What a Crime!!! Teachers should get paid more money!!!!

[Kev]

<< I was just doing a little research on teachers salaries in the state of NJ, and it's a crime!!! The average salary for a NJ regular education teacher is $45,000-60,000 a year!! For special education teachers the salary increases $5,000-10,000 so your looking at $55,000-65,000 a year. Teacher salaries in other states are actually much worse. But my big gripe is teachers have the most important job in today's society, but yet they get treated very badly. Because teachers are underpaid, the state of NJ and many other states are having a hard time filling classrooms with adequate and professional instructors!!

I'll be graduating next year with my bachelors degree in the field of special education. My starting salary will most likely be $34,000 a year with paid benefits. In my opinion. begining teachers should start out at 60,000 a year. What the hell is 60,000 a year now a days??? Oh well, at least I can tutor on the internet and make 20 bucks an hour!!!!

And please don't take this rant to negatively, I just believe that teachers shoud be paid accordingly. >>



Catholic school teachers in Philadelphia get paid $23,000 per year. And the only schools in Philly where the students actually LEARN is in Catholic schools. So shut the hell up and stop whining.

 

[AnthraX101]

NJ Average sallery: ~$48,000

NJ Starting sallery: ~$28,000

And I damn know how to fix this education system. It is more money. We are driving off the truly bright people to the private sector. Then we are left with dedicated, good teachers, and the dregs of the business world.

Armani

 

[tecumseh]

"Well good luck then, if you are specialized enough you are generally in a good position, these were all girls, in early childhood ed, looking for good private schools, I'm wondering how many of them lowered their expectations by now."

My UPS driver's son is in his third year teaching 2nd grade. And when he went to his interview he was the only male out of 35 applicants. Guess who got the job? Males are also badly needed in Early Child development. How many children come from broken families? And ask yourself's this question: How many of them have a father? Not many!! So if they don't have a male figure (role model) at there house, where else are they going to get it?? From there teachers!! It's a shame, but school's today basically parent the children. :disgust::disgust::disgust:

And you can't just expect to come fresh out of college and land a teaching job at a great district. Those jobs are highly sought and the competition is usually fierce. You know, if I have to start at Camden or Trenton we'll than I don't have a problem with that. I'll stay there for a couple of years and then I'll go to a better district. It called, PAYING YOUR DUES. We all have to do it some time in our lives. Also, if I get a job teaching the 1st grade in Camden, how the hell is that dangerous? Now highschool is a different story

 

[Piano Man]

Here in Iowa teachers start off at $2000 above the poverty line. Its just sick how much they get paid.


And Hamburgerpimp, if your brother only works for 180 days, he's not a good teacher. When I get out into the systems, I'll be spending my entire summer for the marching band, and I won't get paid another penny, then there is the before and after school rehearsals, which I don't get paid for. I'll do it because I want to, but I won't be getting paid $hit for it.

 

[GreenGhost]

I have a friend (with a PhD), doing cancer research, that is getting 24,000 a year, and he says everybody in his lab has started like that. Still wonder why so many foreigners in the American universities??

 

[Piano Man]

The reason why there are alot of $hitty teachers is becuase they don't get paid jack, period. If teachers started out at 35k instead of 21k (this is Iowa), the quality would improve SO MUCH, because lets face, this is america, and Americans like money. I don't give a crap, but for the 95% of the capitalists here it would make all the difference in the world. You get what you pay for, and when you pay $hit, you get $hit.

 

[Dually]

I think $64,000 or $50,000 is too much for a teacher. Many college profs get paid less than that and they do more and have PhDs.

 

[peto]

<< The average salary for a NJ regular education teacher is $45,000-60,000 a year!! >>


IMO a lot of teachers don't even deserve that. I've had some pretty awful teachers. Sure there are some good teachers, but for the most part people become teachers when they don't know what the want to do with their lives.

 

[Sir Fredrick]

Do you honestly believe that paying someone more money will make them a better teacher? What a crock.
Do good teachers deserve to be paid more than lousy teachers? Absolutely. What seems to be stopping that from happening is the unionization of teachers.

btw, I know a girl who is going into teaching...she has taken 6 years to graduate, bitchiest woman I've ever met (she has no friends), failed some of her most basic math classes...hasn't been able to hold a real job. Yeah, I'm glad she'll be teaching kids, our future looks bright.

 

[Hoeboy]

Wow, I love the way a bunch of you like to spew out total crap without any knowledge to the subject. And some of you who do happen to know a few things are totally disregarding other aspects.

