Qtpies7~ Said,

I don’t disagree that teachers are not paid enough. However, they do not teach that much to all children. They teach to tests, and many kids are left in the dust because they don’t learn the right way.
It isn’t the teachers faults, it is the system.
You can bet that if parents could put their tax money into the schools they wanted to use, all education levels would go up. Because schools would actually HAVE to be good. And parents wouldn’t be forced to have mediocre educations for their kids while the next school system over, or the Christian school down the road, all have great educations.
Teachers should be able to USE their teaching skills to reach all students instead of trying to make sure the kids score well on their tests.

I am a homeschooling teacher. So I know how hard it is to teach, and to teach to different learning styles and grade levels and even learning disabled children.

RC Said,

My older sister is a teacher and would really appreciate this. I’ll have to share it with her…

Kelly Rigby@SHE-POWER Said,

Here here!

Are you in the US? Because I thought teachers over there earned less than $50,000. Either way, it’s an important job that doesn’t have the status it deserves.

I was an ESL teacher before my son was born and I taught classes with people 15 and over, and to do your job well requires planning and a lot of energy and nurturing. It used to leave me exhausted and monosyllabic at the end of the day, and I wasn’t dealing with 20-30 kids/teenagers!

Kelly

count ludwig Said,

I agree teachers are not paid enough - but this kind of creative accounting doesn’t further their case.

Elana Avey Said,

I grew up in the 70s and I cant remember anything I was taught in school. Sesame Street taught me to read and books, my parents, Mr. Rogers, Electric Company, Zoom and my siblings taught me everything else.

What I did learn in school was that teachers could be rude and mean but kids couldnt or you got in trouble. A double standard.
Iyou were ADD or hyper they were even meaner. That many of them really didnt care and none of them remembered you after a few years.

School was the most horrifying part of my life and I am still licking wounds from the first 20 years of that hell. I was failed twice but OMG oddly enough made honor roll my first year in college. I was verbally abused by more than one teacher as was my mother.

I home school my children. I would have it no other way. I feel that public school is just not an option anymore for people seeking to raise healthy, confident, secure children. Its the lazy way out. I mean, who else besides lazy people would pay 1.25 for child care? You get what you pay for.

I have a degree and I am highly intelligent and I give no credit to public school and maybe three or four of the 40-50 teachers I had throughout elementary-jr.high and high school.

Being a teacher used to be an honorable job but not anymore. Now its just a bunch of women who have sold their souls to the devil (the government) and want to get paid way too much for it.

truebedoo Said,

I love this! I work to help individuals navigate the teacher licensure process. My Mother and Sister are both teachers and I understand the lack of support that teachers receive - especially in the monetary compensation department. I work to ‘inspire’ individuals to get into the school systems, especially public K-12 high need schools, regardless of the money.

On a separate note, no disrespect to Qtpies but her comments are pretty naive. She professes that she is a teacher because she ‘home-schools’ her children. Homeschooling does not make you a teacher! I volunteer with over 3500 families, several of which are ‘home-schooled’. Out of those I know, 7 are actually knowledgeable enough to be a teacher. Most don’t even had post secondary education!

Qtpies stated that teachers are limited to teaching to the tests and yes that is a frustration that most teachers agree with but that does not mean they should not be compensated properly!

And don’t get me started on the misconception that “Christian” schools are better than public schools….

Can you tell that I have strong opinions about this subject! lol

mjh3kf Said,

I love this! I am a future teacher (graduate next year) and come from a long line of teachers. I grew up in Missouri, and my father barely makes $30,000 (before taxes). Its better in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area where I live now, but still.
And I agree with Truebedoo about teaching to the test and home-school teachers. Teachers don’t want to teach to the test-we’re required to by administration. Who is going to argue administration and get fired? No one! But if you look for a school to take your kids to/teach in that does not teach the test, you will be better off. Texas is over-tested, and they have been for years. But teachers here are sick of teaching to the test and have improved their methodology in teaching to where their students retain knowledge for the exams without having to directly teach the test.
And home-school parents, yikes. My aunt home-schooled 3 of her kids (having only graduating high school) and once those kids “graduated” they were totally not prepared for college or tech school. I know that’s not how every home-school teacher is, but if this is the average, then I’d rather send my kids to school.

Steve Said,

Now this is a refreshing way to look at the real problem! Had me going there for a moment!

diva Said,

Wonder why truebedoo felt the need to put “Christian” in quotes? There had to be a good reason because she seems to know everything about everything, including the credentials of every teacher in America.

diva Said,

..and don’t get me started on Elena. Go get some therapy for those unresolved issues. School wasn’t easy for me either, but luckily, I grew up.

No, I’m not a teacher, nor would I have such a tough job.

Kristen Said,

I hope that Elana Avey isn’t teaching her kids grammar - her post is loaded with errors!!

As a special education teacher of 5th and 6th graders, I got this post a few months ago and LOVED it! We passed it all over school. True, we do have a test to “teach to”, but teaching also involves nurturing, disciplining, mothering, caregiving, nursing, nutrition, counseling and other jobs not in our description at all. I don’t think that we should be millionaires. I do believe that all other occupations owe thanks to a teacher and therefore, we should be compensated at least as well those who benefit from our work.

It is sad that there are students like Elana who have had such a negative experience. But were she truly as educated as she claims, she would understand that to lump all educators into one group is not only naive, but also close-minded and immature on her part. There are bad teachers out there of course, but so make broad, sweeping statements about all of us is just ludicrous. In addition, the government does have our souls, just our salary.

I agree, truebedoo, homeschooling does not a teacher make!

Exe Said,

truebedo said “She professes that she is a teacher because she ‘home-schools’ her children. Homeschooling does not make you a teacher!”

You’re right that it doesn’t make you a teacher. It makes you an educator- and a good parent.

And being a teacher doesn’t make you an educator…

beenthere Said,

I worked for the public schools in Special Programs. I worked with high risk kids and was very successful with most of them. Many of them begged me to come and work at their school so I could be their teacher. They really responded to me because they knew that I genuinely cared about them. There are way too many teachers today who are there for the time off and the paychecks. Teachers love to blame the parents or any other scapegoat for their bad performance. Sometimes this is the case but many times it is because the teacher does not perform well. Who suffers from this? Our children do. I had to decipher many of the notes that teachers sent me because the handwriting was so bad. I have also received notes from teachers with so many misspelled words that it is a sin! If someone has a college education, shouldn’t they be able to spell? They are “TEACHING!” I know there are many hardworking, dedicated and knowledgeable teachers but there are just as many who are there for all the wrong reasons. Sorry folks, but I don’t have much sympathy for the teachers. My sympathy lies with the kids who get those “BAD” teachers. I think teachers should have cameras in the classrooms at all times so they know they are being monitored. Then maybe they would either get out or do a better job!

Caitlin Said,

I am a photography teacher at a local high school. I graduated from college about four years ago.
To the first comment: There is no way I teach to tests. I teach to learn. To educate kids about photography. You are only in my class because you want to be. I write the tests for that class also, so I teach what I want to teach.
I also make just less than 50,000 a year. I am at 40,000. Yes…10,000 makes a difference you are trying to raise a and keep a house up and running.
Everyone makes schools out to be worse than they are. I learned a lot from a public school. My teachers did not only teach towards the tests. Public schools have such a bad reputation and so do the teachers in it. I do not think that is fair. Every school is different along with every teacher. All over the news you hear about these bad teachers doing wrong things to their students. Don’t judge the rest of us off of what you see on the news and past experiences. We’re not all bad.

Steve Said,

Let’s face it, most people don’t really value education. They talk a lot about it and complain about it, but when it’s time to open their wallets or commit some time they are no where to be seen. This is my 5th and last year teaching at the High School level. I can count on one hand the amount of phone calls I’ve received from parents this school year. I get paid a paltry 33k a year, my health insurance is a joke and there seems to be no limit to the amount of time my school expects me to commit after hours. My kids joke with me about how they’ll make more money than me when they graduate and take a job in the energy sector. The not so funny thing is that they are right. I feel bad about leaving the kids, but at the same time I have 3 of my own that I need to raise and put through college. Oh well.

Melissa Said,

teachers deserve every cent they get, chill out.

Brett Said,

Thanks for the smile!
I’d like to address Ms. Avey’s comments.
I do not take any of her remarks personally, as according to the statement “Now its just a bunch of women who have sold their souls to the devil (the government) and want to get paid way too much for it.”, it is not directed towards me anyway. I am a male teacher. But in defense of other teachers who are female, I think it is way too broad.
I for one would never discredit someone for homeschooling her or his child(ren), but I would hope that they would be qualified to. I would also hope that they are set up as to allow their children to interact with other children. Unfortunately, what I have seen is that SOME kids who are taught at home, miss out on the positive things that being schooled with others offers, (interaction, solving problems with others, learning to be a part of a structured environment of more than just a couple people.) By no means does this apply to all kids taught at home, but neither do the comments made by Ms. Avey apply to millions of kids taught at private and public schools.
I went through the public school system in the 70’s as well and what I recall were teachers that were underpaid, overworked, and there by choice. Somehow that is what I see in the 2000’s.
Lastly, I am puzzled by the statement “Being a teacher used to be an honorable job but not anymore.” When was it honorable? It must of been before the 70’s, because by the way you state your experiences were in the 70’s, that statement doesn’t reflect that. If you are referring to a TV show such as Little House on the Prairie, (I use this as you appear to have spent a lot of time in front of the TV, rather than on homework), that show was make believe. I assure you it was nothing like that in reality.
Aside from getting help with those painful memories, you might VOLUNTEER as a teachers aid for a few months, and then repost.
Again… Thanks for the smile.

Pam Galloway Said,

Chris, I love your tongue in cheek recommendations for Teacher Pay Reform! Bravo! I’m not a professional teacher, but I do “sub” for them. I was priviledged to serve in a long term “substitute” capacity recently. Wow, what an education I got! The responsibilities that fall to our teachers are immense. No one would squabble that teachers are expected to educate our children; but our schools have become much more holding areas than learning environments. Daily our educators are held responsible for accomplishing their work in impossible situations much like demanding someone lull an infant to sleep in a construction zone! I have seen the frustration of those who truly want to educate our kids. I’ve also learned from the kids what they want…not to be yelled at; not to have to do busy work; to be taught in an interesting and stimulating manner; and…this one will surprise you…order in their classrooms. The kids look to the teachers to establish and maintain the learning environment. And the best teachers successfully blend order with fun; education with excitment; discipline with love. I’ve long believed that every person who runs for public office should be required to spend at least one week each semester subbing in the various grades and schools of their voter base. Not some cushy honors class or some prearranged set up, but real life, everyday class rooms. This comment has gone on way too long, for which I apologize. I’ll close with this. Teachers are expected to plant fruit trees in mine fields. Any teacher that continues to teach after the first two years deserves $50 K yearly minimum with full benefits and with at least a $10 K increase every two years following that they stay in the classroom. Thanx for the space!

Rodney Said,

Oh lovely. Despite your incorrect ellipsis, sentence errors, forgotten spaces, and your redundant exclamation point, your article is still rather ignorant. Perhaps you do not see that teachers do more than babysit. They essentially control our future, and, at least in the Portland-Metro area, they will be seeing higher salaries in the near future. And apparently you are a teacher. Are you, by chance, a P.E. teacher?

ex-babysitter Said,

HMMM?
I would have loved to be paid $3 an hour for each kid!
That is great pricing for babysitting. Most parents pay say 20 for a night for mulitple kids! That is good just to get 20!
I know my friends and I never received by the hour. It was per night.
Plus, Stupid parents want to try to add on cleaning and other chores to baby sitting.

