Average Public School Teacher Is Paid Too Much

Teaching is certainly challenging, but it is not uniquely so

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Teachers in FL in my county (Seminole) make 36,000 for the first two years, and have maybe 100ish raises as they gain more years in the school system. They receive board paid medical. For the last 5 years there have not been any raises given to teachers. Personally I am a SLP, but have friends who are teachers. Especially the ESE teachers who have the children with developmental disabilities, learning disabilities, ASD, EBD, and other conditions that impact their ability to be successful with the general education curriculum will be less likely to earn merit pay, have so much paperwork to complete to be in compliance with district, state, and federal regulations. Teachers do not earn enough for the effort that they exert in their profession.

Gisel of FL 10:52PM May 14, 2013

I care much more about the children than the money, but the truth is that it is hard to raise a family on a teacher's salary. Where I am located, the average teacher salary is 35,000 a year WITH a degree. Once the bills are paid, that leaves very little for other expenses. Plus, teaching is HARD work if you do it right! Maybe people should really try teaching a class- a REAL class of 24 Kindergarten students (5 of which are being tested for special needs) before you decide how much we SHOULD be making.

Kayelee Fisher of TX 5:49PM October 23, 2012

I know firsthand two elementary school teachers that make $83k (a kindergarten teacher worked 20 years) and $89k (a Gym teacher worked 41 years) for 9 months work. The one thing they and others have in common is they are always looking for ways to get out of dealing with teaching older (more difficult) students; always looking for the easy jobs. Avoid having to test kids, look for a nice library position or admin work, but keep the same pay of course. They’re not even ashamed about expressing these facts. One enjoys the beach club all day each summer and the Gym teacher complained once about having to “teach” for 3 straight hours; poor baby. Dedicated to kids? Oh sure, two years ago when the state Govt reforms were looming to change their pay and benefits, a whole bunch retired to be “safe”. All these other pro-teacher posts here are bogus lies.

JK of CO 2:27PM October 11, 2012

As a secondary educator, I think that you have some very inaccurate information. First and foremost, although teachers work less than private sector employees, we do not get paid over the summer unless you divide your check to be paid over the summer. Also, what facts do you have that we receive over 100,000 in employee compensation? How was this fact achieved? Have you taken into consideration, back to school night where many teachers work an extra four to five hours and not receive any compensation? There is no overtime. We are salaried employees who bring papers home everynight, and have hefty student loans. Most teachers receive no raises, cost of living increase, or advanced degree compensations due to budget cuts. Can you say that about the private sector?

Angelique Proctor of MD 12:37PM September 25, 2012

I feel like teachers are paid adequately given the length of their work year and the difficulty of the task. Teaching is a profesion that should be chosen for the rewards that are received outside of monetary rewards.Whatever happened to teachers who care more about the children than money?

Tywana of VA 2:23PM September 17, 2012

Yes, considering the factors described above, teachers are generously compensated, and in poorer communities, the ones that have been there for many years are often a drain on the community resources. Private sector jobs have not gotten regular raises since 2000, yet teachers salaries are raised regulary without affect by the general economy. also, the principals and superintendents are paid outrageous amounts. I resent the perpetration of the myth that public education jobs are poorly paid. it is no longer true, if it ever was. The teachers unions are too powerful, and not realistic about our resources and economy.

Lauri S. of NY 10:27AM September 07, 2012

I am a teacher who works 365 day years, mostly 18 hour days, has no health insurance, has recently received a 30 percent pay cut, has no 401K, will have no pension benefits apart from social security, rents his dwelling, rides a bus to work, is 59 years old, received a PhD from the University of Chicago, has published 11 books on university presses, and believes ignorant so-called "scholars" on the pseudo-field of "what to do about education" in soi-disant "centers" should mind their own business, whatever that is. Our children need to be protected from media-generated pseudo-social-science propaganda that does not know the difference between stochastic and statistic. Fortunately, at least some of our leaders are too bright to be taken in, while they shoulder the political tasks that the rest of us in the field of learning are too weary or too busy to undertake.

fred smith of LA 4:38PM June 20, 2012

I am an educator who graduated from a prestigious research university with highest honors. I have a Masters degree and am working on a Ph.D. Dissertation. Teachers typically graduate from the bottom third of their class?

Lauren D. of NJ 9:44PM April 25, 2012

Teachers are overpaid no matter what the numbers are. The government schools have been so thoroughly corrupted by "success=get rich by selling oneself to the global economy" values and amoral consumerism, not to mention all the hot social issues that government schools meddle in, that the only solution now is to let them dry up. The huge homeschooling movement -- hardly an efficient way to educate children, especially when the alternative is free -- is proof that the government schools are past the point of no return.

Eric B. of NC 7:52AM February 23, 2012

I see that your "research" has no documentation. All I see here is your undocumented opinions. Is there scholarly research I could see? When I read outlandish counter intuitive "Foxisms" from lackey institutions like the think tank you work for , I am skeptical of your claims.

Larry Wilson of FL 12:56AM February 21, 2012

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