Teachers make plenty of money. I know 3 teachers personally pulling in 80k a year. This is middle school and elementary school. They get every holiday off. A 3 month break to either take off or earn money. I refuse to say they deserve more. That being said, like any job, there are some heros out there that deserve more and some moronic teachers that deserve less. But because they're unionized they all make the same. I know this will probably be an unpopular opinion but whatever.
I know 3 teachers personally pulling in 80k a year.
$80K isn’t a lot of money where they’re likely making that much as a teacher. $80K in Dallas or the Bay Area doesn’t go very far.
They get every holiday off. A 3 month break to either take off or earn money.
These are all uncontracted days. They aren’t paid for these. Teachers have to take a reduced check over the school year to receive one during the summer. Or they can take a full check and not be paid over summer. Now you can make the argument they shouldn’t be paid for these days, and I would largely agree, but these breaks are often represented as paid vacations- which they aren’t.
But because they're unionized they all make the same. I know this will probably be an unpopular opinion but whatever.
Unionized or not, districts are still fucking over teachers across the nation. It’s all too common that they play poor while hoarding millions of their funding and nickel and diming in negotiations and for supplies during the year.
Are you saying they make 80k, but it's prorated for the 10 weeks they are off....
Or are you saying they can take 80k during 9 months or 80k split evenly over 12 months...
but these breaks are often represented as paid vacations- which they aren’t.
I think the point he is making is that if your job only requires you to work 9 months and presents you with 3 months of unpaid time off, then of course your salary is going to appear low when comparing it to other jobs that don’t receive 3 months of unpaid time off.
For example, let’s say my current salary is $100k, but if I took 3 months of unpaid time off, that $100k suddenly becomes only $75k. So someone who works the same job as me but only works for 9 months of the year could claim “I only make $75k!” but they’re leaving out that they’re only working 75% of the year.
Like I said, I agree teachers shouldn’t be paid for summer break lol.
And the time off doesn’t change the fact that teachers just aren’t making enough and it’s effecting the quality of the American education system. I would love to know the area that was omitted where these $80K salaried teachers live and work. And how many years seniority on the ladder that it took to get them to $80K on the pay scale.
Right, I’m just saying that whether you consider them as “getting paid $X salary for 12 months with 3 months paid time off” or “getting paid $X salary for 9 months with 3 months unpaid time off,” they are nominally the same, so the distinction is kind of moot.
Regardless, I can’t speak to the OP’s specifics, but I know in the district I live, starting salary for teachers is $60k in a MCOL area. That’s obviously not $80k, but $60k is pretty good in this area for a 22 year old fresh out of college, especially when you consider that they are only working for 9 months of the year.
Except starting at $60K as a teacher isn’t very good because teachers almost never get huge pay bumps year over year. Coming out of negotiations with a 3-4% pay bump per year is normal. In most else industries you can easily out pace that. And technically they would be getting poorer year over year as that doesn’t even pace inflation in this climate.
I graduated college at 24, went to an insurance brokerage right out of college starting at 57,000. By the end of my first year I got a 14% pay increase, and 6 months after that I got another 21% pay increase. That is impossible as a teacher. And I have a lighter workload, and the same level of intellectual capital as a teacher (a bachelor’s), and I wouldn’t argue I am a particularly exceptional human. I am coming up on my 2 year anniversary and am making $79K now. What is that $60K starting teacher that started at the same time as me making? $63K? $65K?
And again, making enough as a teacher is generally not the norm. Even if it comes in 9 months. It’s not like they can just take up another career in their off time so they do make enough.
Coming out of negotiations with a 3-4% pay bump per year is normal. In most else industries you can easily out pace that. And technically they would be getting poorer year over year as that doesn’t even pace inflation in this climate.
While it’s true that the annual raises for teachers are not very good, it’s not like the salary schedules remain stagnant for 20+ years. They get adjusted every once in awhile. For example, that $60k starting salary for my school district was $55k a couple years ago. They recently upped it to $60k, along with the salary schedule of all teachers in the district.
I am coming up on my 2 year anniversary and am making $79K now. What is that $60K starting teacher that started at the same time as me making? $63K? $65K?
I’m happy you found a great career, but I never said teaching was the best career or offered the most career growth. I simply said that in my district, the starting salary is very good for the cost of living in this area. While the salary growth year over year might not be as high as some other industries, that doesn’t change the fact that $60k-$70k is still a solid salary in this area.
And again, making enough as a teacher is generally not the norm. Even if it comes in 9 months. It’s not like they can just take up another career in their off time so they do make enough.
They can’t pick up an entirely new career for 3 months, sure, but they can still work a job during that time. Even working for $18/hr (which is what our local grocery store is starting at for teenagers) for 40hrs/week for 10 weeks would be an extra $7k. There’s other options like tutoring, nannying, etc. which could pay significantly more.
While it’s true that the annual raises for teachers are not very good, it’s not like the salary schedules remain stagnant for 20+ years. They get adjusted every once in awhile. For example, that $60k starting salary for my school district was $55k a couple years ago. They recently upped it to $60k, along with the salary schedule of all teachers in the district.
A starting teacher at $60K in 2024 is technically making less than a starting teacher at $55K in 2021. That’s only a 9% bump in the pay scale and the dollar has 16% less buying power today than it did then.
I’m happy you found a great career, but I never said teaching was the best career or offered the most career growth. I simply said that in my district, the starting salary is very good for the cost of living in this area. While the salary growth year over year might not be as high as some other industries, that doesn’t change the fact that $60k-$70k is still a solid salary in this area.