So, Let’s get realistic. No I will not wash your dishes and feed your kids. I do not wash your clothing and make your beds. Why should I clean your toilets?
I’m being paid to watch your kids. Oh and NO, I can’t help them with their math I have my own homework.

Hence, the reason I am an ex babysitter. I don’t find parents want to pay very well. Plus, If you won’t do the extras they find other laborers like grandmas!

So, Get real teacher and babysit once before you decide just what babysitting is. Plus, I’ve also checked into being a high paid babysitter at a preschool. THey don’t get paid for all they do either. I’d rather just babysit during the night when kids at least sleep some.

Before you compare your job to someone else’s be smart enough to actually find out what the other guy does first OK!

thanks
ex-babysitter

ex-babysitter Said,

I forgot to ask one thing.

When does a teacher have to deal with changing the bedsheets of a 9 year old who still has bedwetting problems? Plus, The diapers of the baby sister!
Good grief! I hate this post because it false idolizes babysitting. I think a teacher should be smarter than to promote a falsehood. What are you teaching?

Come ON parents pay us more! too! We are just stand in Mommies who claim also to be underpaid! I’ve seen the jokes on them too. Comparing themselves to real workers.

sorry for a second post but the thing just irks me with it’s snide comparison or maybe it’s stupid comparison

I can not believe a teacher wrote this. None of my teachers seem dumb enough to think they are just “baby sitters” Most of them take pride in being educators and leading children and this country into a new era. In fact, I bet most of them snub their noses at menial low paid babysitting. Or at least I will if I become a teacher.

ex-babysitter

quemaj Said,

I thought this was cute. I teach middle school and I have to those out there who don’t teach SHUT YOUR MOUTH. You can’t comment on what you don’t know. We teach kids everyday and not just to some TEST. We do a hell of job and it’s one that most people don’t appreciate. I love my job even though I don’t make $50,000 a year. For all those who have a problem with the “TEST’ that we have to keep in mind when we teach, don’t blame us. Blame yourself for voting into office people who give lip service to education and no real thought about it.

Chris Austria Said,

Quoting Rodney: “Oh lovely. Despite your incorrect ellipsis, sentence errors, forgotten spaces, and your redundant exclamation point, your article is still rather ignorant. Perhaps you do not see that teachers do more than babysit. They essentially control our future, and, at least in the Portland-Metro area, they will be seeing higher salaries in the near future. And apparently you are a teacher. Are you, by chance, a P.E. teacher?”

Rodney, thanks for your comments. As I stated in the article, I did not write the article, I posted it verbatim.

The article also agrees with you that teachers do more than babysit.

Lastly, I am not a P.E. teacher. Unless I misunderstood your comment, you seem to have a high regard for teachers, but why are you insulting P.E. teachers?

Rocco Said,

I am a teacher and each time I hear someone criticize the profession I give the same response; “If teachers have it so good, please feel free to sign up, we could always use some more great teachers.” It usually stops them from their belly-aching because they know they couldn’t cut it in the classroom for more than a day.

Johnny Said,

I am a retired Air Force Master Sergeant, and am going back to school to get a teaching degree. I’ve seen the results of public, private, and home schooling education first hand. The quality of graduates today is fair. I do believe many teachers tend to teach to a test. In Florida it’s the FCAT. But for the most part, the graduates I saw in the military had enough background knowledge to function well in society and military service. The only real problems I had with any of the new airmen was the home schooled kids. Although their education was generally on par with the others, they lacked critical social skills needed to function in a team or even a public environment. This tells me teachers are doing their job.

I am looking forward to a starting wage of about $30,000 as a teacher. This is pathetic for anyone going through the long process of finishing a bachelors degree. The time and money expended are significant, and to get a job that requires a degree for less than $50,000 is frankly a waste of an education. Teachers do it for the love of teaching and not the money. If I was doing it for the money I would become an engineer, or a lawyer, or anything else. Teachers do deserve a decent wage. Wage increases for teachers are so far behind the cost of living, it is insane. Of all the public service professions, they lag behind in raises by as much as 10 years. I could make more money delivering mail for the post office, but I want to make a difference.

Cora Judd Said,

You said:

“I wish I wrote this but I didn’t. This was sent to me by one of the teachers in my school. It sure does put things into perspective…What you guys think?

*Disclaimer* I’m a teacher.”

Here’s a free re-write for you:

A teacher from the school where I work shared this interesting perspective. I wish I’d written it. What are your thoughts?

###

(Since you asked…) My own thoughts are that a teacher shouldn’t be granted a pedestal and a bigger paycheck by virtue of the title. The odds of finding a teacher who is both passionate and skilled in his or her job are about the same as finding an attorney or cab driver with the same values. The only important difference is that the hostile and lazy teacher (of which we’ve seen many) causes so much more destruction than an indifferent cab driver. Yet, such teachers abound.

Despite truebedoo’s own surreal experience with 3,500 home schoolers, (yeah, right) the targets of her hostility consistently outscore public schooled children academically and socially (Gasp! the “S” word!) Home schooling parents typically recognize themselves as their child’s first and most effective teachers and simply continue that scheme.

Some public school teachers rock the world and change lives. Many more simply have a job, lurk on blogs and rant about respect and more money.

QueenDiva Said,

I am an 11th grade teacher (Catholic school) in Puerto Rico and my salary is a joke. I don’t even get $20,000 a year! I see all the eleventh graders in my school and that group is of about 130 students each year. You do the math. I don’t want to do it because I might cry!

On a separate note. I have to comment on Elana Avey’s post.
She needs therapy and a grammar book!
Good thing that she’s “educated”! Just imagine her grammar if otherwise.

Honey, get a life, grow up, forgive and forget.

Jason Said,

To anyone who thinks that teachers are overpaid: then why don’t you do it? If it’s so easy and the pay is so much, why don’t your do it?

I’m a teacher, and I can only say this: I wouldn’t recommend teaching to anyone. You’re better off spending another year or two in University and getting a Law degree or something.

Teaching breaks your heart, not your wallet. The kids don’t want to be there. The parents want everyone to think that they care, but aren’t willing to do anything. The administration is too afraid of parents to discipline the few children who make life hell for the teachers and the vast majority of kids, who are, after all basically decent people.

And then, as a teacher, you get to listen to a bunch of whiners complain about how much money you make.

Like I said, if you think it’s so easy, come on and join up, there are a lot of opennings.

Jessica Said,

This really puts things into perspective. My mom is a teacher’s aide in the special education department for the school district and makes less than i do working full time at target.

I just think it’s a shame because the work she does on a daily basis makes more difference than i could hope to in my job.

Mom and Student Said,

I do believe that in public schools the teachers have a tendency to teach the test and I see it in my son’s public education as well as my own. I understand this is a problem on the administration level, but what are teachers doing about it? When I have a problem with a process at work I address it with my boos, her boss, HR, or whoever I need to talk to to get it solved. Are teachers afraid of administration staff? They see these things first hand and have the most information on it. I would expect they would be first in line to stand up, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. I hear more complaining about low pay then I do about the hindrances on the job they are trying to perform. In college the teachers are expected to have passing scores for their students, but they also have a review form at the end of every semester that all students submit anonymously. I think that would be a brilliant way to measure a teacher’s ability and give raises accordingly. Every person (teacher or otherwise) should get paid for the work they are able to perform and some teachers definitely outperform others. If a teacher is able to get great test scores and a student body with a high opinion of them, then yes, they should be paid more and maybe even tasked with training the other not-so-talented teachers.

KB Said,

Found this while cleaning out my e-mail:

WHAT TEACHERS MAKE

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life.

One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, “What’s a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?”

He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers:
“Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.”

To stress his point he said to another guest; “You’re a teacher,
Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?”

Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied,
“You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, and then began…)
“Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor.
I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can’t make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental…
You want to know what I make?” (She paused again and looked at each person at the table.)
I make kids wonder.
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.
I teach them to write and then I make them write.
I make them read, read, read.
I make them show all their work in math.
I make my students from other countries learn everything they need
to know in English while preserving their unique cultural identity.
I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.
I make my students stand to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag, because we live in the United States of America.
Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they have, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life.

Bonnie paused one last time and then continued. “Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant… You want to know what I make?

I MAKE A DIFFERENCE. What do you make?”

THERE IS MUCH TRUTH IN THIS STATEMENT:
“Teachers make every other profession”

Keishla Said,

I echo the sentiments of my fellow teachers. I can’t name one person who gets into the teaching profession for the money.

I make $40K a year and work about 60+ hours a week. For those of you who are confused that teachers leave everyday at 3 o’clock have it twisted. Most teachers arrive to work at least 30-45 minutes before school begins, and leaves at least an hour after. And mind you that is all unpaid time. I also work at home. Preparing lessons, grading papers etc. So please don’t underestimate the time spent. Over the summer, most teachers must complete professional development training.

As for teaching to the test, I echo the sentiments of Quemaj. Teaching is a profession regulated by NON-TEACHERS. Politicians dictate what we do, and they have no clue what we do. So if you don’t like teaching to the test…COMPLAIN TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVES, DON’T RE-ELECT THOSE WHO ARE ALL ABOUT HIGH STAKES TESTING.

It is so easy for you to sit back and criticize something you have no idea about. So instead of complaining…GET INVOLVED. Stop BLOGGING and start being active parents, and citizens. Teach your children about the value of education. Turn off the video games and TV. Teach your kids to write a letter and not just TEXT MESSAGE.

And if you think education is such a CAKEWALK…see you in AUGUST!!!

jorge m. Said,

Yes, teachers are overpaid. Teacher’s pay ought to be commensurate their effort and and this would be measured by the student’s results. So if the student average is 60%, they ought to get paid 60% of the profile salary, the profile salary representing top performance. They should also only get paid for work actually performed. During the summer when they are not delivering results, they should get compensated accordingly. I see student failure, this is only due to teacher’s not performing their role, or performing it poorly, so they should get paid accordingly and not hide behind a union system. These slackers wouldn’t make it out in the real world, and they’re failing the kids too. So hell yeah, they are overpaid.

David Said,

I am a teacher. I enjoyed the post, though i have few complaints about my low salary (About 16000 US dollars a year, which is low middle class here in Mexico.) It’s funny to see all the people who criticize one another’s grammar, since that is the sort of pedantry that gives teachers a bad name; good grammar adds to clarity and is a great thing, but attacking ideas by criticizing the grammar or spelling is facile at best.
My experience with American home-schooled children has been typified by parents who are, indeed working out their school-years issues with their own children, very often to the detriment of the development, independence, toughness, and capabilities of their own kids. Fortunately for the children, the ones I deal with are mostly white and rich and North American, so even if they grow up socially stunted, they will still have the privledge of ruling the world.

Linda sturr Said,

I just spent my entire weekend working for my classroom. Do we get to count the hours we spend planning, implementing and creating too? Do we count the hours we work over-time because a parent wants to meet with us late in the afternoon? I get out at 3:00 but parents can’t take time off work early because their jobs are important. My own children got left in the dust because I was a teacher and couldn’t make it to their schools to parent conferences. Do I get compensation for that? How about the parents who let their children run the home and we have to teach them manners, behavior and what is right and wrong. Do I get extra pay for being their parent replacement?

Ms. Marshall Said,

I do understand that there are good teachers and bad teachers. It sounds like some of the commenters here have had some bad teachers, and that is truly unfortunate.

But teachers are underpaid, especially when compared to CEOs, consultants, lawyers, doctors, and many others, all of whom could not have gotten the jobs they now have without the help of teachers.

And I agree with several comments regarding Elana Avery; I have no doubt that she has had several poor teachers, because she obviously not learned the proper usage of apostrophes.

Kismette Said,

Let’s see any of you naysayers get out there and volunteer in the schools.. or better yet, sign up to be a substitute… don’t think you would have the same negative opinion.

