$34/hour?
Are teachers really underpaid? Surely I must be one of those cruel, conservative public school bashers who has always felt that teachers are adequately compensated, and some possibly over-compensated when taking into account poor academic results in some public schools (note I said "some"). So being the one-sided, uncompromising bigot that I am, I enthusiastically share this op-ed from the WSJ with all who are willing to read.
By the way--lighten up, all you whose veins are popping out of your head in anger at me right now...I called myself all those names up there so you don't have to. I'm finding these days that too few people can hold a differing opinion on this subject without being called ignorant, unenlightened, unappreciative or just plain mean when questioning teachers' salaries and whose view is not in line with the NEA. And note I said "questioning"; I haven't completely made up my mind on this yet. I know many teachers who are doing the Lord's work in the classroom. But, for as long as I can remember, I've believed that teachers earn a fair wage when taking into consideration the hours spent in the classroom. ("But the work we take home and countless hours getting ready in the summer never get counted!")
So now is the chance for anyone to convince me that the $34.06 hourly salary for teachers is not enough. That seems high, I know. But according to their report, two Manhattan Institute researchers gathered their data straight from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and apparently that is the number the BLS comes up with from the information given to them from employers (public schools) and the actual hours worked by teachers (36.5/week, according to the BLS). Taking those numbers and multiplying them by 40 (I'm subtracting an estimated 12-week summer vacation from the 52 weeks in a year, although, according to the report's nine-month contractual arrangement most teachers face, it would be closer to 38 weeks), you get over $49,000 a year (or $47,000 for 38 weeks). Do public teachers really make this much annually? (And I should note that the report found in some areas, public school teachers make over twice that of private school teachers; however, in other areas, private school teachers made more.)
Check out the article and report...I'm curious to know other people's reaction to this and how the numbers compare to where you live.
By the way--lighten up, all you whose veins are popping out of your head in anger at me right now...I called myself all those names up there so you don't have to. I'm finding these days that too few people can hold a differing opinion on this subject without being called ignorant, unenlightened, unappreciative or just plain mean when questioning teachers' salaries and whose view is not in line with the NEA. And note I said "questioning"; I haven't completely made up my mind on this yet. I know many teachers who are doing the Lord's work in the classroom. But, for as long as I can remember, I've believed that teachers earn a fair wage when taking into consideration the hours spent in the classroom. ("But the work we take home and countless hours getting ready in the summer never get counted!")
So now is the chance for anyone to convince me that the $34.06 hourly salary for teachers is not enough. That seems high, I know. But according to their report, two Manhattan Institute researchers gathered their data straight from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and apparently that is the number the BLS comes up with from the information given to them from employers (public schools) and the actual hours worked by teachers (36.5/week, according to the BLS). Taking those numbers and multiplying them by 40 (I'm subtracting an estimated 12-week summer vacation from the 52 weeks in a year, although, according to the report's nine-month contractual arrangement most teachers face, it would be closer to 38 weeks), you get over $49,000 a year (or $47,000 for 38 weeks). Do public teachers really make this much annually? (And I should note that the report found in some areas, public school teachers make over twice that of private school teachers; however, in other areas, private school teachers made more.)
Check out the article and report...I'm curious to know other people's reaction to this and how the numbers compare to where you live.
posted by Anonymous | 8:05 PM
7 Comments:
Your pastor works fewer hours and makes more.
...and your point is??? If you're going to take the time to comment, at least give me something to work with!
Okay. I'm not sure where to start. This blogging is new to me.
What exactly is 'your' point? I'm not sure if your 'dissing' them or just trying to see what others think.
My point is this: I've long held the belief that teachers as a whole are generally fairly compensated for the work they do. I never said their job is easy or that they do not work hard. When looking at their salary in terms of total annual income, it looks meager; take into consideration that they are on the job at school 9-10 months out of the year, though, it always seemed to me that everything evened out.
Then I find a report put out by two researchers that claims the average hourly wage of public school teachers is $34.06. That, to me, seems like a pretty decent salary--more than I would've expected--and is 36% more than the average white-collar hourly wage, and 11% more than some professional specialty/technical worker's hourly wages. Yet we are constantly bombarded with demands for teacher pay raises. Will any increase in teacher pay be enough?
Your comment wondering if I'm "dissing" teachers is exactly what I was referring to in the beginning of my post (though I'm sorry I was so sarcastic and cranky--it was reflecting my mood of that day): anyone who dares even question a teacher pay raise must certainly be putting down each and every teacher! That is not my intention and it frustrates me that that is often the assumption. But I certainly should question where and how our tax dollars are being used and not blindly accept that just because teachers' unions are crying for higher salaries, I should jump on board.
I really, truly do want to know what others think about this issue. I'd love to hear from teachers or those close to teachers, or anyone else, who have a compelling case to make that $34/hour isn't enough to pay the average public school teacher, or that $34/hour is a gross miscalculation of an average teacher's hourly wage. I'm interested because, like I said in my post, I haven't completely made up my mind...it's leaning heavily in one direction, but I'd like to have a better understanding of why pay increases are as detrimental as the unions and politicians make them out to be. The consensus is that our public schools are in real trouble and that pumping more money into them--especially the teachers' salaries--is the answer. I believe the problems go much deeper than that and I don't have a lot of confidence in beauracrats pumping anymore money into a system that has only gotten worse despite its already bloated budget.
Hi! Your brother here. That was me earlier as 'anonymous'.
