$100,000+ Salaries for School Teachers?

Originally posted by inkyminds
reply to post by Camperguy

 

So your theory is that teachers should get paid less because schools are overcrowded, and you dont care if children are educated, as long as they are baby sat while mom and dad drone away at the office?


Edit: my apologies. My sarcasm radar is defective. Damn Microsoft. Hop it didnt screw up my gaydar too.

edit on 25-2-2011 by inkyminds because: (no reason given)

I was being sarcastic, my wife is a teacher she actually sent me that link and I find it pretty funny that people who have no clue whats involved being a teacher or the education that is required to be a teacher is bitching about their pay and calling them baby sitters. Over 50% of teachers burn out before 5 years because of all the b.s. and teaching to the test. I dont know how my wife does it, she actually teaches refugees and foreign students to pass the MCAS test and yes if they fail she is held responsible. Some of these kids have never used a toilet never mind learn a new language and pass a test American kids have a hard time passing.As in every other school they have a 3million short fall and want to double the size of her 25 children classroom, which have 17 different langauges. We spend a minimum of $2500 a year out of pocket to help these kids get pencils and books because the school doesnt have any money.

You can always tell the herd mentality group that will jump on what ever the media is pushing and take it as gospel.

But as with some things trying to get out the truth is like pissing on a forest fire.

Bill

reply to post by intelinside451


$100,000 salary is false,

The $51,000 salary figure is further substantiated by district-by-district data provided by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

However, according to a spokeswoman for the Wisconsin Education Association Council, the Fox figure for Wisconsin teacher benefits -- $39,000 -- is way too high. Average benefits amount to about $25,000 a year, said Marlena Deutsch, a spokeswoman for WEAC. In total compensation, Wisconsin ranks 23rd in the nation.

We couldn't find a definitive, independent state average for benefits in Wisconsin, but the data from the state Department of Public Instruction lists "fringe benefits" by district in Wisconsin. None were as high as $39,000. The median was about $25,800.

Now, if we were to add the benefits and the average pay together, we are looking at $77,000 in total funds and money earned for teachers, which sounds much better than the income for the average joe right?

According to a national compensation survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the total cost of compensation to private industry employees last year came to about $58,000

politifact.com...

Considering as well that teachers and other public workers have already agreed to take a 10% cut to their incomes as well, (some more), the OP paints a false picture of the situation occuring in Wisconsin. The core at the protests is for the right of employers to bargain their incomes, and that is exactly what they are doing.

How good does it feel to spread lies and misinformation? Hey, if it puts you to bed every night, well it must be good for you, it ain't too good for credibility however.

reply to post by Camperguy


.........Teaching these days doesn't sound like when I went to school. Maybe your wife needs to work with another group of kids, so she won't be labeled a failure. God bless her!

Actually, if your wife worked with my relative's kids, she'ld probably be labeled a failure, because my relative doesn't believe in homework, thinks a "D" is acceptable, and lets her kids have a 6 pack of soda a day...each.

A few years ago I asked my son's foreign exchange student friends why they wanted to come to American schools. Number one answer...their schools don't have the social life like here. Dances, social clubs, student activities like rallies, etc. They also said that sports teams were based in the community, not in the school.

The f ex st all couldn't believe what American classroom student populations look like. They said that in their country, students of the same ability were grouped together. They couldn't understand why students with higher ability were mixed with students of lower ability. They didn't know how teachers could teach to that wide range.

They also thought that the higher ability students didn't work as hard. Parents in their country would send their kid to a tutor to raise their grade from an A to an A+.

So, American schools are compared with schools that seem to concentrate on academics, that have students whose parents push them to be academically advanced.



Oh, I mentioned in a prior post about teachers leaving my niece's school. She said that the one who stayed and a new one they hired both came from the private sector, when their jobs were eliminated.

She also said that despite business bragging about highest achievement for all, there are dented can stores, Macys and WalMart, , and products returned due to damage or nonworking order. Plus, she said that the first thing business wants to do when they start their own school is spend lots of money on it, despite having raised a fuss about the govt doesn't need to spend more money.

Oh, I also need to state another opinion as to why Americans aren't becoming scientists or engineers. For 3 decades now many of our best and brightest followed the money into business, law and finance. (and look where THAT got us in the financial sector, something Bin Laden couldn't do!) We admire Bill Gates for his money; students in other countries admire him for his technical entrepreneurship. Our students want to be a sports or rock star, not the next technical entrepreneur.