Dave Said,

Right on, Rocco. I too have asked others to join the profession. My favorite is when someone tells me “It must be nice to have all that time off.” I tell them “Yes, it is. It gives me time to re-energize so I can give their child my very best.”

I do encourage others to become teachers. I think as educators when we spot the right stuff in our students we need to encourage them. The biggest compliment I ever got in high school was when my physics teacher asked me if I’d ever thought about teaching.

John Aubrey Said,

Wait a second- these numbers don’t make sense.

A person working at a pre-school usually “baby sits” about 12 kids and makes minimum wage $7.75/hour. That translates to 7.75/12 = only about 65 cents per hour per kid. Also, a lot of classrooms in our (CA) district have teacher aides that bring down the average student/teacher ratio to 15:1.

Still another way to look at it. California spends $8032 per student per year. Using the article’s math: $8032*30 kids per class = $240960 class per year! CA teachers average $58K/year. Teachers are getting only 24% of the money that is spent on each student. Administration, facilities, benefits, special education, etc. take the rest.

The STAR test that kids take in California is completely reasonable. Teaching to this test would guarantee that basic skills were mastered. Unfortunately, there is a failure in instruction methodology and administration (not the fault of the teachers).

BTW, we are now happy homeschoolers.

Cindy Hicks Said,

I have to agree with Elana Avey, I haven’t read any comments past hers, but she’s right. The school my child goes to is known as the best elementary school in this county. Each time I have to go there, the office staff is rude and treats me like I’m second class, I walk down the halls and hear teachers yelling and oh so rude while I hear nothing out of the terrified students. They aren’t allowed to whisper, touch the walls, etc. It’s insane. The homework is enough to make any parent feel that they are the teacher. I don’t recall being treated this way when I went to elementary, but I have indeed seen and had this treatment myself in junior high and high school. I want my child to get a good education, but it would be nice if more than just a degree in teaching was required. Then teachers could cry about more money and get my attention.

David Said,

Pay teachers well, and you get good teachers. Support and trust teachers, stay in dialog with them, and you get trustworthy and communicative teachers. Asking for more money isn’t about teachers “crying,” as a matter of fact, as a teacher i have almost never heard a teacher bring up the subject unless they were obviously and publicly being undervalued. We know that the pay is not great, but choose a profession of service and challenge because of who we are. If you had a few bad teachers, ask yourself why. Was it because they couldn’t be replaced for the money? Was it because even with “all that time off” the teacher was burnt out from never having a night at home without a stack of grading and all the concern and stress that comes from being personally invested in the well-being of scores of children? Was it because the profession attracts a few losers who join the ranks for summer vacations and to work out their own infant issues and sometimes the pool of qualified applicants is so thin, due to low wages and high demands, that this teacher was the best that the administrators could find?
The solution on the personal level might be private or home schooling, but at the social level that is the equivalent of the white-flight suburbs that grew up in reaction to integration: abandoning community and social values ratehr than fighting for good public education for everyone is an easy way out. America will pay for the selfishness and lack of involvement of such people with an underclass who continue to be reminded constantly that their America is not the same as those who can afford to stay home and teach their own kids, who can afford parochial school tuition, who have opted out of the quest for social justice and equality of social opportunity.

College Student Said,

Teachers are paid appropriately for their education level, but not appropriately for the importance of their profession. If it were actually worth it for the best and brightest to teach, the quality of instruction would increase as well as the number of qualified teachers. To solve this problem, the education requirements for future teachers must increase (sorry, lazy education majors) so that higher pay could be justified. Just like any of the most crucial professions, those who are inept need to be weeded out so that our kids are not subjected to someone who wanted the easy major in college.

I am in the top 5% of my college class, and would only consider a profession in teaching if it were actually worth my effort. I want to help people and make a difference. Therefore, I have chosen medicine because I can make that kind of difference and also have the ability to support my family.

I feel very fortunate that I went to private school all the way up through high school. The instruction that I received was fantastic, and those teachers were truly up to the task of educating the future leaders of America. We need more teachers like those I had when I was a kid. Our standards need to be raised.

dave Said,

i have two things
1. where are your facts cited, i want examples before I believe this
2. taxes. did you factor that in genius?
apparently you weren’t taught to analyze properly.

Tahirih Said,

I wonder what would happen in this country if we valued teachers highly and paid them highly? We would certainly have more competitive teacher training programs, brighter teachers (might leave me out), and we might have and education system that was a model for the world.

Tori F. Said,

I really enjoy how some people take this so seriously, or comment on the sarcastic bits.

It kills me, it really does.

In short, if it weren’t for teachers, you’d all be screwed.

Two of the best teachers that I’ve ever had, I had last year. One was an English Honors teacher, and the other an AP Chem teacher. I happen to know many kids who struggle with chemistry and this is simply because they are not logical minded and just guess wildly.

I know this, I tutor kids like that.

I’m going to college next year for a BSE in both English and Chemistry.
Kids flunked out of those classes, but many, many kids didn’t. Both teachers stay after school until 4 everyday to offer help. Kids don’t take the opportunity.
These are amazing teachers. I’ve moved around all my life, gone to ten different schools, and these two are the best. They’re passionate and incredibly intelligent; they really can teach.

Finally, I’ll come to the point:
You’d be surprised just how often it is the fault of the student who is lazy and doesn’t do his or her homework instead of the teacher who works his or her rear off trying to cater to those lazy students because they’ll get in trouble if they don’t. I mean, we have to have practice PSSA (I live in PA, that’s the standardized tests for us) to prepare for it. Kids do poorly on it and the seniors are pushed to help them. We ask them if they need help or if they don’t care.

They just don’t care.

You have absolutely no idea, unless you’re a teacher, just how lazy and disrespectful kids can be.
Don’t blame the teacher. They should get paid so much more to have to deal with these kids, my peers.

Myrna Said,

I’m currently getting B.A. and plan to teach in NYC. I live there so its a nice transition..but reading this made me rethink…I am going to be a teacher in the toughest city. Everyone that I talk to about me becoming a teacher wishes me goodluck. Is is that bad to teach? Is is that tiring? I hate socitey

Chuck Said,

If we want our nation to be number one in the world it starts with education. We need the best people we can get to teach and so it important to compensate them relative to how valuable they are to society. I don’t want talented teachers to go into the private sector because they couldn’t afford a home or to send their kids to college.

Big D Said,

This is great. The American educational institution that (in the past) has spawn some of the greatest minds ever known is being asulted and twisted into something unrecognizable. Here we are discussing money, lazy teachers, elitism, and cultural differences when the point is accountability. Schools bear SOME of the educational responsibility for children, not ALL. The truth is that parents are, for the most part, an extension of a school. But, thanks to whole sale entitlement, parents and their kids believe the school systems, if not the world, is there to break their collective backs giving everything to them, because they are entitled to it. I sit with my kids and watch in horror as parents rutinely chastise teachers for not “doing enough.” Hey’ parents here’s the deal, demand more from your teachers while demanding excellence from your kids while being involved and I guarantee the issues will fade to the background. Parents are as big an educational piece as the schools and, for the most part, are failing horribly. Be parents first, the well being and education of your kids is YOUR responsibility.

Ken Flott Said,

My I add that technology in the classroom will never replace teachers, but teachers who use technology will replace those who don’t. They deserve more money. Period.

Shawn Said,

Are you kidding me? You have to be kidding me, right? Teaching is the hardest job I ever had. 30 students per day? Try 75….As far as babysitting, yes, we “watch” your kids, but we are teaching, mentoring, coaching, and filling in the “gaps” parents do or cannot. I don’t know what planet you’re from.

Audrey Said,

First, I would like to say that I have a lot of respect for teachers. I had many teachers who made a difference in my life as I was growing up and very few that didn’t work hard to do their jobs well. I am not going to get into the issue of whether teachers are paid enough or not, I am simply going to address the generalities that are being thrown around about home-schooling. I believe that it is just as ridiculous to make widespread general statements about home-schooling as it is to make those types of statements about public (or any other) school teachers.
I have seen home-schooled children that were stunted socially as well as others who had developed wonderful social skills. However, I have seen the same thing with children from the public school system as well. It can happen either way.
When my daughter was in kindergarten I volunteered in her classroom a few times every month even though I was still in school as well finishing my college degree. My husband would volunteer in her classroom as well. I had great respect for my daughters Kindergarten teacher and liked her very much; however, after kindergarten we decided to start home-schooling our children (we have a son 2 years younger than our daughter as well).
At our daughters mid year parent teacher conference her teacher told us that our daughter had accomplished all of the requirements for the kindergarten year and that her teacher would do what she could to give our daughter extra work but there wasn’t much that she could do. Previous to this our daughter, who had loved school and was always excited to go, had started telling us she didn’t want to go to school anymore and now we knew why, she was getting bored.
My husband and I are both college educated. We started home-schooling in our daughters first grade year. Her brother, who was preschool age, insisted on getting school work as well because he wanted to do what his sister was doing. This is only our second year home-schooling but our children love it and our son, who is kindergarten age is halfway through the first grade work. We are actively involved in a large home-schooling community in our area that holds activities such as spelling bees and science and history fairs. There are also various clubs my children have become involved in that foster team work group play and learning as well as opportunities to give oral presentations and learn by teaching. We also have weekly play dates with a few different families that my children have become close friends with. My children are also involved in community sports through the parks and recreation department of our city.
I don’t think that we should be making general statements about teachers as a whole or about home-schooling as a whole. There is good and bad in both areas and I think we should all be able to respect others decisions, and professions. Let’s all be civilized and not attack one another based on a few bad experiences with one group or another.
Just my 2 cents, sorry it turned out so long.

In the News - Teaching our Children to Lie — Open Education Said,

[...] the world of Twitter is “just too noisey.” Yet another article getting a lot play is at WatDawWat.com. Perhaps we should rethink this issue of teacher pay just a bit - the fact, they are not [...]

Mr. Maybery Said,

I’m a UK student teacher and I understand the out saleries here are better than in the US. I’m expected to start on a salery of £21,000 a year ( $41,705) This rises every year for six years to £32,000 ($63,000) then we move to the upper pay scale where it continues to increase with the more responsibilities you take on board.

In regards to some of the comments made about home schooling. My mother has been a teacher for 34 years and I raised the issue of home schooling to her and her reply was “Over my dead body”. Both her and I feel that by homeschooling children, although you may be “educating” them more “successfuly” in regards to achedemia, but they are missing out on so much more - social interaction, between significantly different groups of people, a chance to be part of a community - for them to choose where they fit in.
Many people feel that teachers are bound by curriculum and tests. To an extent, yes. But what I’ve learned, in my short time as a trainee teacher is that school is about teaching children, not subjects. School is a place where many children feel comfortable, where they have routine and order, safety. Teachers are as much pastoral carers as they are educators. As much as the education system fails some children, it most certainly fails a minority as I feel that majority of people come out of school having learnt a great deal about life and who they are.

Many people may dissagree with this opinion, and I can’t assume it’s like this in the US - but they can be bloody glad they have an education at all!!!

Pdshadow Said,

Now, I have read through a majority of these comments, and have noticed that there are few, if any, comments by the children who the teachers commenting teach. Personally, I just graduated High School, and am currently a freshman in a major, state University (which I am loving, by the way, even though I do not participate in parties) and felt that I am qualified to evaluate my teachers that I have had, since I have taken a wide range of classes. In my opinion, there are several excellent teachers out there. MANY. Unfortunately, some of the best teachers that I have had, for example, one of my history teachers, was let go from the school system (Clark County in Las Vegas, NV) because he was getting complaints to the principle from angry parents, because he was giving them to much Homework. Now, this is hard to believe because it was the least amount of homework I had in a class, besides my Technology classes (which they have since gotten rid of as well, even though it is now almost a needed class for any job field). But since the administration was sick of getting complaints from parents, they let him go. There was even a mass student movement, of well over 2000 children, for him to remain (the school was at 3800 when I graduated). I must blame the administration for this occurrence. Now he was hired by a private charter school, and makes almost 4 times as he did at that public school. Let me describe my school. It is one of the wealthiest schools in the state, which the majority of the parking lot being vehicles purchased after 2005. we has a total of close to 50 2007 cars in the lot when I left, which belonged to seniors alone (there was a survey).

