There is an ongoing debate on social media about the abysmal salaries teachers make. These poor overworked under-appreciated teachers should all be given raises and lauded for their sacrifices… We should worship them and decry foul when any election initiative that is directed to raise taxpayer taxes so that teachers get raises and gets shot down by stupid taxpayers undermines these angels of democracy.
These are the words. And if you doubt them, they use Dr. Phil as proof positive of these factoids. Including that they work 4,000 hours per year seven days a week … with no vacation time because they have to attend meetings and events and and… according to the esteemed Dr. Phil, teacher’s pay rate is $4.50 per hour.
I am blocked from responding to this social media post because I dared to provide facts:
1) teachers are pre-awarded 13 sick/personal days a year.
2) their benefit package costs them roughly 1/3 of the actual cost. NO Social Security Cost for certain states –
3) their first year of employment in my District entitles them to 2 weeks vacation.
4) they typically work 180 hours per month compared to 260 hours for a professional.
5) 80 hours of pandemic/public emergency pay is granted at 100% pay rate.
6) 32 hours of paid bereavement.
7) 2 weeks each for winter and spring break
8) 10 weeks off during the summer.
9) And after 30 years – full pay entitlement for life.
By comparison, the life of a professional: Starting pay roughly 140% of a teacher, 60 hour work-week, 2 weeks vacation and ‘some’ federal holidays. No Pension.
When my children were in school I frequently had arguments with teachers who claimed they were teaching my child what the ‘real business world’ was like – having never worked a day in the ‘real business world’! But then they think Dr. Phil is an employment and business expert… SIGH.
A teacher with a bachelors degree starts working at age 22 and retires with full benefits at 52. A professional is not eligible for their social security until they are 67 – 15 years later! The SS benefit on average is roughly 1/3 of a teacher’s pension.
These are just basic differences.
Public schools now run roughly $15,000 to $30,000 annual cost per student K-12 (including parental FEES). On par to more than a college education. The number of public school students is on a decline which is predicted to continue declining for the next ten years. Despite the falling student population the mill levy on property taxes is increasing – a diametrically opposed financial equation.
Roughly 85% of District expenses are allocated to salaries and benefits. Which includes – pensions. Upwards of 30% of the budgeted salary expense is actually spent on pensions. Eliminate pensions and everyone gets a 30% raise. VOILA!
With few exceptions, in the EU starting salaries for teachers are in the range of $1600 per month – not even $20,000 annually. Luxembourg and Switzerland are two countries that bely that ridiculous wage.
Broken Education: As of 2022, math proficiency was as low as 26% and reading proficiency was 33%. The response? Teach CRT, gender trans studies, and hatred of whites. That’ll fix it! The federal government gave out $123 billion last year requiring a meager 20% be used to bring students up to par. An additional $123 billion was added for 2023. Districts? GIMME MORE!
SCIENCE is not even a proficiency apparently.
On this social media account, a purported lawyer was advising teachers to go on strike for more pay. He claimed that their was a national teacher shortage therefore they could get whatever they demanded. When I reviewed the ‘teaching’ positions available online they were startling: advanced and moderate disability hard to place teachers came in first. Second was assistant or substitute teachers. Behavioral therapists and speech pathologists were third. Security and kitchen helpers were fourth. There was a call for one math teacher and one Spanish teacher.
Along with most government systems, public education in the US is a failure. Throwing more money at a broken system that values 115 genders over science instruction is is beyond incomprehensible. As a result the exodus from public schools to home schooling groups is accelerating rapidly. A Home School kit runs about $700 per child – and can be ‘reused’. Groups typically rotate allowing mothers to work if they choose. On average a home school child is taking local community college classes at 15-16. And the CRT, race baiting and biting and gender studies are no longer a curriculum – not to mention common core MATH!