...ok, in talking with my niece, I discovered that teachers she works with put in 50 hours of work on the clock per week,. not the contractual hours, which are less. She said that she and her colleagues work the same amount of hours as a worker working year-round, with any on-the-job difference made up by required professional development (on their own time).

She says it's like putting on 6 performances a day, with each one required to be a top performance. From what she describes, I guess gone (long gone in my case) are the days when a teacher put notes on a chalkboard and sat down at her desk for the rest of the period.

She doesn't pay into Social Security or Medicare, so will not benefit from either. Good Lord, what will happen to her when she retires without medical insurance? By then private insurance rates would be prohibitively costly.

Oh, and, yes, her pay is only for time in the classroom. There is no paid vacation or holidays.

The more I find out about teaching and talk with teachers, the more I find why the business idea of paying teachers based on some sort of "merit" pay has no merit. These people aren't in it for the money. Their mindset is different than someone in the business world, scrambling to outdo a competitor for increased revenue. Hell, sounds like they scramble to do their best just because they want to, the reward being intrinsic.

And one more thing. I finally hit on what irked me about all the tax talk, about not wanting to pay those lazy teachers. ....Will every state who takes my CA federal tax dollars to make up for their lack please send back what they take? Apparently, I'm helping to prop up some lazy, unproductive states. Oh, heck, keep it if you need it. Just don't bite the hand that feeds you...or teaches you.

reply to post by mblahnikluver


While i believe that teachers should be paid commensurate with their skills and results they produce, you'd be hard pressed to find a great deal of teachers that would actually "earn" 100k a year. Don't get me wrong, I think teaching is an admirable proffession, and when I retire from the Air Force i plan on teaching high school history. My problem is, looking back to my school years, I can only think of one teacher that was great, that i believe would have earned that much money. The problem faced today is that there are many teachers who treat it like a 9 to 5 job that is to be suffered through for the 9+ months a year until they get summer breaks. Being a teacher is an honor, for they literally shape the future of our next generation. i don't feel that many teachers realize this, and neither do students. I understand that students are a big demotivator, but that doesnt mean that the effort to teach should also go down. again, i have nothing but respect for teachers.

As far as celebrities and athletes, they get paid so highly because of the economic principle of supply and demand. take Tiger Woods for example. when he was hurt a couple years back and had to miss a season, golf revenues went down by 50%. he is the sole reason that golf is so popular (i'm talking about pre- 2009 Woods). he brings in the money, so should be paid at a reasonable rate to the amount he brings in.

Originally posted by inkyminds

Originally posted by firepilot
The good teachers are underpaid, and the bad ones are overpaid. Unfortunately with teachers union rules, you cant just make the differentiation.

And, unfortunately for people like Walker, 'teacher's unions' also prevent people like Walker from fring them for any ol reason.

Also, you ARE aware this is about FAR more than just 'teacher's' unions?

Yep..and teachers unions are about more than just trying to ensure they get treated fairly.

Just a few questions for you all who think that teachers get paid way too much.....

1. In what profession, with a master's degree can you make less than $40,000/year?
2. Do you have to supply everything in your office? As a teacher, I am lucky if I get any copy paper, crayons, books, materials to use in the classroom or give to my students. Where do all of these things come from? My own checking account. Easily every year I spend close to $3,000 of my own money for necessities in my classroom. Or necessities for my students. Like the one student who came in on a cold winter day with no jacket - the child's family did not have the resources to go and get the child a coat for the fridgid temperatures that we were having, so I went out and bought her a jacket. Again, money from my own pocket.
3. Do you get a lunch break - where you are able to sit and eat your lunch? As a teacher I have mandated lunches with my students. I spend the 20 minuets that we get opening up milk, getting new lunches if one or two were dropped, adding money to student's accounts so that they can eat lunch, finding money in my wallet for a child who has no lunch that day, making sure that children with food allergies have a safe lunch to eat. Many days, I am lucky to sit and eat 2-3 bites out of my lunch.
4. Are yo able to get up and use the restroom whenever you need to? Must be nice. As a teacher, I am not allowed to leave my students unattended. If I need a restroom it better be when the children are at art, music, library, or gym. If not, then I'm out of luck!
5. When you are not in the office, do you need to leave detailed notes of exactly how your day goes and what needs to be done by somebody who you have never met? If not, then let me entertain you. If I have to be out of my room for a day, due to a doctor's appointment or a meeting, I must leave a minute by minute account of how my day goes, work to be done by the students, and explicit instructions. This can take an many as 3-4 hours to get together and have prepared. If I am sick and do not know that I will be out, oh my! Watch out, not only do I have the flu, but also make sure that 20 6 year olds will be taken care of for the day.
6. You keep saying we have summers off. While yes, we are not actually teaching during the summer, I am still busy doing work for school (getting materials together and created, attending conferences - which are paid for out of my own pocket, take more graduate classes because we are mandated by the state to have a certain number of credit hours every year), Last year the only time I did NOT do anything for my classroom was when I was on my honeymoon - that's only because my husband took away my computer and credit cards.
7. Have you received a pay raise in the last 4 years? You have! Aren't you so lucky!! I have had my pay frozen for 4 years, yet my health insurance goes up every year - which I am expected to pay the increase, and what I am mandated to put into my retirement has increased! Not what I choose to put in - what the state is requiring me to put in.