Now, from every teacher that I have had, I only had one that was not willing to help me at some part, and that was in middle school. Teachers overall are excellent. Sure, a few do not do it for teaching, but the majority do. Mostly, I hate to say it, but I have to place the blame on the administration of firing the best teachers, and I must place some blame on the parents as well.
To Parents: Get a grip on your child. This is a recently graduated, but still teenager, speaking to the vast majority of parents. I have seen children come to school everyday, who outright oppose their teacher, because they have asked their mom to call the school for them, and tell them that “little Suzie didn’t do the homework” because there is too much and she is stressed out, and then get angry at the SCHOOL because the school did not approve the parent’s request. Seriously. Your child isn’t perfect. I’m sorry. If you knew half the things they do at school (and trust me, you most definitely DON’T), you would either break down or punish them to no end. Teach your children responsibility. It is YOUR job, not the teachers. The teacher is there to teach the child about academics, not to give them Life skills. YOU, as a parent, are handed that job. Stop blaming others.

To Teachers: Yes, the majority of you do a wonderful job. I went to public school, and was able to fluently talk to any adult, and carry on a professional conversation about almost any topic when I left High School. Not all of you are perfect. But you do deserve to get paid better. I most definitely feel that is true. I have seen teachers who did not have enough for gas at the end of the day, because they put it right back into helping a child with that extra school supply that the administration requires them to have but the child cannot afford. But seriously, Teachers, you must do something about it. We are spending about 215 billion for the Iraq war right now. Can you imagine how much that would improve ALL schools if only we put it to better uses?

To Home schoolers:
I know that some of you are truly great, and I know that many have master’s degrees in many subjects. Not all of you are. I have met MANY home schooled children, as well as their parents, who teach them, and I must comment, sure, the children may know the facts, but have absolutely NO social experience whatsoever. and guess what? They come to college, and they get so involved with drinking, partying, and such that they have trouble in classes OR they cannot carry on a decent conversation because they have no debate experience with their peers whatsoever. Now, with my most current experiences behind me, I can truly state, with the utmost certainty, that everything academically that I have learned in school is NOTHING compared to the social skills that I have learned.

So that is my two cents. From a freshman, abet going to sophomore.

Kyle
Computer Information Engineering, UNR

Kevin Said,

I ‘Stumbled Upon’ this article and immediately gave it a thumbs down until I read it, then I gave it a thumbs up.

I am a former 5th grade teacher. I taught all subjects and had 28 students in my class, which spoke 13 different languages. I can very much relate to this.

hepsmom Said,

I am currently a high school math teacher. This year I’ve taught consumer math, algebra (all levels), trig & advanced algebra, and geometry. Prior to teaching, I was an industrial engineer in a major clothing company. (I call that my “real” job.)

A lot of the griping and complaining that goes in a school setting makes me laugh. In a business, you would be mocked for being a puss for having such complaints.

Teaching “to the test” is not anything any of us want to do. It is the politicians we can thank for this. They want graduates to “know” certain things. Believe me, we have told the administration that we aren’t happy with the testing situation. The bureaucracy surrounding schools and policies is completely outrageous.

It is hard to try to keep the attention of students who have little drive from within and, in my area, parents who would prefer their children not become more educated than they are. About a week-and-a- half ago I was cursed out on the phone by a parent who told me I didn’t want to help her child. This is when I was trying to set up a time TO HELP HER CHILD outside of school!

Anything that the student cannot do is automatically my fault. This is even though students can arrive at my door having failed a year-long math for three years in middle school. I gave up on students knowing their “math facts,” what I’ve known as times tables, some time ago.

Still, I go into work daily, usually no later than 6:30 a.m. I work hard all day in classes that range from 15 students to nearly 30 students. We have duties that are tedious, but at my school, TEACHERS ACTUALLY LOVE AND CARE ABOUT THE STUDENTS. We talk constantly about what we can do for students, to help them. I rarely leave school before 4:00 p.m. and am grading at home a lot of the time.

The almost two summer months we get off (where I am) are necessary to maintain sanity.

I agree with the person who said that they offer the opportunity to join our (once-)esteemed profession. Believe me, working in a plant was definitely NOT a picnic, but I have NEVER been as tired as the first day that I taught school. So much is demanded of you as a person. It’s something that you can’t know until you’ve done it. My mother was a teacher for years and I thought that I knew most of what she’d been through. I called her after my first day and apologized.

It’s the toughest job I’ve ever had, but I LOVE the kids and do NOT want to do anything else!

David Said,

Pdshadow: Thank you for a different perspective and a welcome one. I’m not sure that your experiences are typical, but your clarity and articulation, your analysis, and your candor made me proud to be a teacher.

Ralph Said,

The solution to our educational woes (and everyone knows it, but is afraid to address it): pay teachers what we pay our lawyers. Serious competition and professionalism would swarm in. Our teacher training programs would lose 90% of their faculty - no more Micky Mouse classes. Future teachers would actually read Dewey and Rousseau. School administrators would begin to speak in complete sentences! Imagine.

Mama Luxe Said,

Teachers are underpaid relative to every other profession that requires a similar level of education.

However, I think a large part of the issue is respect, too. Lots of educated, smart people choose lower-paying professions because they care about those fields and what they can accomplish.

My theory is that pay and respect are low because teaching became “women’s work” after the Civil War (and for people like Rodney, no I am not disparaging male teachers, nor am I disparaging women).

For a long time, educated women basically could either be a teacher or a nurse while they waited to get married. There were exceptions, but that was more or less the choice available.

Then, more opportunities opened up for women and teaching lost a lot of highly qualified candidates who didn’t really need the money.

Now there isn’t the money or respect to draw in as many educated people of either gender.

More importantly, there isn’t the money, respect, or necessary support to KEEP good teachers in the profession.

Top schools graduate teachers every year–how many are still there 5 years down the line?

Superlucy Said,

I love reading the comments, especially from the parents and teens. Here are a few of my own thoughts:

From the teens: I’m glad that you guys “get it” and recognize the rude, disrespectful and ridiculous behavior of your peers and their parents and are frustrated by it as well.

Parents: Wake up! You are responsible for your kids, not me. I’ve raised my own and she turned out fine, wasn’t rude to her teachers or other adults. I find most parents don’t want to be parents and expect other people (daycare workers and then teachers) to do the parenting for them. Don’t have the kids if you don’t want to raise them.

Some people think because education is funded through taxes they have the right to tell me how to do my job. My comment to that is: I shop at Target, but that doesn’t give me the right to tell the owners how to run the company. Secondly, I am a taxpayer, so I pay part of my own salary as well. What other professional pays him/herself for his/her own work!?

Last, but not least, teachers are professionals. We, like doctors, lawyers, scientists, and other professionals, train many years to become teachers, and some have advanced degrees. We spend most of our free time and money on our students to make their lives better. It is time politicians (most of whom have never taught) and the public (also most of whom have never taught) start to value education and the teachers. Maybe if we spent the billions of dollars we are spending on the Iraq war on education instead, we would have a high quality, unmatched educational system.

Mike Said,

I have been a teacher for 40 years and presently teach in a California State prison. I have taught in public schools in New York and California at the primary, middle school, and high school levels, in Juvenile Halls in California, and in a school for a drug & alcohol rehab for adolescents.

I went into teaching because I had excellent teachers in New York when I went to school, both in the New York City Public Schools and Public School on Long Island. My teachers were passionate, dedicated, and very erudite; they were my role models and heroes who inspired me to become a teacher and pass on what I had received.

I have witnessed too many distant and uninvolved parents, too many disturbed children who have made school hell for teachers and peers, too many bloated administrators, and too many unreal job expectations placed on teachers and parents. At my present position in prison, I have also seen the results of failed education programs, failed family systems, failed society, and abusive teachers. I have found home-schooled kids to be equal to their peers in Reading, Math, and Language, but socially awkward, egocentric concrete thinkers who don’t understand interaction with others.

I have inmates in an Academics classroom that is part of the Substance Abuse Program of our institution. I take 54 unwilling inmates and improve their Adult Basic Education skills in Reading, Math, Language, and Lifesills. I have had approximately 12 GED graduates a year for the past 10 years, and consider this my paycheck. I also feel great helping to insure that a percentage of my students will not recidivate.

Teaching is a calling. A true teacher never goes into teaching for the money, because it just is not a financially remunerative profession. It must be a passion to improve the lives of our students.

Don’t bash teachers unless you have walked the hallways in our shoes….

Ashley Said,

I am in college right now studying elementary education. I love kids and have so much fun in the classrooms I volunteer in. I am very scared for my future and wonder if I will be able to support myself as well as a family. I don’t want to switch majors because I enjoy it so much, but I am starting to think I should. I believe kids need amazing teachers and I want be one of those teachers, but the profession/salary/job status right now is deterring those people who could be amazing teachers away. It is really sad. My favorite teacher in middle school left in the middle of the year to work in a factory because his wife was pregnant and he would make more pushing a button. It is truly discouraging.

Mrs. D Said,

in response to jorge m. :

paying teachers based on student performance is ridiculous! ducks have ducks…i blame parents for much of student failure…parents who do not value education, parents who have no idea how to discipline their children, parents who have no time for their children, parents who do not support teachers

how many times have i struggled to help a student in need and have tried to enlist the help of their parents (the children first and most important teachers) and have gotten replies such as “we don’t know what to with him”, “he just won’t do his homework”, “he has no time for homework because he’s working, “it’s not my problem”

Tom Said,

Hi, I am a senior in high school and I’ll tell you one thing about the whole home-schooling vs. public schooling vs. private schooling: there is absolutely no way to measure a school’s effectiveness with even a relatively acceptable accuracy.

I have had teachers where I could pass the test and then never learn the material, I’ve had teachers where I learned some amazing life skills that the tests would never do justice to show (either I do really well or they don’t test me on it), and everything between. I’ve also seen some of the most successful students of high school drop out first year in college, and I’ve seen home schooled students do amazingly and others do horribly when going to a university. I’ve seen teachers get reprimanded for being unable to teach completely uninterested and disengaged students despite the great efforts they go to to teach them. Essentially there will always be an example of some system working/failing to some extent.

There are too many variables involved in a student’s education that we may or may not see that are controlled by many different involved parties. So, when choosing what type of education to put your child through, do what seems right to you and just make sure to encourage your children to become life long active learners, because that’s the most essential trait of a successful person.

Sue Doker Said,

As a veteran high school teacher with 30 years in public schools, I would like to add my two cents to the discussion.

First of all, our country is facing a crisis because we baby boomers are now all reaching retirement. Those of us who have dedicated our entire careers to teaching now see the vast majority of new teachers leave the classroom (and the profession) within the first 3 years. It is a lot tougher job than most expected it to be.

Second, many people are entering the teaching profession without any formal training in education. They come from other careers or from unemployment. They are basing their approach to teaching on THEIR experience when they were in school. Being an effective teacher is quite a complicated job, and training is helpful. It takes an extraordinary person to be an effective teacher while “winging it”.

Third, and maybe most important of all. Our way of life in the U.S. depends on our children being educated, and well-educated at that. An ignorant citizenry is not equipped to be a responsible citzenry. When the vast majority of citizens do not understand the basics of math, history, civics, and science, then they do not understand issues of economics, personal finance, politics, health,and the environment, to name a few.