First of all don't give me this crap that teachers get it easy. If you want to compare jobs, then let's compare jobs. How about teacher to computer programmer for a large firm? Okay teachers don't need the highly technical skills as computer programmers. But wait, whose ass are you having to cover constantly as a computer programmer? You and yourself. Whose ass does a teacher have to consistently watch over and take liability for? You, yourself, and 35 (most of the time) other kids. Assuming we're talking about a caring teacher, imagine the stress that one has to go through. How many of you have been exposed to a real classroom? If you really are a good teacher, you absolutely care about how each and every student is performing. Do you think that stress load is easy to handle???

As for spending time off work grading papers, YOU tell me how it's possible to not do so. Elementary kids consistently have 3-4 different subject homework each night. Multiply that by 35 kids. Around 120+ papers. Middle school and high school teachers usually teach one subject. Each class 35+ students multiply by 5 or so classes. Still a lot of papers to grade in class don't you think? The teachers usually get lunch and maybe a conference period to grade paper. Recess they have yard duty every other week, plus it's only 10 minutes. YOU tell me how to grade papers during work hours without cutting into the teaching time. A good teacher can make time to do everything in class but if only complimented by a group of excellent students (rare).

Now don't get me started about dealing with parents and administration.

After all that, do I think teachers should get paid more? Yes and no. It isn't as easy as raising the teachers salary. I am currently studying for a Civil Engineering degree while getting my teaching credential. Guess which one is the backup? No, the C.E. is the backup. If money was the obvious choice, then it would have been the other way around. If you really want to become a teacher, you shouldn't be bitching about the money. I recognize that I might be starting out with a $30k a year salary but it doesn't bother me because I really want to teach. And it really bothers me that people say they truly want to teach BUT want more money. If money was the #1 priority, why did you pick education???

There is really no clear way to solve this. The only thing I could think of is keep the starting salary low to ward off those who only want to enter the field for money. But each year every teacher should be evaluated and given a pay raise based on their performance.


<<<Anybody with a Bachelor's Degree can start teaching in California in a lot of Districts. Just get an Emergency Credential and show you are working on your real Credential. >>


BULL!!! I used to think like that but it's not that easy buddy. The only person that can give an emergency credential is the principal and that's IF she wants to hire you. How easy do you think it is to goto school and try to buddy up with a principal enough for her to issue you an emergency credential? How would you even have access to a school unless you work there while going to school? It's really hard unless you have connections and know someone who is a principal and is willing to hire you on TRUST.

 

[KK]

To all the people that say teachers have it easy, what the h3ll do you'll know. Probably still in highschool. I think it is one of the shlttiest jobs there is. Why, you may ask? Because of all the idiot parents out there that they have to deal with. Yes, there are many types out there. 70 percent are decent parents, won't give you a lick of trouble. The other thirty percent have no rights to be having children. You get the one's who's child never does anything wrong in there eyes. I wonder how many of y'all have parents like that, I'm sure quite a few. Spoiled, that's what you are. Then you get the trashy parents, these are the ones that need spaded or neutered. All liquored or drugged up, no way to finacially support their kids, I feel for these kids, as they will turn into what their parents are, useless waste of a life. We all could do without these. All schools are, is a free daycare to most parents. Drop their kids off before the school opens, and then pick them up as late as they can possibly can, with the after school programs that could be as late as 6pm. So basically they send their kids to have the school do the parenting, because they are capable of doing it themselves. It's not the schools that are failing these days, it's the parents failing to raise their kids. Why do you think inner city schools suck? Because the cess poll of parents these kids come from. I could go on and on about these parents but I'd just be repeating myself. As far as what teachers should be paid 50-60k should be inline for a 10 - 20 year teacher depending on degrees.

KK

 

[EDoG2K]

Word up. Lots of good points. Teachers should get paid more, but it should also be harder to become a teacher. Yes, idiots can become teachers, its not that hard to be a teacher, it is hard to be a good teacher. One of the reasons why there aren't a lot of good teachers is because many of the smart, talented people who might have become teacher avoid the profession because the lack of money in it. I might actually become a teacher, but the only reason I even have that as a choice is because my parents have enough wealth that i could live comfortably with a lower salary, but i didn't have that, It wouldn't be an option. Not at all.. Why would I take 30k a year and have to struggle to buy a house and put my kids through college when I can enter the private sector and make 80-90k a year? I mean really, there is a problem there.

Many people who could be great teachers avoid it because they want a better life for their kids, so what is left is many people who are too dumb to do anything else, sadly.

 

[Xenon14]

Ok, first of all, I'm a senior in high school, and I take all honors classes. 90% of my classes are completely mindless and useless. It's a waste of tax payer's money, and will do nothing to further my future career. AP Calculus, Ap Physics, and AP English, are the only courses that have any value to me at the moment. Foods/Acting/Marketing/Phys. Ed/ LUnch?!?! come on... i sleep most of my day, and teachers get paid to be my supervisor. Frankly, most of teaching positions w/ exception of Honors/AP classes, and College instutions do not require much education for teachers. I respect teachers, don't get me wrong, but most teachers do not need much education to teach... especially if they are teaching below high school level.

