Are teachers payed too little in the USA.

[Epidemic]

http://www.heartland.org/education/may97/much.htm


I thought this was interesting. Is more money the solution to education???

[Redwolf]

Just throwing money at education won't help. We need to rethink our educational system.

[Epidemic]

Did you read the link???

[Redwolf]

not all of it,

[Redwolf]

Okay...now I have

[daveleau]

This is the worst compensated profession int he US as far as I am concerned. We entrust our children's future to these young (mostly) men and women and pay them peanuts (20-25K/ year is nothing). The administrators who cause the majority of the problems, get paid $100-$200k/year in my old area. Seems backwards to me...

Dave

PS- I agree throwing money at education will not help, but there needs to be more incentive for people to teach. We need to take money away from admins and away from areas like football and to go towards education (don't cut football, but don't give it the huge budget it typically gets either)

[Mntsnow]

Are teachers payed too little in the USA?


While I dont know about ALL of the USA, I will say YES to that statement cause of Utah.
My Wife is a teacher for the Jordan School District here in Utah and I know first hand that she makes nowhere near what she should be and I watch money from our OWN pockets going to pay for stuff to allow her to be an even more effective teacher.

We wonder why our kids aren't learning anything... Why would most bright creative intelligent compassionate indivduals work for that kind of money? Sure some good ones do for the love of kids and the future. But don't forget that love don't pay the rent.

[Epidemic]

The average pay for the school teachers listed in the article are making more than twice the average income of the American worker.

I took on this endeavor when I noticed that most teacher I know are making aroung 70,000 to 80,000 dollars. A fair wage I would think. So I went looking for more info. This article which other than petty picking is accepted as fact by the NEA. They make claims that above and beyond the 35 hour work week they do homework and lesson plans. So in their 185 day work year they make almost as much as the average business person of equal education. I know that there is a low starting salary but the incentive is that there is like half the year in work with additional salary available to those who wish to work the summer sessions. The Choice of taking a summer savatical is not an option to the average business worker. I do not see any teachers with tenyear changing business like other industries. I would say once tenyear is achieved they feel quite well compensated or at least compfortable enough to not want to give up the perks.

I find it strange that with what I have seen that Americans believe that teachers are so poorly compensated. I am not saying that there could not be some improvement in starting salaries or the more even handed raises prior to tenyear. But they are not heinously underpayed like you would be lead to believe.

[vass0922]

I don't agree with that article...
What they're saying is that teachers get paid more since they only work 200 some days a year.. what.. they dont LIVE 365 days a year?? Think a lot of companies with real pay are going to hire them for a WHOLE 3 months?!
Don't think so.. if they can work it'd be summer school (no pay) or something small... certainly nothing to compensate for their lost wages.
They only work 36-39 hours.. WHAT?!?!
What teachers don't do homework?
They don't grade papers at home?
They don't make up lesson plans from home?
I think they put up with a hell of alot for the little pay they get.. IMO
Not to mention dealing with the kids