And as we know, our popular culture (TV, MTV, etc) and the breakdown of family structure leave children in great need of support, nurturing, and guidance.

So, now more than ever, we need a huge cadre of dedicated professionals to enter teaching. I think paying a professional salary is necessary to attract qualified people.

SO YES, TEACHERS MUST BE PAID WHAT THEY ARE WoRTH!!!!

A teacher Said,

This has turned into a forum about education’s problems and their solutions I’m a vocational teacher in a prison for youthful offenders so I see everyone’s failures, parents, schools, legislators, society. I offer my perspective as someone who is building upon academic teachers’ foundations to prepare young men for a job in the real world after prison. I put a lot of effort into developing diverse real-world learning experiences for my students, within the limitations of a prison environment. They learn so much better, when they relate to and understand why they need to learn the subject. I use many project-based activities where they have to figure out actual problems. The entire math component is real world word problems about auto loans, mortgages, and taxes for example. There is a lot of discussion around making vocational or Career and Technical education more rigorous, more academic, but I think academic education needs to become more authentic. Academic teachers need to teach to a higher level than a test, which, if they were to change their methodology and thematic units to relate to real life situations and issues, they could. Research shows that real community issue based projects involve students, improve the community and teach the students what they need to know, not just for the high-stakes testing demanded by NCLB, but also for life. The problem with this approach is that it is hard, hard to implement, to evaluate, to justify to parents and school boards. Because there are so many factors affecting a student’s success in school, it is difficult to find a single method to evaluate their progress. Yet parents, businesses and legislators keep trying to finds that single measurement. This year it’s NCLB with its high-stakes testing, next year it will be the next consultant’s brainstorm. In the business world, we used to call this phenomenon the silver bullet disease, the persistent belief that there is an easy answer for a complex problem. Teacher accountability, qualifications, and pay are only part of the systematic changes needed. Most importantly what is needed is more community, less single issue fighting (vouchers, home schooling, Christian vs. public, evolution vs. intelligent design) and both the will and the leadership to make the difficult choices and the time to work the solution.

Miss Nasty Said,

It’s hard not to comment about this one… I have over twenty years of experience working in public junior high schools, and I love my work. The School Day starts at 7:30 with faculty meetings, etc., and most teachers do not leave until 4 PM or later, taking with them a large briefcase of papers to work on after dinner. Because I taught English, I had 10 or 11 hours of proof reading and editing to do most weekends. Oh, and by the way, teachers are only paid for the 10 months they work. Most of us find summer work because we cannot afford to survive for two months with no income. The only people who work harder than teachers are nurses! So shut up! You need both of us.

Miss Nasty Said,

Ashley– if you love it, do it. The kids need people like you. The money will work itself out because it is good, honest work, something that is always needed, no matter what.

Norma Said,

Wow, my head is spinning. Okay! First I’d like to say that Jorge has absolutely no idea about the layers and layers and layers of complexity that teachers face. We, yes I’m a teacher of 18 years, are dealing with living human beings not widgets. I feel sorry for you, Jorge, that you can’t see past your own little world. However, you’re not alone. Most people who have never taught think in the mind set of “Well, if I produce more, I get paid more.” First of all, we aren’t packing boxes on a conveyor belt. Secondly, at this time, we don’t have a federal or state government that values education enough to legitimately fund it.(In my 18 years, I don’t think we ever have…Democrat or Republican.) So even if the system did what you are suggesting, we wouldn’t have enough money to go around. I’ve worked as a waitress, switchboard operator, executive secretary, and a project manager for an insurance agency, and I can tell you none of those jobs left me as exhausted as teaching, nor did they require the amount of time that I currently MUST put in in order to be effective. In all of those jobs, I had working equipment, a clean, sanitary environment, support from my boss, more than 5 minutes a day to go use the facilities, and interestingly enough, more respect than I do now. Our own system doesn’t respect us. I’ve often said that if I could just close my door and teach, I’d teach forever. It’s not the kids that are the problem; it’s the ignorance of the system and the adults that’s the problem. Teaching is both physically and mentally challenging. Until you’ve actually done it, you will never understand.

As for the kid who is going to become a medical doctor so he can actually make a difference, let me point out that there are teachers who have just as much education as you are about to get and they make a difference on a 1/16 of the salary that you will probably be making. Are you implying that doctors make more of a difference than teachers? Let me remind you that you wouldn’t be in medical school if it weren’t for us. Yes, yes…you were fortunate enough to go to a private school and they were fantastic. Now are you implying that public school teachers couldn’t be just as fantastic? Believe me, there are plenty of fantastic public school teachers out there and I’m fortunate to have worked with many of them. As for us “lazy education majors”, don’t kid yourself. It’s not just Bulletin Board Making 101. Secondary teachers (that’s all that I can speak to) have to take not only education courses but courses in their discipline as well. Believe me, William Faulkner 101 is not for the faint at heart. Now, um…you know that these are easy majors because you actually were one, right? And then came to your senses and went pre-med?

Teaching is physically, emotionally, mentally, and financially demanding. The fantastic teachers are drained and get paid next to nothing. (Private school teachers generally get paid less, by the way.) Ever wonder why there’s a critical shortage of teachers in this country? The good ones burn out and college students don’t go into teaching for a variety of reasons, one being that college costs are too steep and on a teacher’s salary they’ll be paying on that loan into their retirement.

I do have to agree that school systems don’t weed their gardens. Strangely, it’s been my experience that bad teachers who stay in teaching usually end up as administrators or at the District level, not always of course, but a lot of the time. So then we have incompetents running the show who are intimidated by competent teachers so they make every effort to “keep them in their place” as peasantry.

As for going to our superiors about the problems in education because after all we’re the ones who see things first hand, that’s laughable. Most administrators are either not capable of dealing with situations or aren’t interested. And don’t forget…we’re the peasants, what do we know. As for HR, very amusing. There’s no such thing as HR in education. We, in the state of Florida, have something that’s called “Employee Relations”, a misnomer. Employee Relations is generally a good ole’ boy system that is prepared to close ranks and work at covering administration’s tracks and butts. So basically, they “relate” to only the employees in “management”.
Let’s face it…Administrations and Districts carry out the mandates of the state. The “State” legislators, who are politicians not educators, rule the roost. The “fantastic” teachers are too exhausted to fight city hall; we’re too busy teaching.

How’s Your Heart Rate Now? | Teachers Are Learners, Too Said,

[...] visit this blog–Are You Sick Of High Paid Teachers.  I will be interested to read your comments about the thoughts you experienced as you read the [...]

Pennsylvania Advertising Agency Said,

Great post.

Shane Wigginton Said,

I’ve been teaching in public schools for 18 years, and I really enjoyed your math lesson. Public education has its problems and most are the result of federal government intervention. As long as our government requires, least restrictive environment, mainstreaming and no real vocational route for students that don’t fit into the traditional academic route, we will be continue to deny our best students the education they deserve. It is extremely unfair to blame the quality of education on the teachers who are doing their best in a flawed system. In a public school, teachers have students of all ability levels packed into a classroom. Some will be bored, and some will be left behind. If you want to change this, then change the laws.

Whitney Said,

I am currently in school double majoring in Elementary Education and Psychology and I am going to be a second grade teacher. Most people think I am crazy because I will never be able to support me and the 4 kids I want to adopt on my own. Hopefully, by the time I have 4 kids, the government will realize how crucial teachers are and maybe we will get paid more. I loved this!

Ridiculosity Said,

Reading some of these comments make me very frustrated - I am a student right now, and I realize that teachers are not paid enough. Some say that the school system doesn’t work that well - I disagree. Teachers have to try to find a healthy medium for all of their students, no matter their learning style, which is a difficult task! Yes, sometimes they may not hit the mark, but each teacher (at least at my school) needs to teach over 100 kids a day throughout the school day, and stick to a common syllabus!

Home-schoolers have it easy. My dad home-schools my brother, and he can decide to look around for different sources, change the time frame one can do things in… there’s just so much more freedom! And, unfortunately, for public schools to not collapse into scheduling and communication insanity, they have certain constraints they must work under and around, along with the students needs. When actually taking into consideration how many students are doing well, how many students are doing poorly, and how many students are doing poorly because they are actually having learning difficulties rather than a lack of effort… teachers are doing pretty goddamn well!

(also, the going rate for babysitting around here is $10/hour. imagine, if teachers were actually paid as well as a real babysitter!!)

Karen Said,

Elana needs to get a clue. I have been teaching for 11 years, and believe me, it is NOT like how you portray it to be. And as a student 20 years ago, it WAS NOT how you portray it to be either. The only people the teachers might have been rude to was the jerk students who got in the way of everyone learning. Sound familiar?

cleveland Said,

i really enjoyed the post. as a teacher i often see these posted on the school message board, but i was just thinking about what tuition would cost if we used the numbers quoted above. if we use $19.50 a day for 180 days per teacher and each student usually has 6 teachers on average then that would lead to a tuition of over $21,000.

JR Said,

Commenter truebedoo said, “no disrespect to Qtpies but her comments are pretty naive.” There is a saying in sales: “Everything before the ‘but’ is a lie.”

I wonder if ‘inspire’ in treubedoo’s comment is in quotes for the same reason as “Christian”.

Regarding the blog article, I have been a college-trained, licensed teacher/educator/whatever in public schools. And proud of it. I joined the profession knowing it did not pay well. By my third year the pay wasn’t too bad, though. And I loved the extra free time in summer, and Christmas Break, and Spring Break, and other holidays. Pay had nothing to do with my leaving the profession, either. It was a great experience and a wonderful part of my life. And I am proud that some of my students went on to become teachers.

I have also met and been the beneficiary of many, many teachers who were not trained and licensed. They are all around you — at work, at church, in clubs, in your neighborhood, in civic activities, and so on. I am constantly learning from them. I feel sorry for truebedoo if she is missing out on opening herself up to learning from all the many teachers around her, just because they aren’t officially considered teachers.

Teaching is a noble calling, and can (and should) be done by most people. The job of officially teaching at a school is also important, and luckily most people can do it (the hard part is classroom control, and most people can learn that).

Take the fact that so many people can teach, and apply simple economics to that fact. That is why teacher=pay is not higher, although in many states it is at least average, and probably higher than average.

It isn’t about how important the job is, else we would pay nurses, librarians, firemen, soldiers, and police more. It’s simply about supply-and-demand. We have a large supply of potential teachers. That is why teachers’ unions want to further restrict who can get licensed (in order to artificially restrict supply), and why they want to stop home-schooling and private schools (in order to artificially increase demand).

Folks, this is Econ 101. Basic stuff. Teachers should get over themselves. Their job is important. So is mine. So are most people’s jobs.

Teachers who have been teaching at least a few years are paid a decent amount, and those who are married to another income earner are doing quite well. Meanwhile, we are already taxed at a confiscatory and draconian rate. Enough already.

By the way, I found the article demeaning to baby-sitters, who are responsible for guarding the most precious members of a family. When you consider all the oversight, guards, and potential witnesses at at school, it is clear that babysitters have a bigger risk and responsibility (outside of teaching) than school teachers.

JR Said,

Oops. I just noticed an error in my previous comment (besides the =). I said that, “Teachers should get over themselves.” I should have said, “Some teachers should get over themselves.” Most are mature enough to appreciate reality. I apologize to them for making such a blanket statement. Mea culpa.

Alan Said,

Interesting use of duck logic. Who pays for the real estate, utilities, supplies and books?

Scott Said,

I’ve read through all the comments thus far, and the only rational one is JR’s. I would only add this: I wonder if any of you here can tell me the “right” salary for a teacher, without just pulling a number out of you a**?

Matt Moore Said,

Chris - After that display, I sure as hell hope you don’t teach economics.