 

[Hoeboy]

<<Ok, first of all, I'm a senior in high school, and I take all honors classes. 90% of my classes are completely mindless and useless. It's a waste of tax payer's money, and will do nothing to further my future career. AP Calculus, Ap Physics, and AP English, are the only courses that have any value to me at the moment. Foods/Acting/Marketing/Phys. Ed/ LUnch?!?! come on... i sleep most of my day, and teachers get paid to be my supervisor. Frankly, most of teaching positions w/ exception of Honors/AP classes, and College instutions do not require much education for teachers. I respect teachers, don't get me wrong, but most teachers do not need much education to teach... especially if they are teaching below high school level. >>

I think you need to get pass that. There is more to being a teacher than the knowledge. Anyone can be a teacher if that's all it requires. What sets a good teacher apart from just being a teacher is their patience and an amazing ability to actually teach. You're in high school now and taking all those AP classes. I assume you're a pretty smart guy. It must be easy to learn subjects for you then right? Now try to explain what you know to someone else. Tell me if that's easy.

 

[SammyBoy]

the only issue that I see is a frikken 1st grade teacher, who is basically a babysitter, makes similar money to a 11th grade chem teacher. Granted, i liked teachers a lot more when I was a kid, come on. I hate my chem teacher, hes a flamboyant openly gay black guy (im not racist or homofobic, but it aint easy in to be in his shoes), and he gives me the hardest time. i cant stand the guy, everyone hates him, but he knows his schtuff. he is young, so a 10 year veteran kindergarden teacher probably makes the same amount as him, but telll me if im wrong. haha, serves him right for trying in college

 

[Hoeboy]

<<the only issue that I see is a frikken 1st grade teacher, who is basically a babysitter, makes similar money to a 11th grade chem teacher. Granted, i liked teachers a lot more when I was a kid, come on. I hate my chem teacher, hes a flamboyant openly gay black guy (im not racist or homofobic, but it aint easy in to be in his shoes), and he gives me the hardest time. i cant stand the guy, everyone hates him, but he knows his schtuff. he is young, so a 10 year veteran kindergarden teacher probably makes the same amount as him, but telll me if im wrong. haha, serves him right for trying in college >>

babysitter taking care of some 20 kids at once. must be an easy job yeah? maybe when you have kids, you should just keep them at home for first grade since it's nothing more than babysitting. you can do that right?

 

[lawaris]

T.A.'s too..............they are budding teachers

 

[dirtboy]

<< .. but they sometime work 10+ hours a day or more. I have seen teachers that worked 9 hours at school.. and then go home and work more.. i.e. grading, preparing for tomorrow's lesson...etc. >>



Many people work 10+ hours a day at their normal job. "Regular" people work weekends for free, or through lunch or stay late or a combination of all of the above, not just teachers.

 

[Masas]

as perhaps unfair it seems, teachers get the days off, even tho summers and stuff is w/out pay....
but they become teachers because they like to do it...its not like they couldn't find another job so they become teachers...
and they know the salary that comes with it...so its pretty stupid if someone who knows what they were going to get complains afterwards
but yes, they should get more pay....but only the good ones.

 

[JoeKing]

Wow reading most of the post in this thread disheartens me. It seems that most of you have no respect at all for teachers. Where would you be without teachers? I know many of you are probably thinking "better off" but let me put this idea forward. Teachers taught you most of everything you know. You could be a friggin genius but if you weren't taught the basics (and public schools ONLY teach the basic) then where would you be?

The foundation of every society is education, please remeber that. And also remeber this. Most teachers DO NOT make this mythical $40K-$60k I keep seeing get tossed around in this thread. Only teachers in richer districts or in cities (where the standard of living is much higher) receive this amount. Maybe after 20 years a good teacher properly credentialed can earn around $50k, most begin their career at $30k and MANY teachers grab cash from their own pockets to supplement the budget they are given every year for school supplies (my mom for example spend around $200 a month for extra supplies while her distritcs only gives her $200 a YEAR for extra supplies). I live in california and my mom has been an elementary school teacher for goin on 18 years I think (she makes about $55k a year, but thats with a masters and biligual credentials). I personally don't plan on becomeing one becuase I've spent many many hours volunteering and helping out in the classroom, weekends and after hours are spent on the classroom prepping material. And I see just how hard the work is and what little gratitude is given to the accomplishments of these professoinals. Think about it they are in charge of molding the future memeber of society.

I ask many of you can you, could you sit in front of a class of 35+ kids and keep their attention while trying to teach for 6 hours a day (I use six hours becuase that is as conservative figure as I feel comfortable using, though many teachers spend WAAAY more time than that as I stated above) and in most cases children do not want to be taught(think about how rowdy you were when you were younger).