If you think that teachers have such an easy job - please just come into my classroom for 1 day, 1 week, 1 month. I bet you would not be able to control 20-30 6 year olds, who all need different levels of instruction, complete assessments (many of which need to be done with with the child separately), attend meetings that begin at 7:00 am, and not getting home until 8:00 or later because there was another meeting after school. Compete report cards for 20-30 individuals at home on my own time, and thoughtfully filled out of what that particular child is doing in the classroom. Talk to parents - on their schedule, even if that means getting to school even earlier, or going to their house (in the rough part of town). Knowing that next year I am going to have 35 students in my class and expected to have them all at the same level in only 180 days (not a lot of time).

Until you have walked a day in a teachers' shoes, do not tell us how to do our jobs, or that we are making too much money. In reality, we make below what our society has dictated a person with advanced degrees is expected to make!! You need to have all your facts and not just talk out of one side of your mouths without all the information.

Who keeps your kids and gives you the adult a break...... who controls your kids for 8 hours a day 5 a week......

The teacher...

Who pays / OWNS the teacher?? the same one who writes what is taught does...


IS THIS NOT SCARY?? I feel mentally raped from going to school.

reply to post by proudteacher


...........and as a professional, can't you just let your secretary handle your appointments, records, paperwork?....oh, wait, you don't have a secretary......my niece says she has to walk an eighth of a mile to her bathroom and mailbox.

Too bad there's no more corporal punishment. I'ld whack everyone who spoke out against you....or tried to take away your rights.

reply to post by intelinside451


Specially the ones that are helping along with agenda 21! I didn't believe it when i heard about it and then seen the video....but when my honor roll student 14 year old brother come over to stay the night two weekends ago....he said this...." 2+2=5" " Math is Man made, and who's to say that 2+2 isn't equal to 5." My mouth dropped! I had heard this before!

www.bing.com... RM=LKVR1

reply to post by intelinside451


Specially the ones that are helping along with agenda 21! I didn't believe it when i heard about it and then seen the video....but when my honor roll student 14 year old brother come over to stay the night two weekends ago....he said this...." 2+2=5" " Math is Man made, and who's to say that 2+2 isn't equal to 5." My mouth dropped! I had heard this before!

www.bing.com... RM=LKVR1

reply to post by doommarine3


control? my son is adhd...and yes they are difficult to deal with but i don't have an issue at home with Controlling him but yet the school seems to insist i drug my son up everyday for school, if not you get cps called on you and then they threaten to take your kids!

Hummm...back in my day, the parents got a phone call, a referral in the mail, and the child would have harsh school punishments as in ISS. Now your lucky if you find out what the heck your kid is doing wrong cause you either don't get a call and the refferal shows up two weeks later! Maybe us parent could back the teachers up a little bit more if we knew what was going on WHEN it happened...sooner or later the kids would give the respect the teacher deserves.

I understand teaching is stressful but 100,000 a year? Maybe school districts should make the classrooms smaller if its so difficult to "CONTROL"

Originally posted by dizzie_lizzie79
reply to post by doommarine3

 

control? my son is adhd...and yes they are difficult to deal with but i don't have an issue at home with Controlling him but yet the school seems to insist i drug my son up everyday for school, if not you get cps called on you and then they threaten to take your kids!

Hummm...back in my day, the parents got a phone call, a referral in the mail, and the child would have harsh school punishments as in ISS. Now your lucky if you find out what the heck your kid is doing wrong cause you either don't get a call and the refferal shows up two weeks later! Maybe us parent could back the teachers up a little bit more if we knew what was going on WHEN it happened...sooner or later the kids would give the respect the teacher deserves.