John DownUnder Said,

Guys…Hey…Hello? Down here in Australia? Yes…us here! We have a crisis of supply and demand here due to the government’s REFUSAL to equalise the pay structure for each state. I live in the state of Victoria. It has the second largest population in the country and the highest achievement outcome levels in the country. Yet, it’s teachers, both public school and secular are THE lowest paid teachers in the country. Applications to study teaching at university are down 33% and experienced teachers are leaving the profession in droves or moving to another state for better pay, leaving schools short staffed or to inexperienced teachers. Go figure. But here’s the real problem: A teacher’s salary cannot go on parity with private sector jobs. Why? Because private sector jobs generate profit and dividends for shareholders - schools do not. I acknowledge that this is a basic, common denominator approach to this topic. But…money does drive modern society. it’s a simple and undeniable fact. Teachers generate educated, future leaders of the private and public sector who will, in turn, continue to generate profits for their companies and shareholders. The right price for a teacher’s salary? You tell me, Scott…and please, don’t pull the figure out of YOUR a**!
For the record, I have been teaching for 18 years, I have nearly completed my Doctorate in education; I have also trained future teachers at university and not ONE person outside teaching can EVER come up with a reasonable salary figure when asked…only criticism of teachers wanting a fair deal.
Educating future profit generators. Common denominator thinking, yes, but…what would THAT be worth?

Norma Said,

Here it is…straight from my a**. How about the same salary other people get after working effectively and productively in an industry for 18 years? I have former students who distribute water to office buildings who make what I am making after 18 years.Oh and that’s right out of school…no experience! (This was revealed to me after our salary schedule was published in a local newspaper. By the way, he thought teachers were grossly underpaid.)

It’s not about importance; it’s about making a living wage. Next year in the state of Florida there will be no $$$ for increases in salary. So no cost of living increase…but a housing market that’s in the toilet, property taxes that are increasing, and insurance costs that no one can afford,not to mention the cost of fuel. Please no comments about how taxes are in New York, Ohio, etc…And yes I know, it’s bad all over. But, I can tell you this…It ain’t cheap to live in Florida anymore.
By the way, librarians, policemen, firemen, etc SHOULD be paid more. Also, I’ve never known our Union to restrict the number of those getting certified to teach. That’s all handled by the state, and I’m positive there are no restrictions, short of no degree or a criminal record. We’re in a critical shortage of teachers here. I was really under the impression that this was a national crisis. Hmmm…I wonder why more people don’t want to go into teaching?

deb Said,

I had a lot of problems in school growing up. I had a teacher tell me she hated me in 4th grade. When I was in 8th grade my science teacher wrote in my yearbook in a pen that was the same color as the paper(purple), I never noticed until I was an adult that it said I was a loser and would never amount to anything. How sad is that? Does it affect you growing up? Of course, are they perfect? No.

I homeschooled some of my children. My last one is going to public school and doing well. My other children graduated with at least 3.8 gpa and one got a full scholarship to college. Am I perfect? Nope, but I love my children and gave them all the one on one that they needed.(I had one that was LD and that is why I started homeschooling).

I don’t think teachers make enough money, but I also think there is a lot of them that don’t realize how much they will make or break a child.

alienbinary Said,

I love how we’re debating whether or not we should pay teachers a decent salary, but football players and rockstars make fortunes. We seem to have no problem paying for what we want now, but find it very difficult to fork over the money for something that we would have wanted, or would have been advantageous to us years ago.

I had some pretty bad teachers, I will admit that. But I also had teachers who saved my life, facilitated my recovery from drug addiction and paved the way for a very bright life. Without those teachers, I would be pretty lost.

Knowing what I know now, being in a job where I prioritize hundreds of thousands of dollars a day, I think allocating 100 thousand for a teacher who sees 30 students a day would be a no brainer. We need teachers now and we need to pay them well, because one day that means someone will post on their blog about how much that teacher did for them. Then a few days later, that person will change the world.

Still a new teacher Said,

Education reflects society. We see the problems with education, now let’s fix our society! Self-entitlement is ruining our children!

Marci Said,

Wow! That was educational!

rosieposey Said,

Even if I get a bad plumber, he still gets paid the same wage… one that’s fair and decent. Why should teachers be made to have performance pay if no other profession has the same criteria? Are teachers less that a tradesperson? Is that how little we value our children? We pay more for a toilet?

To those complaining that ALL TEACHERS ARE LAZY, I invite them to spend just one week in the position and see how they feel afterwards… I doubt they’d give up their $100K salaries for “the lazy lifestyle”

Carl Pham Said,

That’s the dumbest thing I’ve heard in a long time. Let’s see now, it would cost at least $100/hour to hire a commercial pilot to fly you personally in your own airplane across the country. So if 400 of us decide to fly across the country in a jumbo jet, we should pay the pilot 400 x $100 = $40,000 per hour, or $80 million a year. But he’s actually only paid $150,000 a year, so that works out to 19 cents per hour for each passenger to hire someone who can fly a 747! What cheapskates we are!

Kpss Matematik Said,

i bored the teachers

Suraya Said,

Teaching is a most holly job in the world. I dont think we can repay them with money.

What a great blog you have here. I love fashion and my passion always towards my own traditional costume. Such as Baju kurung

I’m from Malaysia, nice to meet you.

Surayas last blog post..Baju Kurung / Baju Melayu Cekak Musang

paresh Said,

i agree with u, thanks for sharing.

pareshs last blog post..Soniya got Bronze Medal in World school chess competition.

Writer Dad Said,

I just showed this to my wife, a teacher of twenty years. She loved it. Thanks.

Writer Dads last blog post..Crabs Don’t Walk Straight For a Reason

Hypnotherapy Melbourne Said,

Always good to read what you have to say

Blogs @ KolyaFloit.com » Blog Archive » Teachers, education, and homeschooling Said,

[...] was Stumbling through sites like I usually do at 3 AM on a Friday (yay insomnia) when I came upon this post about teacher pay.  The post itself doesn’t bug me, it’s just a basic satire [...]

brent Said,

hey everyone want more money who doesn’t
but most teachers i know work
6-5pm 4days a week and 6am-3pm on friday’s
so that is like 50 hours per week plus they do stuff when they are not at school
i think teaching is hard and most don”t have to much upside on the pay scale

brent’s last blog post… Seo vs. PPC and other traffic methods

K Said,

As the daughter of a teacher, I have heard so very many of these things debated…
What it really comes down to is that our society always has to put the blame on someone else, when your children come to you saying that their teacher is sooooo mean, consider why exactly the teacher is so mean, frequently it will have been punishment for something the child actually deserves!
So many classes are now filled with language learners and children with learning disabilities, that if a teacher were to get an especially tough class one year, their test scores would be, well, bad!
Teachers in California no longer have aides, and barely kept their lower class sizes. To have 20 children in a class and keep perfect track of every single ones record, skills, problems etc. is much more difficult then they are given credit for.
Other professions are given over time for the extra work they do, and teachers are not. At the age of 20 while I hadn’t finished college, I made more money than a 3rd year teacher. The job did not deserve that pay.
Many people become teachers because they are passionate about something and want to share that passion with others. What changes the manner in which they teach is the beating they withstand from administration. They have hopes of changing something, anything. Wouldn’t you be a bit depressed also?
Before you decide that you know more about teaching and what teacher’s deserve try it yourself…. And with that, it is back to working on my teaching credential

Born in the 70's Said,

Wow! I never realized that teachers were such dispicable people! Until you have actually been a teacher by profession (the luxury of being a homeschool mom not included), you have no room to speak. I feel sorry for the person whose teachers were so “mean”. Some of my students think I am mean, but they also fail to realize how much I care about their lives and their future and that is why I am stern and expect their best efforts and best behavior. I apologize that some people out there never had a teacher who made a difference in their lives, but I teach so I can make a difference. This will mean that, at times, my students will perceive me as mean- just like the teenager who thinks her parents are mean because they won’t let her date or the preschooler who gets mad because he wants some candy and mom says “no”

Being a teacher is very much like being a parent only I have almost 100 children.

I can’t imagine that anyone would stay in this job just for the money.

Born in the 70's Said,

you’re just bitter, Jr.

marty Said,

Are you people nuts or what???? Teachers don’t get paid squat, and especially for what they have to put up with by teaching all of your hoodlum kids, which by the way, YOU created for them to baby sit as you call it. Get a grip folks. Lets see any of you do the job, and do it as well as they do for the piddly assed salary they get.

MomboTV Said,

There are a lot of good teachers out there who don’t get paid nearly enough….and then there are some really bad teachers that should not be allowed to teach….anyone!

MomboTV’s last blog post… Consistent Life Ethic

Tom Said,

If I could hire and fire my kids’ teachers, I would gladly pay them $3 for the slice of each hour that a teacher is actually spending with my children. Could we switch to higher pay and no unions? I’ll sign up. Would you quit your union for higher pay?

Oscar Said,

So So than it’s okay for us to pay athletes MILLIONS of dollars who don’t contribute much to society other than donating to charities that they’ll right off on their taxes anyway?!?!?

My wife is a teacher and she has to deal with a lot of kid’s bullshit! It’s a shame that teachers can’t knock the $h!t out of these kids when they retaliate the way they do. We just had our first child and to take care of a newborn and then go to work and deal with these “creatures” only to come home and take care of our child again….I have a new respect for my wife as a teacher and as a mother.

Teachers do not get paid enough to deal with the kids they’re dealt with. Also, that 2 months they have off in the summer is a well deserved one!

YOU ARE JUST BITTER! You wouldn’t be saying this if you were a teacher!

Joseph Said,

since when are teachers suppoused to be paid “per kid” if that were true, then at private schools which have 5-6 kids in a class would be paid 15,000 a year. But they arent because they are far better qualified then normal teachers. Teachers, in my opinion are paid far too much.

Mark T. Said,

Don’t know why I’m getting into this, yet I can’t stop myself.

I am a teacher and I work in South Central Los Angeles. I’ve been at my school for 8 years and am proud of my many professional accomplishments. I know that there are teachers at my school who should be fired immediately and have an averse affect on the students they teach. These teachers infuriate me and give the profession shame. However, for every one of those there are more than a dozen who have the exact opposite effect on their students. There are also a handful or so new teachers getting mentally, verbally, psychologically, and sometimes even physically abused by their students everyday because they are ill-prepared to teach and the students are ill-prepared to learn. These new teachers can attest that teaching is so much more than just delivering lessons.

Yes, home-schooling is wonderful if you can do it, but many Americans cannot. The parents of my students most certainly cannot. While parents who do home-school might teach wonderful and exciting lessons daily to their children, it is infinitely harder to do the same for the 130 students in 50 minute blocks while adding in the paperwork that teaching entails (boasting here - I have many wonderful and exciting activities and lessons). Add in the commitments to department meetings and afterschool tutoring for students and any extracurricular activities that you might be involved, and you’ll discover that teaching in a public school is quite the challenge (I do take offense to the poster that claimed that private school teachers are more qualified than public school teachers - in fact many are teachers that couldn’t handle the pressures of public school teaching and took the pay cut for smaller class sizes and more involved parents). I’d much rather have 5-10 kids that I could solely focus.

Yet, I teach and I don’t own a house and I know that if I would have gone into just about any field that my salary would probably be $30,000 higher than it is right now. That is why I don’t complain about salary. I don’t teach for the salary. If that was a major goal of mine, I would be in PR or some other field using similar skill sets.

While it is humorous to examine our professional salary per students and per hour, it doesn’t help in any way. It’s a negative mindset and I can’t afford to be negative. Negativity ruins good teachers. In the end, I know that I get paid in more than just US dollars. It helps me to think of it that way so I can stay positive.

