What do teachers really make?

[Karlos05]

Re: What do teachers really make?

Interesting stuff,

My mom just started teaching High School this year. After all the NJ budget ugliness last year she moved on from NJIT. Sounds like she got a pretty good gig. She's making more, better hours, better benefits and retirement, plus she doesn't have to drive to Newark every day.

The big hardship is that its the first time teaching the classes. She has to prepare the lessons everyday for both classes, and one of the comp sci classes she has is in its first year so she has to prepare curriculum and all the other groundwork that requires. She keeps her head up though because after the first time through everything is already done and prepared so it's much easier the second time round. Other than that I think she likes it more than she thought she would.

[Scottdau]

Re: What do teachers really make?

Teachers in my area start at 40-45K per year. I don't think that's a bad salary by any means for a starting teacher. However, I do know other areas the salaries are very poor.

Both my mother and sister are teachers (this is my mother's last year). In their district, they have something called "The Bump". Once you teach over 18 years in that district, your salary "bumps" to 80K. It will never go any higher, but I think 80K for a teacher is very good money.

With that said, they both do correct papers at night and do report cards and other things. I also work about 2-3 nights per week with stupid IT issues that have to be handled after hours so I know how much it sucks for them. However, for 80K and summers off, I think I'd be happy to do it. Of course there's that small issue of dealing with kids all day that would likely make me pull out my hair.

This is the reason I am thinking about teaching at J. Hall. Check this out you have probation on the unit with you. Kid acts up you call probation they come in the classroom and takes them out and he/she goes back to their room. Also you don't deal with parents, because they are in jail. they are custody of the court. And you have high turn overs. You get an ahole he will not be their the whole year. A kids average at the Hall is 14 days. Also, my hrs would be 8 to 3. And I only have the kids 8:30 to 10:00. 10:30 to 12:00 1:15 to 2:45!

[Pete1210]

Re: What do teachers really make?

Teachers should get paid a full yeasr salary even though they only work a school year calendar. Years ago the low salaries were a real problem in this area. Teachers were leaving the profession and there were tons of openings. Frankly, I like my kids in a school were there is a solid core of veteran teachers.

[Brandwin]

Re: What do teachers really make?

I think around here teachers start off at about 32K a year.

[Rainey]

Re: What do teachers really make?

I like to commend on most people in the thread bringing interesting and intelligent things to the discussion from both sides. However, in the age of technology there will always be a few trolls who constantly snipe.

I'm currently on the ledge on if I should become a teacher after my schooling by the alternate education route (Almost done with my business degree) or should I continue to grow with my company that is already paying me extremely well for being only 22 without a degree (Better than most of the salaries mentioned in this thread). I've always wanted to coach, but like a previous poster said... I think I might stay in the business world until my early 40's retire with a great 401 K then move into teaching and coaching...

[TJdaSportsGuy]

Re: What do teachers really make?

No, I posted it because it was interesting. And amazingly, everyone else did but you and TJ, who sought to invalidate the study and attack me based on two people's examples - your wives. Everyone else is discussing the issue reasonably and rationally except you, yet the problem is mine because this thread is meant to incite a flame war.

Keep telling yourself that....

It's not just my wife. It's her friends. It's friends I had before I met her that were/are teachers. Maybe it's the state I live in, I don't know, but no teacher I know makes more than 35K a year. Teaching is a better gig in some states than it is in others, I suppose.

With that said, I will not back off of my original point that for what they do, teachers could stand to be paid a LOT more. Kids these days are a-holes.

[roadman]

Re: What do teachers really make?

Here is my 2 cents.

The website is a very biased web site. It might has well been called foxnews.com.

Not once in that article do I see any verbiage about school districts squeezing and tightening the budgets. It's the students and teachers who are suffering when budgets are tightened. If your district isn't affected by the budgets, that's great for your district and area. There have been freezes on wages for teachers, teachers used to have free health care, now they have to pay for health care. Also, the students are affected, because they chip away at extra curricular activities/drivers education and sports. Each athlete in high school needs to pay $75 per semester and now there is no drivers education taught in HS in our school district.

[BGarrett7]

Re: What do teachers really make?