I understand teaching is stressful but 100,000 a year? Maybe school districts should make the classrooms smaller if its so difficult to "CONTROL"

Oh yeah...by the way....CNA's ( in which i used to be one) And other certified nurses (LPN/RN) make next to nothing for having to have FRAGILE human life in their hands!! As a CNA i was lucky to bring home $14,000 a year working my TAIL off 40+ hours a week...taking care of people and even loving them like their your own grandparent or relative, washing and bathing and feeding and helping with the bathroom, with sores, walking and watching as most of their family have forgotten them.

Now my best friend is a LPN for the Federal gov. and she's lucky to make $35,000/yr., to do all that and give meds.

Math and science teachers are in short supply and are the most important of teachers and are arguably worth big salaries, but in most schools the unions won't allow that.

We need to drastically alter schools and get rid of the useless verbal courses like history and literature. If students want to learn that BS, they can teach it to themselves.

reply to post by crimvelvet


Sorry, that is not true at all...I have not even seen a teacher get 87 000 and I taught for over 25 years. Maybe if they are administrators then yes...but the average teacher salary...only around 40 grand and that is pushing it.

Originally posted by Make Speed Limit 45
Math and science teachers are in short supply and are the most important of teachers and are arguably worth big salaries, but in most schools the unions won't allow that.

We need to drastically alter schools and get rid of the useless verbal courses like history and literature. If students want to learn that BS, they can teach it to themselves.

how the heck is history and literature bs??????? That was the dumbest statement i have seen on here!!

Could the US teaching system benefit from some tidbits of Finnish system? Like:
1) All teachers need a masters degree.
2) All classes have 3 teachers. 2 for the group + 1 for individuals.
3) 100% unionized.
4) Kids stay with same teachers up to 6 years.
5) Formal school starts at the age of 7
Would any of these help out in US? I know they've visited here several times to see what works here. I'm not so sure if any of this would work in US. Especially because there is thousands upon thousands of teachers there and any change would be huge. Those are just few things that work here from the top of my head.

Teachers in UK are planning to take strike action because yet again they are unhappy about some trivial things.

One problem they will face is finding what days to strike because they get so many days off for one thing or another they are hardly ever at school.

I think they have lost all respect now. Anyone I speak to has nothing good to say about them.

More evidence that teachers have lost the plot

Head Teachers Pay

reply to post by intelinside451


Let me start by saying a teacher's job performance should be tied to their position and salary just like regular employees. Teachers should be judged on doing their best. That being said...

Ever been in a classroom? I have before. Do you know they cannot punish the students anymore? Parents go off the deep end if little Johnny or Suzy are put into a corner or (gasp) paddled. I have never seen more selfish parents in my life. Most of teacher's day is spent trying to control five or ten unruly students and the parents are willing to help with discipline. Their kids are perfect, even if they are behaving like future serial killers in training. Sometimes I wanted to drag the parents into the classroom and make them watch their own kids. Also, the ones who admit their kids aren't perfect blame everything about the bad behavior on ADHD and "impulse control issues." I had impulse control issues too. I wanted to knock the crap out of the parents for not doing THEIR jobs. My job was not babysitting. I'm supposed to teach the kids who want to learn something important, not invest every single second into making sure their little brats don't set the classroom on fire or murder one of their quieter classmates! To see how bad it's gotten:

This poor guy is still in the asylum. You can hear the kids bragging about how he can't touch them. I probably would have not aimed at the window.



I had one boy grab my butt. Yep. Got him a good handful, trying to get expelled. Didn't even send him to the office because I knew that's what the little jerk wanted. They know teachers can't touch them and they take advantage of it. The kids that want to learn suffer because of these kids. Teachers need more options to control the classroom. If a kid doesn't want to learn and if the parents aren't interested in helping learning happen, then I say don't send them to the classroom. They can be ditch diggers and burger flippers. Let the teachers teach and let the kids that want to learn and improve their lives do so.

Is $100000 too much? In this economy, probably. But NO amount of money is worth losing your sanity. After watching the video, would you be paid to deal with it.

In Tennessee, the average teacher's salary is around $47,000. Bachelor's Degrees don't earn as much as PHD's, and that's why the number seems high. The Bachelor's Degree earns just over $31000 a year. That's true in most states except for Alaska and NY. Wisconsin must be an oddball.