Disclaimer: I teach 4th grade in California, and make 45772, in my third year. BA in Music. MA in Multicultural Ed.
I think we all agree that tenure is bunk, and that unions protect some bad teachers. We can all argue about who is worth what. Athletes, too much...garbage collectors, too little. Who cares?!? Unions or not, market inefficiency, whatever, the market does determine the wage.
Yes, I enjoy my summer. No, I don't get three months paid vacation, I get paid for 9 months and take 3 months unpaid vacation. Look at it however you want to. I chose to teach, in part, in order to have a career, AND have more time home for family. It's a good "second" career for my family...and that's a value decision. I'm sure it's a good "first and only" career for many single parents. FWIW, I used to work in the record business making $75/hour, working 100 hours per week. Mindless, but well compensated. From my limited anecdotal evidence, most teachers I know did not consider compensation as a major factor in choosing education as a career.
This job is way more satisfying than any paycheck could be. I do get terrific benefits. I get to play guitar for kids everyday and write goofy songs about rounding decimals. I get to see their faces fill with pride when their parents see their work for the first time. Oh, yeah, thanks for the pension...that's good too. Who wouldn't want to teach? That's right...you're here too.
Could I do it for less? Yes. Would I do it for less? Yes. I love it. But I don't have to. I was one of 13 people hired the year I was hired. 13 out of over 4000 apps. To some degree the market is working. I think you guys have some numbers a little mushy, at least for my area. Our scale for teachers tops out just over 73k with masters degree (1100 stipend btw).
Here are my numbers:
185 days - 10 (sick leave) = 175
6.5 hours/school day (don't worry, I'll grade the papers at home...I know I'm paid for it)
1137.5 hours/ school year
32 students
$45772
That works out to just south of $1.26 per hour per child.
What do you pay for child care?
And, at least in my room, you're getting way more than child care!
I guess to me the question is not who is worth what, but, what is your child's education worth? Do you think 1.26/hour/student is sufficient? If so, that's your prerogative. I think otherwise. I do think that it is clear that the best qualified and most gifted educators often choose the private sector. What does that say about the pay of eduators? IMHO, when the best and the brightest from MIT, Harvard and so on are choosing public education as a a career, then you're getting
close to overpaying them. Until then, our priorities are out of whack.
Education is an easy target. When you ask for a raise in the private sector, you ask your boss, who evaluates your work, and determines your worth to the company. You don't broadcast it to the world and ask them for support. Unfortuantly, contract negotiations, and public approval is how teachers must go about asking. More troubling is that the voting populous, statistically has not set foot in a classroom in decades. I'd ask only this. Before you bash the schools, teachers, administrators, school boards, or the system...walk in the door. Observe. Take part in the process. I do know a couple of bad teachers. But I don't know one who isn't working everyday in the best interest of children. What's that worth?
I'll take my week at Thanksgiving, thank you! Happy holidays!
devo