Ryan Said,

Something I keep coming across as I read these comments (and I’ve read about half of them)is the education level of teachers. I am a junior at a New Jersey university seeking my elementary education degree, and trust me, it’s no picnic. Not only do I have to complete my rigorous education coursework, which requires 8 hours a week IN CLASS and in FIELD OBSERVATIONS, but I have to have a double major as required by the state and No Child Left Behind. So not only am I learning how to teach your kids, but I am learning psychology, sociology, I am reading philosophers such as Peirce and Dewey…so please, don’t call the curriclulm that requires nearly 8 hours a day in schoolwork namby pamby or weak.

And besides, a typical teaching degree won’t get you a job anymore. It is imperative that you have special education, esl or some other specialization to find a decent job.

Christina Martin Said,

To be fair, the “average” pay of teachers is misleading; that includes those who are paid higher for special qualifications or for doing extra work (like sponsoring after school activities or teaching summer school). If you take out those numbers, the average pay of teachers is considerably lower.

Christina Martin’s last blog post… Note to Monkeytot

Erik Said,

Nice. Very funny. I don’t agree with what Qtpies7 said up there…and with all due respect, Homeschooling teachers hold an altogether different role that your average public school teacher. So, the blanket statement of “teachers teach to the test” and “they don’t teach that much” is rather silly.

I hope you’ll visit my site: lordwhatsmymotivation.wordpress.com

I’m a teacher too!

Erik’s last blog post… “When will my reflection show, who I am inside?”

waytoofunny Said,

As a teacher I agree that the system is not set up for multiple intelligences and truly learning how to think and not just to barf out the latest monkeybutt test answers.
UNFORTUNATELY, most parents that I deal with only care about the final numbers and the students themselves refuse (yes REFUSE) to work on anything that isn’t a) for marks b) for high marks. We have to instill in our children the importance of thinking and indeed HELP our teachers to teach the kids.
On another note, the actual curriculum has been watered down over the last few years as we fight to make sure (as parents have been demanding) that we teach the students that basic skills that they are not getting at home (socialization without telling people to fuck off, basic manners, and respect for themselves and property.) We actually have court cases at my school over kids who have not learned the basics and have been suspended…and the parents sue because they think we should have taught Timmy not to punch people out or ACTUALLY complete his schoolwork.
We must work together to prepare these kids for the messed up workd that is coming….wait - its here already - I’ll get the door!

D Said,

Ok I see this is an old post, but I stumbled upon it and I can’t keep my mouth shut. I agree that teachers are generally underpaid. However this argument always gets me 2 ways. First….I am paid on par, sometimes less and rarely more with teachers. I rarely get raises, I somehow have ended up at companies that have pay freezes. At one point the company was doing so bad I had a pay cut. Please note I don’t think this SHOULD EVER happen to teachers, they deserve every cent they get and then some. I just hate hearing comments like “anyone else with a equal degree gets paid more”. It is SIMPLY NOT ALWAYS TRUE!
Second while you as a teacher deserve every penny you get and then some, you are forgetting your support staff. My husband works for a county RESA. Technically his title is “video producer” (I still think that is odd for a school position, but that is me I just don’t realize all a school district does for its students).
He does create videos, mostly instructional and informational. The instructional ones help teachers learn things like how to use the county grading/attendance system. Then there are informational videos like the emmy nominated film to show the aspects of being a homeless student. Additionally he puts together shows that appear on local access channels. On top of this he has other duties assisting teachers county wide in Professional development days, and web conferencing. In web conferencing it is more than just meetings he also helps teachers take video conference field trips to see what would be to costly to visit on a bus.
On professional development days he is more than willing to help the many many English teachers use don’t know how to use MS Word, or just how to use a computer in general. This is all just a small example of what he does, and what he loves to do. When comparing his pay to others in his “video” field he is underpaid a great deal. He actually makes less at this job than his last. However he enjoys it, and would never leave based on pay. I just get irked to see how underpayment in public schools is ALWAYS the burden of the teachers, and only the teachers. As if the support staff was expendable and useless.
Again I do wish teachers in general had more respect and a better pay scale. I just wish teachers would also acknowledge those who help them.

A Teacher Said,

I am a first year teacher, just entering after being in the business world. I agree that I get to work 180 days per year, but I make just $ 35,000 and I do a lot more than babysit!

The problem is kids that are lazy, don’t want to work, get bored, and are very spoiled! They don’t want to learn. I have to spend half the class getting them to pay attention.

Many of you would be smart enough, but not patient enough, to be a teacher.

wvu Said,

I’m a student at a major university and I am almost done with my education degree. I’m not going into this profession for the pay, but because I want to make a difference in a child’s life. If I can help one student capture his/her dream then I will feel like I’ve accomplished something. I agree that teachers are underpaid but I was underpaid working my way through college to pay rent and bills. What if we paid NFL players $35,000 a year? They only perform once a week for maybe 3 hours. Sure they have to practice 4 days a week, but teachers don’t get paid for the amount of time they put outside of class. It’s time the US gets her priorities straight. Society has made me bitter and this bullshit needs to stop

Reji Said,

I am a teacher…I am proud of that fact. Some of what has been said in the comments above me is disgusting, disheartening and a prime example of so much that is wrong in the U.S. in general, not just in education. I love my job, but it is frustrating, disheartening and stressful much of the time. No real teacher wants his or her students to fail. Their successes are ours, their failures hurt. Few who don’t care choose to stay in the profession for long. They can make more with less stress elsewhere. To suggest that we are all lazy, uncaring, rude (shall I go on?) is yet another reason that many qualified, talented people just give up and move on. I see it happen every year as motivated, hardworking teachers are beaten down and end up leaving teaching for good. If you feel the schools in your area need improving, volunteer. I always need volunteers and almost never get any. Get out there and do something. Substitute, tutor, volunteer in the office, anything. Then come back and report on your experiences.

anonymous Said,

This is true for SOME teachers.. but not all of them. A lot/most of the teachers I had in high school literally sat down at their desk the entire class period and either had us copy the text book, watch a movie, or do nothing. That’s not what I’d like to call having an education.

But it’s true for the GOOD teachers.

Miss F Said,

Anyone who has never set foot in a classroom has NO idea what it’s like to be a teacher. Our work NEVER ends. Our responsibilities are overwhelming. We don’t “punch in” and “punch out” like 9-5 people, and I’ve worked jobs like that, where you don’t have to take piles of correcting and planning home. I long for that easiness sometimes. Our work is not a “job” it’s a vocation. We do not teach to tests because we want to, we do it because we don’t have a choice, and for you ignorant people who think we get paid for vacations and the summer, WE DON’T. Our salary gets spaced out throughout the year so that we get a check in the summer, but we are NOT getting paid to do nothing. Besides, in the summer, we are attending countless workshops and courses to learn how to become better teachers. Some of us, especially in inner city high schools, literally risk our lives every day while we try to educate children with more baggage than you can ever imagine. Come sub in my classroom for A DAY and I promise you, you will be blessing every teacher you come in contact with for the rest of your life. Our jobs are almost impossible and we do the best we can with the 100 or so students we see on a daily basis. Seriously, some of the comments on here make me want to scream. Just go back to your comfy office and let us do our EXTREMELY important jobs.

sickofoutsidersopinions Said,

The truth is, unless you are actually involved in the teaching profession, you don’t have a clue about what effective teachers have to endure every day. We are all professionally educated with degrees ranging from bachelors to doctorates and still we get flack from those who don’t truly understand what is really going on. If you were to tell someone else with the amount of responsibility and the amount of education that we have in any other profession, that they were overpaid, they would laugh in your face. Get the facts and try to become educated before you make uninformed comments (referring to all those who made derogatory comments about this post). To parents, start paying attention to your kids and make sure they are ready to learn. Turn off the TV and the video games. Start instilling in them that an education is important and not something to take for granted. Teach them that most teachers care and those who are sitting in their chairs need to leave the profession. Don’t make generalizations that all schools are bad. To legislators, start funding your mandates and make sure we have enough teachers where they need to be. I don’t care about the pay, because I love kids and I want them to be successful. I just want to be able to pay for my food and gas. Is that so wrong? Those comments about teachers being over paid are so ludicrous they really don’t deserve to be addressed, but I feel that we teachers need to make sure the facts are available to any one that has the intelligence to understand. That being said, when asked what do I make as a teacher? I make a difference!!!

sickofoutsidersopinions Said,

Miss F.
You are so right and thank you for defending us all. You are truly a person that I respect and would hope that my own children would have as a teacher. Thank you for your dedication and understanding of what it means to be a teacher. I just wanted you to know that someone out there is listening.

MCK Said,

I agree completely with Miss F and SickofoutsideropinionsSaid. I was going to write exactly what you both said both since you both put it so eloquently I feel I don’t have to.
I will say that I am a 2-5 Special Ed teacher in an inner city school. I work with student with varying degrees of learning disabilities. I do not do my job because it is easy or I have summers off. I never get to work or leave work at the time of my contract; I always arrive before and leave after. You can’t and be successful. You have to put in extra time to get everything done that is expected of you for your student’s success. I believe most teachers do not teach for the money. You know that the money is not going to happen. But you do what you can and make a difference. Most teachers I know love their jobs. If they didn’t they would have put just as much time into a more lucrative profession that requires the same amount of schooling.

Sandy Said,

What a great post! I hope the whole world links.

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Desiree Said,

I went to a below-average public school. I had some horrible teachers, yes, but I also had some teachers who completely changed my life. You can tell the difference between those who teach for an easy (by easy, I don’t mean that it is easy) profession and those who do it for their love of teaching. I think teachers definitely deserve more money than they make. I have known many kids who were home schooled and from my personal experiences, those people were slapped in the face when it came time to go into the real world. As much as I didn’t enjoy public school, I know I wouldn’t be as successful as I am now without those experiences.

tired of spell-checking teacher's notes home Said,

All teachers who believe they are overworked, underpaid, unappreciated, and overwhelm are free to quit their horrid jobs and go work elsewhere. Boo hoo, babies. Everyone has to work for a living. Don’t like your career? Change it and quit abusing children. And most teachers are abusive, vindictive, uncaring, mindless drones who are only there to collect a paycheck and state benefits. Again, feel free to quit anytime. None of us will miss you.

When the local teachers are earning twice what the average worker makes, and still whining for more money proves conclusively that their only interest is collecting a paycheck. Otherwise, they would be asking for better equipment, better textbooks, and a better education system. They are not asking for any of this because they realize this would mean they might actually have to work for a living. Again, feel free to quit anytime. We won’t miss you.

Michael Yates Said,

Thanks for this! I teach full time in a private high school though; no one sees $50k. I’m at $23k right now.

Michael Yates’s last blog post… Why Baldwin?

Phil Smith Said,

this is about the dumbest thing that i have ever heard..babysit?? cmon thats ridiculous. this is just another example of someone who should not be allowed to operate a blog…as a society we entrust teachers with instructing the future generations of our society on our traditions, practices, and standards. its literally an investment by the community in the future of that community. Once we begin to pay teachers a comparable salary to what other professionals with similar responsibilities make we will begin to see a change in those seeking teaching jobs and it would allow for more qualitative judgment of the teachers, ensuring that only the best and most dedicated are influencing our youth.

3rd Year College Student Said,

Just read a local newspaper and you will know the literacy of high school graduates. It’s the same level. The literacy level of local newspaper is equal to the average literacy level of high school graduates in that area. It’s 6th to 8th grade level in most areas.

Three Major Facts.
1) Teachers are underpaid because the system is eating all the money.
2) Teachers are force to teach to the test or get fired.
3) What we need is a better education system for teachers and students.