What I'm wondering is...remember when you were in school? I think it's well worth the money they pay teachers. Sometimes I think that they're not compensated enough. Picking up the kids or going to school functions, it's amazing what teachers have to put up with: unruly kids, unruly parents.
I disagree with the reasoning that they are 'payed' for 9 or 10 months of work a year. It's a year-long job in my opinion.
Where did they come up with the $34.06/hr? Is that a national average? Here in the Hazelwood School District the starting pay is $31,000/yr. It goes up from there with schooling and tenure.
There's more to a teacher than their pay; PTA meetings, calling to check on students when they're out, driving out of their way to see their student's essay contests and school functions.
Another thing I'm wondering is why the thought of not sending the kids to public schools when you both went there. Was it that rough?
Anyway, that's a few of the things I wanted to 'blog'.
I'll talk to you later. Tell the guys we say 'hi'!
Steve
Dude, I would've never guessed that was you! Thanks for letting me know!
You make some great points and I'm glad you are having such good fortune with the schools the boys are in--it sounds like they have some wonderful teachers!
I completely agree with you: many teachers go way above and beyond the call of duty, and for that parents should be grateful! Some of those teachers receive all kinds of praise and recognition in the form of awards, possibly even monetary. (Did you read the report? It was pretty long, I know, but some districts are trying bonuses for performance with some success.) Some of those teachers, unfortunately, do not get extra special attention. We can only hope they will be "rewarded in heaven", as Dad would always say! ("For he who is least among you all--he is the greatest." Lk 9:48b)
You said:
I disagree with the reasoning that they are 'payed' for 9 or 10 months of work a year. It's a year-long job in my opinion.
Of course it's a year long job...one with the perk of summer vacation, not to mention breaks throughout the school year. Teachers do not go into this profession blindly; they know what they are getting into with the bad seeds, bad parents, PTA meetings, etc. I'll ask you this: would you rather have your children educated by a teacher who does it for the money, or by someone who does it for the love of children and learning? I say this knowing that I could catch a lot of flack for such a statement, but I am fully aware that teaching is a profession of utmost importance in our society and we need to have decent salaries to employ decent teachers...and again, I think $34/hour is a decent salary. Can anyone disagree with me that the best teachers are those who don't do it for the money?
I have great respect and admiration for those who have answered the call to teach in public schools and perform with dignity. I don't have much respect, however, for the unions that represent many teachers or the politicians who use the issue of "teachers' salaries" as a way of usurping more tax dollars from me and more power away from local officials. I will listen to a local school district's cry for higher salaries long before I heed the cry from unions and state/federal politicians.
Oh, and to answer your question about how they came up with the figure: yes, national average. In Michigan, for example, the average hourly wage is around $47; a few other areas had figures in the 40s. The report goes into more detail.
Another thing I'm wondering is why the thought of not sending the kids to public schools when you both went there. Was it that rough?
Well, first off--no for Jeremy, yes for me. But it was not the school or the teachers, but peer influence. "Yeah, but all kids go through that...just part of growin' up!" Not something I think all kids need to go through in order to "grow up".
It's kinda tough being the only ones in the family making what probably seems to y'all like such a "radical" lifestyle choice. But it's not that radical for us as we've encountered and befriended homeschoolers over the years. There are many reasons for us doing this (several of which are posted somewhere on this blog), but our own public school experience has very little to do with it. We have the means to get by on one income, and the desire to commit to a lifestyle of growing and learning together as a family before these boys are off into the world leading lives of their own. Why wouldn't we want the awesome responsibility of being in charge of their education along the way, I ask you!
There is a lot to learn about homeschooling when it's so foreign. Mom is slowly sneaking the questions in now and then, things like, "well, how do you know about this?" or "when did people start doing this?"...sweet little things like that. We have a long way to go to educating our family not only why we want to do this, but why it's not a bad, freakish thing to do. The trend is growing at an astounding pace, and it's not just fundies and hippies anymore. But what we will need most from you and the rest of our families is not just support, but understanding that our decision to homeschool is not an attack on anyone who puts their kids in school--public or private. This is certainly not a decision we've come to casually, or one we take lightly--just like you all and the education decisions you make with our neices & nephews. But we always appreciate questions whenever you'd like a better understanding of what we're doing and why.
It's hard to find that balance of wanting people to know that we think making the decision to homeschool is such a great thing, but without coming across as being holier-than-thou, pretentious, etc. Our prayer is that we can raise these boys to know that their parents must've loved them very much to homeschool, but that they are certainly not above their friends and cousins who go to school...and we especially don't want them to ever grow up thinking that Uncle Steve doesn't love their cousins enough to homeschool them!
Whoa--this is getting way too long! I hope it hasn't lulled you to sleep if you're at work...or, if you're headed to bed, glad I could help! Thanks again for the comments--they are always more than welcome!
Love to all!
Jill
Okay, let's put some facts into this debate. I actually read the report, and looked at the raw data from the BLS webpage http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ocs/compub.htm#MO), and the crux of the problem with their $34/hr figure is that the only numbers used were for major metropolitan areas. For example, only KC, StL, & Springfield school districts were used for MO. The same goes for every other state, and so before you know it, they're claiming that the average public school teacher in the US makes $34/hr.
Let me also add that according to the NEA, Missouri's public school teachers' salaries rank #42 out of 50. So since the majority of readers of this blog are from MO, particularly rural parts of MO, I have no doubt that this report grossly misrepresents what many of you experience as parents and teachers.
Might I throw my two cents in here, rather than look at teacher salary, I think we should look at our administrators and dead-beat parents, that's where I think the public school system's problems lie!
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