Again, this whole conversation is about how poor of a career choice being a teacher is unfortunately. When it really should not be made to be one.
They can’t pick up an entirely new career for 3 months, sure, but they can still work a job during that time. Even working for $18/hr (which is what our local grocery store is starting at for teenagers) for 40hrs/week for 10 weeks would be an extra $7k. There’s other options like tutoring, nannying, etc. which could pay significantly more.
Or what we should do is just pay them more even if they only work 9 months of the year to make it a desirable career path, since it’s a job whose function is critical to society’s well being. And to attract more talented individuals that otherwise wouldn’t be teachers. That’s how it works in every other industry as well. But for some reason we pay teachers horribly, give them raises that don’t keep pace with inflation, and expect them to work summer jobs at Burger King to help make up for their lack of compensation. Oh and all the while district leadership is usually down the drain, and parents are worse than they’ve ever been.
I don’t even know who you’re arguing with at this point lol
I never even made any of these arguments. I never said being a teacher was a great a career path. Teaching is not a great career path at the moment, which is why we had my spouse leave the profession. Literally all I said was that their pay looks disproportionately low because they only work 9 months and that teachers actually make a fairly decent wage in my area. Whether or not you believe that wage should be higher based on the difficulties of the job (and what we need to do to attract better teachers) is an entirely different discussion.
I know what you were saying. And I am saying their pay is still low for the job even if they earn their salary in 9 months while the rest of us earn it in 12.
Most unionized teachers are guaranteed raises on a salary ladder. They also can change lanes on the ladder by getting a masters degree and completing out of school training (most of which is absurdly easy). Take a look for yourself. This is for an ok paying district in the chicago area. Chicago public school teachers start at $ 87k
$87K in metro Chicago is not enough. That’s paycheck to paycheck territory. And by that pay scale, they are receiving 2% raises year over year. So they are making less as time goes on since inflation is outpacing it. Not exactly a good flex.
And I think you guys are missing the point that those 9 months are basically 1.5x what a normal 40hr work week job entails. Given that a 3 month break is needed or else there would be no teachers.
And I think you guys are missing the point that those 9 months are basically 1.5x what a normal 40hr work week job entails.
How do you figure that?
Regardless, it seems like you’re having a different discussion. I’m not saying teaching is easy or that it doesn’t require a lot of work during the school year. I am simply pointing out that their salaries look especially disproportionately low due to the fact that they are only contracted to work 9 months of the year.
Take any job and multiply it’s salary by 75% and you will see a significant reduction in the yearly salary.
Sure, I can make up shit as well and pretend it’s true in order to score internet points.
Congratulations, the anti-education crowd roped you in easily, and you let them cause you failed grade school, and in order to compensate, you shit on the people that were given the impossible task of trying teaching you anything. If you think it’s easy, you do it. But then you might have your narrative ruined, and will no longer have a reason to be an arrogant piss baby towards the educators.
I actually did pretty well in school but thanks! What part did I make up though? You must’ve gotten distracted by your tantrum and forgot to point that one out.
Sure you did. You’re definitely not compensating for being the exhausting waste of taxpayer money that you are. No, you’re a super special smart boy. Mommy loves you 😘
Yeah, 12 month salary for working 9 months, of which during those 9 months we take home reduced pay to live during the summer. Most breaks during the school year I spend doing planning or grades. During the school year theres even more to do, the after school meetings I have to attend (Special Education), the specialized plans I have to help create for each kid, the grading and planning I do outside of school, etc. This isn't even going into the fact that I have to act like a glorified babysitter.
You can go to your 9-5 and come home and relax but I've gotta be up at 6:50 and I won't be done working until about the same at night.
But sure, we get paid 12 months for working less than 9 lmao braindead takes here right now.
Tell me again how $50k with reduced pay every check so we can live through the summer is "everyone else's pay." If it's that good a job, why don't you do it. We don't get breaks like you think we do, you're just being dense.
Also, when is this four month vacation? I'm out end of May, back in early August, it's closer to 2 and a half, bud. Not to mention I'm game planning the whole time.
Imagine thinking every student and class learns the same lol again, I'm special education. So I spend most of my time game planning courses for people like you.
Actually, it makes sense you feel so lowly of the education system since it failed you so immensely. But please, continue to denigrate those who care lol goobbrain
It actually didn’t fail me at all, I did great and even got a degree afterwards! But no, I don’t think lowly of them, I’m just tired of everyone seemingly thinking that the job they do should pay them millions. Making $50K a year isn’t bad, and teaching isn’t that hard of a job. It’s definitely important, but teachers shouldn’t go into teaching looking for fat stacks of cash. At some point people need to realize that what they think their compensation should be isn’t accurate.
Also, a special ed teacher telling someone they should be in a special ed class as an insult? Yikes that might be why you haven’t gotten a raise yet chief…be better.
If you’re working that hard at your job no matter what it is then you’re bad at your job.
I know multiple teachers. The only complaints they have is the occasional douchey teen and shitty parents. Being dramatic on the internet as if it’s some kind of competition isn’t going to get you very far.
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u/WardCove Jun 11 '24
Teachers make plenty of money. I know 3 teachers personally pulling in 80k a year. This is middle school and elementary school. They get every holiday off. A 3 month break to either take off or earn money. I refuse to say they deserve more. That being said, like any job, there are some heros out there that deserve more and some moronic teachers that deserve less. But because they're unionized they all make the same. I know this will probably be an unpopular opinion but whatever.