If you're getting into teaching because of the pay, you're obviously in the wrong profession and have no idea what being an educator is truly about. You also have no ground at all to complain about how much you are making -- or lack thereof. Should teachers be paid more? Absolutely. Is it going to make me change my career choice because they aren't? No way. Teaching is not about being the next Trump or rolling up to your school in a different BMW every day of the week -- it's about making a difference in some kids life and putting them on the right path to becoming something meaningful. Our educational system is in a horrible place right now and if you've been in a school in the past decade -- on the opposite side from what we've all experienced as a student -- then you know just how bad we are in need of teachers who can make that difference. As has been said numerous times in this thread, teachers have to put up with a lot of crap -- and I'm not saying that there isn't crap elsewhere in the workforce, that's certainly not the case -- and that is one of the reasons that so many first year teachers leave the profession all together. It's just one of those professions that, and I'm sure there are a great deal of others like it, where you really don't know what it is like until you have done it. Being a student doesn't prepare you for it, classes in college don't prepare you for it, observing doesn't prepare you for it, student teaching doesn't prepare you for it. Until you have went through a full year as a certified teacher, leading your own classroom, there's no way anyone can grasp just what goes on. And just when you think you do, the year ends, another begins, and all that previous knowledge goes flying out the door.

And all that is without having read the above posted article or even mentioning the politicking that goes on in local and state school systems. Ninety-nine out of a hundred problems in schools arise from those two entities.

[Beantown]

Re: What do teachers really make?

As has been said numerous times in this thread, teachers have to put up with a lot of crap -- and I'm not saying that there isn't crap elsewhere in the workforce, that's certainly not the case -- and that is one of the reasons that so many first year teachers leave the profession all together. It's just one of those professions that, and I'm sure there are a great deal of others like it, where you really don't know what it is like until you have done it. Being a student doesn't prepare you for it, classes in college don't prepare you for it, observing doesn't prepare you for it, student teaching doesn't prepare you for it. Until you have went through a full year as a certified teacher, leading your own classroom, there's no way anyone can grasp just what goes on. And just when you think you do, the year ends, another begins, and all that previous knowledge goes flying out the door.

That right there is one of the main reasons I want to work at the high school I went to as my first job. I'll have plenty of teachers there that taught me, that I respect and that I won't be nervous about talking to or asking for help. It'd make that transition a little bit easier to not have to be "embarassed" - for lack of a better term - about asking a more senior co-worker for adivce or tips, if say I can go up to a teacher I had senior year and am very good friends with and ask them, instead of someone I have no "relationship" with.

[Scottdau]

Re: What do teachers really make?

That right there is one of the main reasons I want to work at the high school I went to as my first job. I'll have plenty of teachers there that taught me, that I respect and that I won't be nervous about talking to or asking for help. It'd make that transition a little bit easier to not have to be "embarassed" - for lack of a better term - about asking a more senior co-worker for adivce or tips, if say I can go up to a teacher I had senior year and am very good friends with and ask them, instead of someone I have no "relationship" with.

That has it pros and cons. One con is that the teachers might still think of you as a student. They wont put you as a peer, but not alway just happens most of the time. Every school is different.

[BGarrett7]

Re: What do teachers really make?

One con is that the teachers might still think of you as a student.

All educators remain students regardless of how long they've been in the game. If there is any one point where you feel you know everything as a teacher, you may as well just seek employment elsewhere.

[Scottdau]

Re: What do teachers really make?

All educators remain students regardless of how long they've been in the game. If there is any one point where you feel you know everything as a teacher, you may as well just seek employment elsewhere.

Your missing the point lol I am saying they wont put you on a peer level, but as the student they once had. It happens a lot!

[Gary Armida]

Re: What do teachers really make?

All educators remain students regardless of how long they've been in the game. If there is any one point where you feel you know everything as a teacher, you may as well just seek employment elsewhere.

Well said.

TJ and EG--Keep up the "fight". You're making excellent points.

[Gary Armida]

Re: What do teachers really make?

Your missing the point lol I am saying they wont put you on a peer level, but as the student they once had. It happens a lot!

Nah, it goes away after a while...Just like any other job.

[Beantown]

Re: What do teachers really make?

Your missing the point lol I am saying they wont put you on a peer level, but as the student they once had. It happens a lot!

I could see that happening...if I didn't know these people were professionals. I was lucky to grow up in one of the better school districts in MA - at least public school districts - so all the teachers are qualified and knowledgeable. A few of them are young and went to HS at this school...and teachers they had always comment about how they taught them...but that doesn't mean they don't treat them like fellow teachers.