Are teachers really underpaid?

[Blarg]

This is quite true. Poor teaching leading to poor results can be a vicious circle it's almost impossible to get out of.

Wealthier schools may have a computer per student, plenty of books, great cafeterias, and truly elaborate gym facilities. Additionally, people will naturally be drawn to teach in such places, as the neighborhoods are much safer and more pleasant and the salaries, even in public schools, are sometimes better.

Poorer schools may have no gym facilities, have many of the kids underfed and therefore unable to concentrate and achieve. They may have few computers and not enough books for the subjects being taught. In some of theses schools, teachers regularly cough up their own money to help buy textbooks or gym supplies, etc. Even so, the teachers in poorer schools likely tend to be the ones who couldn't get jobs in better districts, and they're teaching a far greater percentage of students who don't get proper guidance and nutrition at home.

A lot of our patting ourselves on the backs about the accomplishments of some schools and the difficulties of others is far from being caused by unions, and instead has a lot to do with the environment the children and their parents live in being directly transferable to the quality of the school, as it's local tax bases that provide such a large part of a school's funding. In this way we reward and punish children as well as their parents for being rich or poor.

And if we blame anyone for the results, it's never ourselves.

[JuntMonkey]

[ QUOTE ]
Let me be the first to throw out the common response that no one is underpaid in a free market.

[/ QUOTE ]

Since most teaching jobs are government jobs though, that throws a wrench into things. Probably goes in the opposite direction because of that. Here on Long Island, teachers are definitely not underpaid.

[lozen]

4 months off is a myth. They aslo work a ton of hours. Though I do agree that the bad ones are paid the same as the good ones. The US pays the worst in my opinion and cant contemplate why they do it. No respect and parents expect babysitters while they both work.

[Sponger.]

[ QUOTE ]
Let me be the first to throw out the common response that no one is underpaid in a free market.

[/ QUOTE ]

Too bad this isn't a free market.

[trapsetter]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
No, they aren't underpaid. They work wayyy less than many other professions and still get close to the same pay.

Many teachers have 2nd jobs as well since they only work 2/3 of the year. One guy I know is 2 years out of college, makes like $40k+ teaching, bartends in the summer and makes another $15k, and drives an escalade. Gets done work at 3 each day.

[/ QUOTE ]

It says a lot when he makes more/hour bartending than he does teaching, don't you think? And he obviously teaches in a district that pays well (relatively).

You also seem to be making the assumption that teachers are done once school is out. Teachers never grade papers? Prepare for class the next day? Volunteer for after-school activities? Stay late to help struggling students? Maybe not your oh-so-hip wanna-be gansta buddy.

[/ QUOTE ]

Come on. Other professions take work home as well, and I don't want to hear that teachers have a back-breaking amount of work to do outside of the school building. They have plenty of time to grade papers and do class prep DURING school hours, including silent study halls, time in between classes, and while their students are taking tests.

I spend about 60 hours a week in my office, but I also spend maybe 10-15 hours a week doing work-related activities at home, not to mention 1-2 nights a week where I have a business dinner or some other similar function. Yet if anyone asked me what my hours were, I would tell them about 60.

Only simple, blue collar-type jobs involve no extra work outside the actual place of work. Doctors, lawyers, accountants, athletes (reviewing tapes), business people, etc all have work to do away from the office. Bringing this up about teachers is pretty meaningless, since it is true for virtually all "professionals."

Bottom line- the more job security you have, the less stressful your job is. Teachers may not have glitzy salaries, but they have more job security than just about anyone. It is extremely hard, impossible in some cases, to get fired if you're a teacher. Why do people let their jobs stress them out? Because they're worried about getting fired. This is a simple fact. Take that fear away and you take away all the stress that comes with it. How many teachers have you come across that are truly stressed out from their jobs to the point of suffering from anxiety or depression? You certainly see plenty of it in higher paying professions like law and business.

[trapsetter]

[ QUOTE ]
4 months off is a myth. They aslo work a ton of hours. Though I do agree that the bad ones are paid the same as the good ones. The US pays the worst in my opinion and cant contemplate why they do it. No respect and parents expect babysitters while they both work.

[/ QUOTE ]

How is it a myth? Please explain that. Summer vacation is 3 months, and then with winter and spring break you have at least another month there. Explain how 4 months vacation is a myth.

[ibankonu]

[ QUOTE ]
gym teachers have it made

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought that until i started subbing. It lasted about a week. Then i realized how incredibly mind-numbingly boring it is to teach gym class for 45 years unless you play with the kids. And in most cases, you don't. You sit there, and watch kids have fun, while you babysit and make sure that the group of cooler kids doesn't pick on the dork that seems to be going out of his way to get picked on then cries to you, when there is a good chance that you want to pick on him too. Also, try to discipline a gym class without being that teacher that makes gym class suck. It really doesn't work too well. If you are actually doing your job, gym teaching, in my eyes, seems like it could very easily be compared to lifeguarding, minus the drowning kids.

But is that better than hating a 9-5? Yep.

[kaz2107]

[ QUOTE ]
Another problem with teaching salaries is they are all the same, regardless of specialty. A math/science teacher should obviously be paid more than an english/history teacher because they are in much more demand.

[/ QUOTE ]
this is an awfull idea. my dad is an english teacher and my mom is a math teacher. my dad has sooo much more stuff to do on a daily basis than my mom. english teachers have so many papers to grade. i would never b an english teacher. while on the contrast my mom has very little to grade each day. reading 5 page essays or grading a low end math class homework assignment is a huge difference in work. being an english teacher requires a lot more time in grading then any mHS math teacher does

[Duke]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
There is no need for new influx of money to teachers, what is needed is the uncorruption of unions and school boards across the nation, freeing up funds for teachers and programs.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ohh please, take it to the politics forum.

[/ QUOTE ]


If my post is out of place for this forum, so is the OPs and every other one in this thread.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's not true.

~D

[battschr]

I routinely work 12+ hour days when school is in session. Sure, this is due to coaching, but the myth that I work less than anyone is just that, a myth. Plus I have to lesson plan several times at night after I'm home.