MYTH: Teachers are underpaid....(interesting)

[kaorder1999]

MYTH: Teachers Are Underpaid

May 12, 2006 — Teachers are underpaid. Underpaid makes me ask, under what?

It's true that teachers have an important job instructing children, and many important people say, teachers are underpaid.

Democrats and Republicans applaud that line, but exactly what is "enough?" The average public school teacher makes $45,000 a year. That's $7,000 more than the average wage in America.

Still teachers at union rallies say they're underpaid.

At a 2005 rally, New York City's public advocate Betsy Gotbaum said, "For 20 years, they haven't been paid enough."

But where's the evidence? In a free country when jobs pay too little, people don't apply for them. Yet the opposite is true in many school districts.

This year Boston needed 675 new teachers. They got 2,800 applications — four for every job. In Los Angeles, it was five for every job. In New York, six. Chicago, 12. Kentucky had 11 applications per job, and Missouri, 19.

Still, we keep hearing that teachers don't make enough money.

Also, remember teachers are paid for just nine months of work. They have the summer off. Some work summer school, others relax.

Some teachers take the time off to relax, go to spas. One teacher I talked to said summers give him time to travel.

"If I'm going to be a good Spanish teacher, wouldn't it behoove me to spend some time in Mexico," he said.

It might, but the summer off means when you calculate teachers' hourly wages, you find teachers make more than chemists, physical therapists, psychologists, registered nurses, aircraft mechanics and firefighters.

Teachers demonstrated outside the "20/20" offices because they were mad at me for criticizing their union. They demanded I point out that many teachers work extra hours for no extra pay. OK. But it's also true that when it comes to teaching, most teachers aren't in it for the money. They just want to help the kids.

"It's about the kids," one teacher said. "I'm not a teacher for money, because I'd be a lawyer if I wanted money. I teach because I love kids."

That's right.

[kaorder1999]

just wanted to see what everyone else thinks....

[pirate44]

teachers are overpaid

[Snyder_TigerFan]

$45,000 - maybe not
$28,000 - yes

[PPHSfan]

While I love teachers I must say this.

You knew the job was dangerous and low paying when you decided to go to school to become one. So while I agree that you should be paid as much as the market will allow, I can't in good faith, listen to you complain when you don't make enough money.

[raider red 2000]

i have never had 3 months off.

in the fall i work about 85 hours a week.

in the sping about 60.

am i underpaid??????

i dont think so...if i wanted to make more money i could go find a job that sucks but pays better.

i love my job.....is it hard at times? YES.
Do I wish that I made more? SURE

[pirate44]

everyone asked will say they are underpaid. PPHSfan makes a good point.

[kaorder1999]

Let's say in your job all of a sudden expectations of you continued to rise and you find yourself having to put more and more of your personal time into your job what would you do? Or....let's say that all of a sudden your company tells you "We've decided not to pay you overtime anymore for your extra hours."

Do teachers go into the business knowing they arent getting paid for overtime. Of course they do. But all of a sudden in your own personal time you are asked to go to this Taks training and that Taks training and this Taks training and you have an open house you have to attend twice a month where you dont get home till 9 at night.

Though I have only been in education a short period of time I really do feel for those educators who have been in the business for a while. Their job description has DRASTICALLY changed. Administrators USED to let them do their job and teach young men and woman how to be be productive citizens. Now they have to to that AND make sure they pass the TAKS.

I think it's just natural for people to ask to be compensated for extra dudties.

[pirate44]

Originally posted by kaorder1999
Let's say in your job all of a sudden expectations of you continued to rise and you find yourself having to put more and more of your personal time into your job what would you do? Or....let's say that all of a sudden your company tells you "We've decided not to pay you overtime anymore for your extra hours."

Do teachers go into the business knowing they arent getting paid for overtime. Of course they do. But all of a sudden in your own personal time you are asked to go to this Taks training and that Taks training and this Taks training and you have an open house you have to attend twice a month where you dont get home till 9 at night.

Though I have only been in education a short period of time I really do feel for those educators who have been in the business for a while. Their job description has DRASTICALLY changed. Administrators USED to let them do their job and teach young men and woman how to be be productive citizens. Now they have to to that AND make sure they pass the TAKS.

I think it's just natural for people to ask to be compensated for extra dudties.

any other salaried employee accepts they have to put in extra time without extra pay. thats life.

[kaorder1999]

Originally posted by pirate44
any other salaried employee accepts they have to put in extra time without extra pay. thats life.

you make a great point ......BUT

What about the teachers that WERE compensated for extra duties....(bus driving, Saturday Schools, etc....) But then all of a sudden are told.....sorry....not getting paid for those things...

[kaorder1999]

im just trying to get feedback....having class discussions on Inflation and economic changes...

[kaorder1999]

What about the Administrators that are making 70-100k and ARENT having to teach TAKS after school tutorials or ARENT having to drive busses or ARENT having to work 85-90 hours a week?

[KTJ]

I don't think the problem is being underpaid.

I think the problem is that there isn't really much of an increase in pay as you go on in teaching.

[raider red 2000]

our expectations are rising for a few reasons.

1- kids are not taught as much at home.
2- politicians- do not care about public education...or they are just cluless.
3- kids are not as motivated by long term goals...they want instand gratification....microwaves....cell phones....i-pods.....they want their MTV right now......scre waiting and working for something.....they want it...and want it now.

how does that change my job?
offer the info. explain why it is important. help the kdis that need help.

[PPHSfan]

Originally posted by kaorder1999
What about the Administrators that are making 70-100k and ARENT having to teach TAKS after school tutorials or ARENT having to drive busses or ARENT having to work 85-90 hours a week?

they chose a better paying career path.