Jane Said,

Everyone is SICK of schoolteachers complaining about how little they make. TSS workers, substitute teachers, after school workers and other support staff such as myself get 11-14 dollars an hour. And we are still required to have a degree. Why can’t you be thankful for what you have and if you aren’t consider the fact I have to work a second job rather than having my summers off. I can’t afford to have children of my own, a car, or a home. You and your union are greedy and you hog up all the funds. Kids use outdated books and the radiators are full of mold.

Joe Said,

I am a software engineer in a small town and my state employed teacher wife makes as much as I do.

Joe Said,

Either developers need to make more or teachers need to make less.

J Said,

Elena Ivey, are you high?

WOW Said,

Elana Avey: No wonder your teachers were mean to you, you’re an idiot.

bob Said,

if you think all teachers do is babysit i recommend you home school your own children and see how successful they become you ass.

Anthony Said,

Like any profession, there exist teachers who are spectacular asin their roles, and truly make a difference in the lives of their students, and there are those who are incompetent and reckless. Then there are those who are mediocre - those teachers who students do not remember when they reminisce about their school years.
Where I come from however, teachers get paid the same wage regardless of their abilities. Furthermore, a very powerful union blindly protects any teacher who is accused of being unprofessional. As a teacher, I have had the pleasure of working with some inspirational educators, who are worth their weight in pre-recession gold; I have also worked with monstrosities who have no business being in the same building as students. If there was some way to compensate teachers for their actual effectiveness as educators, as opposed to years of experience, then maybe you would see more educators take a vested interest in their professional development.

Research Term papers .com Said,

First of all, I agree with you. But there are also other people who have a different point of view to this, but on the contrary; point well written and geat article.

Timeshare Professionals LLC Said,

Hah. Great little post here. Definately some valid points.. although $277 a day is nothing to scoff at. There was a time I was making that per week. Glad those days are over. Gonna send this one out to a few friends thanks for the read.

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Kira Said,

I would like to thank you for posting this. I am currently working towards a BME, a Bachelor’s in Music Education. As such, I am one of many who will be concerned with searching far for any job that is open in this world. I would like to say that public school, although not the best way of learning for many, does have its uses. I learned how to communicate with others, regardless of who they are or how they act.

I also learned that a large problem with teaching is that many students believe they don’t need any form of formal education. It is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure that the infortation is readily available for any who want to learn in the classroom. However, how do you force a student to learn when they don’t care? Many great teachers work in schools where a large percentage of the students truly don’t care for the learning opportunity they are given. Even homeschooling is better than not learning at all, even if it does tend to make many socially innept.

I do believe that the type of schooling a student recieves should depend on where the parents wish to place them and also on the type of student. There are schools out there specifically for those who are interested in a certain program and that is great. Then there are schools for those who have no clue. I say let the student decide which is better for them.

Philis Gerken Said,

I can very well understand the frustration a teacher must feel, and I’m not one, but a parent of 2 teens. All teachers are different, but I’m sure they chose the profession because of there love of it, and that to me means something. People frequently have a hard time considering that the problems they sometimes face against teachers,are more likely the result of themselves, or their spoiled brats that until then never learned disipline. School is’t a daycare, teachers are hired to teach, and shouldn’t have to waste that time with undisiplined, spoiled kids, who’s parents have no other excuse than pure laziness.
My children lost their father when they were in 5th and 7th grade. It was unexpected and devastating. Something that will forever stick in my mind was when, at his funeral, I looked back, and saw my sons fifth grade teacher there at the funeral. She must have had a substitute in order to attend, but her attendance and support for me and my son was something I will never forget. I wish I could remember her name, she taught my 5th grade son Nick 3 years ago at Fire Prairie Middle School in Indepedence, Mo.
I also distintly remember when my daughter (Stephanie) was in first grade at Underwood Elementary School in Lees Summit Mo.(early/mid nineties) and her teacher, Mrs. Truman, and the positive impact she was on several occasions. She made it clear to me that I ever needed her assistance she would be available,during or anytime after school hours.And she was, never once considering her own self, always putting her student first. Thank you Mrs. Truman, at Underwood Elementary School in Lees Summit Mo. We’ve never forgotten you.
I wish at the time I would have expressed what a difference they made in myself and my childrens lives. They need to hear appreciation and praise far more often.It’s often the best motivator there is.
No matter what any teacher does, they will never please everyone. They have parents, administration, legal issues and undisiplined children who’s parents expect the teacher to try and correct or teach what their parents have neglected to do in the first place.
I’m sure I’m not the only parent who has had wonderful experiences with some teachers. I regret that at the time I didn’t let them know how much it meant to me and the positive results that came of there selflessness. I doubt that the teachers in charge of our future generations will ever be compensated fairly, either monetarily or verbally, until some major Goverment changes are made. Before you make a complaint against a teacher, I would suggest that you throughly investigate, because as hard as it may be to think so, it might just be your or your child instead. Some of my best teachers I had were the ones I despised the most. But I’m still better in math than any of my friends, and if your child dislikes their teacher, consider that it may just be because they are doing their job, they aren’t their to be your child’s friend. But I’m sure it would mean alot to the teachers who frequently go above and beyond their duties to hear from parents some appreciation for the positive work they are doing. I would suspect that it means as much or more to them than any monetary compensation. And parents need to do their job as parents, to ensure that a taechers job is possible. Teachers should not be having to teach hygiene, attendance, disipline, respect, manners, and everything else that causes so many disruptions in class that make it impossible for them to do their job.
Am I sick of high paid teachers? ARE YOU NUTS? there is no such thing, or we’d all go back to school to teach. Before anyone slams teachers, look at all the other issues in our Goverment we could worry about, including decades of our children and there children paying off big corporations, goverment fraud, money being borrowed from China, all that went to Iraq, ect. ect. ect.
Come on, people SHOULD stand up for injustices, but to catagorize the pay of our teachers as an injustice, only makes me think you lack education about the teaching profession and the pay being received.

M.Austin Said,

What amazes me is A) yes, teachers may teach to tests. Has anyone ever questioned what is on those tests? They are created by teachers who have met many many times to hash out what knowledge we want all children to know. It is not just random useless knowledge. B) I teach in a public school at a salary of less than $40,000 after 15 years of teaching. I supplement my salary by spending several hours after school each week coaching, sponsoring clubs, tutoring, etc. C) I don’t teach a core tested subject, yet I am expected to help teach reading, math, social studies, and science in addition to the subjects I am hired to teach. D) Not all teachers are good teachers, not everyone who home schools is a good teacher or parent. The difference is that the public knows who the bad teachers are. You can move, change districts, send your child to private school, or home school to avoid a bad teacher. Your child gets stuck with whatever decision you make - make it a good one, not a personal one! E) I am one of those “bad” teachers. Yesterday I had a student grab a printout from the internet, scratching me in the process. He was not doing his assignment, was not on task, he felt it ok to call me names. My crime in his eyes (or at least what he told me) - why can’t he do whatever he wants? THAT is where your bad schools come from - bad parenting at home!

Snell Said,

I am a teacher. I love my job. I am sorry if any teacher ever made any of you sad or mistreated you. The one point I take issue with is that some of the teachers implied that they knew what was happening in other teacher’s classrooms. After 19 years in my profession, I can honestly say I have never spent any “real” amount of time in a classroom with another teacher teaching. If we, as teachers, hear what is going on in another teacher’s classroom, it is secondhand from students. Perhaps these teachers are as guilty of believing the students without questioning the teacher as the parents are accused of being? It is just a thought.

akhila Said,

Teaching is perhaps the only profession where everyone assesses and comments on the worker. If you do a lousy job, it’s usually the prerogative of the boss to comment and deal with your work. But, here it seems a teacher is somebody everybody can hit at: Principal or head, parents, students, PTA, the school board or management. Why?
I work in India, My pay is Rupees 20K a month. Work that out in dollars.
Yes, teachers deal with humans, with young people - minds and heart. Not every other profession, with the exception of the various branches of medicine, lay claim to this.
That is a big load on one’s conscience to come back home with. I know, I do. But, if you enjoy the job, what is so tough about it?

I wish people who comment, comment on the post or other people’s comments without immediately being nasty.
Post script: There is a big difference in being schooled and being educated. Elena’s grammar or lack of it, doesn’t make her a lesser person. I am just sad that teachers who can make, sometimes break young people’s heart. I think what teachers could do to children is to show them an example of a good, kind, and friendly adult. i think that’s what my colleagues and I do.

Sharon Said,

Wow! So many silly comments it hard to distinguish what to comment on - the article or the comments??
First - I have horrible grammer - always have, sorry… I don’t think that makes me stupid, it’s just something that never stayed with me… I relied a lot on my sister to edit for me
Second - my sister is a teacher. A great one!

Anyways, We’ve all had horrible teachers - suck it up & move on. We’ve also all had that one awesome teacher that made the horrible school experience a little better. Thanks Mrs. Packee, Mrs. Schwartz, Ms. Aune, Mrs. McFetridge.
I also think that most parents have had a moment where they think “That’s it , I am pulling my kids out of that horrible school and homeschooling them!” I know I have. I threaten homeschooling everytime something stupid happens at school… but God knows that even though I believe that with the help of some highly educated family & friends I could provide a halfway decent education for my children - I never would. Not because of the “Social” issues, but purely because I have NO DESIRE TO BE A TEACHER! If I wanted to be a teacher I would have gone to college for that profession.
People need to stop being to uptight about this & deal with the fact that we all chose different paths to take, and teachers got us to where we are today.

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john Said,

great.. i agrea for you post.. i am interest

Lori Said,

For those of you who said that education majors picked the ‘easy’ major, I would like to see you last a semester in my professional program. Sure, we don’t have as MUCH homework, but what we do have to do is extremely involved and often requires extensive research. I have a 3.66 GPA and have been on the Dean’s List all four semesters I have been in college. Please, do not trivialize my choice in profession by saying that I am lazy and just want to cruise through college and get into a cushy job.

I was a student in the 5th largest school district in the country and I saw how much my district suffered every day. Starting salary in a measly 29,000 dollars and the district pays about 5,000 dollars per student per year which leads teachers to pick up the tab for several necessary classroom items. Teachers do so much in a day other than just teaching that the amount of money they make does not even compare to their responsibilities.

As a former preschool teacher and a current kindergarten intern I guarantee that all of you non-teachers have no clue how much work goes in to being a teachers. If you want to put in your opinion I suggest that you gain experience in that which you are criticizing.

credit love Said,

I totally agree on the part of teaches should get paid more. They sure need a lot of patience and energy to work with children. It is not an easy task like going to office and sitting on a chair and do files. And why not….after all they are the one who make our children well educated.

john inside Said,

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Texas Energy Rates Said,

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Su Said,

Teachers don’t make nearly enough for all the required education and continued coursework demanded for professional status. My daughter’s boyfriend got a mechanical engineering job offer of $57k when he graduated 2 years ago from college and has received raises which upped his salary to the mid $60’sk range….all this with just a bachelor’s degree, and at just 24 years old! Yet in my school district, a beginning with a masters degree would earn just over $42k for all the extra education. Teachers are educating the future. One would think the compensation would be more substantial.

Su Said,

Edit to post above:

…a beginning teacher with a masters degree…

kathy@Tustin dog bite attorney Said,

I know attorneys that make less than $50k a year. It takes 4 years of undergraduate school then 3 years to get the JD and then they have to pass the bar exam. I know of a special education teacher that makes $78,000 a year and she can only be characterized as not so bright. It is a matter of supply and demand. Nurses are worth the most and there is probably an over saturation of attorneys. Special education teachers are in demand and other teachers not so much.

Franco Said,

Lol high paid teachers? Here in South Africa the teachers live on bread and butter every day. Salaries about $600 a month, so if your teachers are paid too much you should see it as a blessings, for teachers are the ones who teach the future of the world.