I admit there are quite a few bad teachers, Ive experience a few bad ones, though most stemming from Middle school and High school.

Shoot I lost the purpose of this post. In any case I just what some of you (espcially the seemingly angery ones) to realize that teachers do a lot. Many do not deserve higher pay, but most do. Teaching is considered one of those honerable professions in life. Reason being the pay is low in proportion to the amount of work they do.

What if (just playing the what if game) starting pay was instead boosted to the astronomical stats of maybe $40k a year and the glass ceiling (oh did I mention the glass ceileing on salary) was lifted to $110K. Then I theorize that more people would want to become teachers. It would become HARD trying to find a job as a teacher. You would need a masters degree to become a teacher. Then simple competition would weed out the bad teachers from the good (only highly accredited teachers would remain). Of course this is all in never never land where the country does realize the importance of education and would never cut the budgets of schools in exchange for that new badass fighter plane.

I'm rambling, just please for those of you out there (I'm suspecting mostly children) that hate teachers and think they are overpaid just don't bring that attitude with you later on in life as you drop off your child in the caring hands of a teacher.

 

[wyvrn]

In TX teachers don't get paid crap. I know several of them, and some with al ot of experience. Sucks. Most of the good ones leave eventually for the private sector just so they can be middle class and not near poor

 

[Michael]

I'm not a "child" and I again state that teacher's are paid on a supply and demand basis. They are paid enough. No one is owed a living or a living "standard", that has to be earned. If someone choses to be a teacher, then they made the choice. It isn't as if the salary levels and requirements are secret before they start.

I do not think that a teacher's job is somehow more noble and deserving than the myriad other jobs that are the underpinnings to our society. There is no big deal to watching over 35 students compared to the specialized skills that any other profession has.

Michael

 

[Ferocious]

I think in general, public school teachers make a fair enough salary. Though there are cases where they are indeed underpaid.

What I hate are all the conservative whiners and cry babies who refuse to take ACCOUNTABILITY for their children and blame the teachers for their own short comings.

When I went to public school and did poorly, I (along with my parents) took responsibility!

If I got a bad grade....guess what? I studied harder....and VOILA... I got a better grade.

Pretty simple really.

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

I do not think that a teacher's job is somehow more noble and deserving than the myriad other jobs that are the underpinnings to our society. There is no big deal to watching over 35 students compared to the specialized skills that any other profession has.

Do you mean like fireman and police or investment bankers and politicians? Before 9/11 most firepersons oops and police complained bitterly about pay many of which start in the low20s. Now they are heroes of the hour but have they received pay raises . . . no can't afford it. There are a myriad of other jobs that underpin the BS in America. But the truly valuable people are numerous and occupy few professions.

Bad teachers watch over 35 kids, good teachers will teach 35 kids a years worth of information, and great teachers change lives. Somebody was lauding their brother's student's SAT scores . . . that's the kind of poop stat that holds our nation back. The real question is what kind of young people come out of the classroom prepared to make a difference to our nation not just to themselves.
Now if only there was a standardized test you could give to measure that .

I think great teacher's are more noble and deserving b/c as many here have said . . . they are often very bright (hence could have made better cheddar doing something else) but they choose to eschew money and instead work for the good of others.

My solution would be to put all the retirees to work. Yeah, I know they were promised retirement but some of these people need something better to do than watch Jerry Springer, play bridge, and swat golf balls. Especially since the Baby Boomers are about to retire make them "volunteer" to get their SS check. I would then fire the bottom 10% of all teachers (this is the pure detritus in public ed that essentially everyone can identify) and raise all salaries to a base of 40K (corrected for regional standard of living). After a year or so I might then cut another swath of low performers. Class census will increase but every teacher will have 2 or 3 "assistants" so if anything the kids will get more attention not less plus the people there will be of higher quality. Could you imagine going to class and being able to talk to someone who actually remembers FDR, Kennedy, Nixon, Reagan the early years?

 

[StageLeft]

<< I'm not a "child" and I again state that teacher's are paid on a supply and demand basis. They are paid enough. No one is owed a living or a living "standard", that has to be earned. If someone choses to be a teacher, then they made the choice. It isn't as if the salary levels and requirements are secret before they start.

I do not think that a teacher's job is somehow more noble and deserving than the myriad other jobs that are the underpinnings to our society. >>



Yep, you choose your profession voluntarily of your own free will and you have to accept what you get paid. How stupid would it be for me to pick a profession knowing what they pay and then on the first day complain that I'm not paid enough and I deserve more? Nobody tricked me, or anybody else into picking their profession. Everyone is entitled to ask for more, but pretending that they deserve more in a profession they voluntarily chose is ridiculous.