwriter]

Even as our local school district has the same issues of
"Oh my, we're out of money. Have to cut programs, get rid
of some teachers" at the same time they're also building two
new football stadiums at a cost of just under five million dollars.

This is on top of the cost of several new schools built in the last
few years.

Did I mention they run two separate bus's for the elementary
studentsand the high school? Children in the same home may
ride two different school bus's.

One of the closed schools just sold last weekend at a public auction
for $60,000. That school had a brand new playground out in three
years ago and the parking lot repaved just last year. Landscaping was
beautiful...tree's, bushes, nice lawn.

Maybe I'm wrong. But as a parent I feel the school money is better
invested in quality teachers giving our children a quality education.

 

[swift4me]

I have no comments on the accuracy of salary figures mentioned here, but I do know what the local teachers made where I lived in California, and realative to finding the same salary and benefits in the private sector lately, it seems within the realm of fairness. There are lots of posts on here by people who would love to find a job paying 45K plus health care and a pension of some sort. Back in the 90's when everybody in CA who could fog a mirror was working for a dotcom or a high tech firm, we couldn't find employees in our stores at a wage we could afford, (40-45K/year in outdoor retail). I'm sure teachers felt underpaid then too.

I do have a few thoughts though...

1. Teacher's salaries have been common discussion for many years now, and when someone wants to start teaching, it is easy to find out the potential wage scale if they are hired. If the salaries and benefits offered by the employer are not enough for you, then why go ahead and start down that career track knowing that you are "underpaid". I know that teaching is special, but it is a job.... no?

2. In California, many immigrant children excel in overcrowded public schools. I know that there are many more who do not. There are many white kids who excel and many more who do not. I never hear the media, or discussions like these, talk about what happens in the home. Schools cannot raise children. That job has to be done at home. If it isn't done at home, we're pissing our tax dollars away trying to raise the average competance of the kids in public school by paying teachers more money. It has to start at home. So many kids have no serious parenting in their homes, and many others are coddled or spoiled due to divorce.

3. It is not going to get better. Many states are going to have to really cut existing pension plans just to keep the lights on. Not just for teachers, but all public employees.... even if there were some new taxes. Simple economics.

Good luck,

Pete

 

[dela1991]

Quote:
Good teachers are worth that much. I have never been a teacher and would not want to be. It is a tough job. My three children were educated in public schools and had teachers who believed in them and helped them realize their potential. To me, that is worth $100,000.