New career options for a teacher

[mom2rtk]

You do realize that teachers are required to pay into that "reliable" pension, right. In our area, that is 8% of their salary, required, not a choice. You would have a nice reliable retirement if you put in at least 8% of your salary every paycheck from day one too. It's also a myth that teachers have great health benefits. It varies from district to district, state to state and teachers are paying premiums just like the rest of the country.

How many private sector employers still have a defined benefit pension plan?

We'll have to agree to disagree on the health benefits as I have no intention of discussing that with you.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

You do realize that teachers are required to pay into that "reliable" pension, right. In our area, that is 8% of their salary, required, not a choice. You would have a nice reliable retirement if you put in at least 8% of your salary every paycheck from day one too. It's also a myth that teachers have great health benefits. It varies from district to district, state to state and teachers are paying premiums just like the rest of the country.

Typically, the district kicks in $ for $ which is unheard of in the private sector at 8+% contribution. There is often a state contribution as well. Our district does not have great insurance, but it is paid in full by the district.

 

[mom2rtk]

Typically, the district kicks in $ for $ which is unheard of in the private sector at 8+% contribution. There is often a state contribution as well. Our district does not have great insurance, but it is paid in full by the district.

Meanwhile we're paying a ton of money for lousy benefits. We're 0 for 2.

 

[ilovefh]

Lots of people in the private sector have been dealing with things like this, many of them without the benefit of a nice reliable pension plan or great health benefits to mitigate the lack of pay increases.

The grass simply is not always greener.

Sorry, but great healthcare is a myth. In my last district we had a horrible health plan. Barely anyone in the area accepts it and to have my husband and DS on the plan it was outrageously priced. W

We'll have to agree to disagree on the health benefits as I have no intention of discussing that with you.

If you have no intention of discussing it then don't bring it up. I was going to post the same thing as HappySnowman. At my previous district our insurance was awful. Hardly anyone around us accepted it. The cost to add my husband or son was outrageous. Thankfully DH had insurance through his job and we ended up purchasing state insurance because we could not afford the school insurance for DS.

 

[mom2rtk]

If you have no intention of discussing it then don't bring it up. I was going to post the same thing as HappySnowman. At my previous district our insurance was awful. Hardly anyone around us accepted it. The cost to add my husband or son was outrageous. Thankfully DH had insurance through his job and we ended up purchasing state insurance because we could not afford the school insurance for DS.

I can bring it up and choose not to discuss it with a particular poster.

 

[Happy Snowman]

Typically, the district kicks in $ for $ which is unheard of in the private sector at 8+% contribution. There is often a state contribution as well. Our district does not have great insurance, but it is paid in full by the district.

Yes and no. Some states the match is not dollar for dollar, other states, like your state, the match is dollar for dollar but they do not contribute to Social Security so they are actually contributing less then most companies in the private sector. An 8% match is not unheard of, 6% is more common, but then don't forget the 7.65% contribution to Social Security and Medicare....

Are you positive that your health insurance is paid 100% by the district? I work with a lot of school districts and that is NOT common.

 

[NewRVLady]

double post

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

I think I'm gonna go invite my insurance agent to a round of golf. I'm almost positive he'll be able to explain all this to me and probably beat me in golf too. Be right back.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Yes and no. Some states the match is not dollar for dollar, other states, like your state, the match is dollar for dollar but they do not contribute to Social Security so they are actually contributing less then most companies in the private sector. An 8% match is not unheard of, 6% is more common, but then don't forget the 7.65% contribution to Social Security and Medicare....

Are you positive that your health insurance is paid 100% by the district? I work with a lot of school districts and that is NOT common.

Our state kicks in a lesser amount, the district contribution is $ for $.

And yes, being out of SSN does factor in. I've never heard of an 8% match on 401K. I'm sure it exists somewhere. I would say 4% is probably average. 0-3% is all too common, unfortunately.

Yes, 100% paid. DW is a district employee.

 

[Tiggeroo]

This thread is an example of why people are leaving the profession. There is a good deal of hate directed toward teachers currently. One of the reasons you see lower pays and loss of benefits is the move away from collective bargaining. Large corporations are not making less in profits then companies 50 years ago who had to work with unions on contracts. They just keep much more of the money up top. A company should not just continue to increase their profit levels at the expense of employees. A profitable company should make sure employees have a fair wage and basic health care for their family before they increase their pay or quadruple their CEO's salary. States where teachers make enough to buy at least an entry level home in the town they teach in are generally ones with a strong union. Most teachers work hard and care a good deal. There are some who don't just like I am sure everybody works with somebody who underperforms. Very few people would encourage their child to go into teaching today. If you don't attract the best and brightest where do you think we will be in 40 years? Would you prefer all talented science majors go into research or pharm sales?

 

[sam_gordon]

This thread is an example of why people are leaving the profession. There is a good deal of hate directed toward teachers currently. One of the reasons you see lower pays and loss of benefits is the move away from collective bargaining. Large corporations are not making less in profits then companies 50 years ago who had to work with unions on contracts. They just keep much more of the money up top. A company should not just continue to increase their profit levels at the expense of employees. A profitable company should make sure employees have a fair wage and basic health care for their family before they increase their pay or quadruple their CEO's salary. States where teachers make enough to buy at least an entry level home in the town they teach in are generally ones with a strong union. Most teachers work hard and care a good deal. There are some who don't just like I am sure everybody works with somebody who underperforms. Very few people would encourage their child to go into teaching today. If you don't attract the best and brightest where do you think we will be in 40 years? Would you prefer all talented science majors go into research or pharm sales?

The problem you pointed out is not specific to teachers though. In fact, where do you think the "profits" are being kept so that teachers aren't getting them?

 

[tarheel618]

BTDT - twice. One job, they came in & lowered the top of the pay scale. Those already at the top got to stay where they were, but got frozen for 7 years. It actually worked out as a big raise for me as I was fairly new and while they lowered the top of the chart, they also sped up the progression from 5 to 2.5 years.

In my current job, I got no raise from Feb 2007 to Sep 2013, and not one since. I actually made more $ in 2009 than I did in 2010, 2011, or 2012.

Me too because of a freeze but not a freeze in the cost of health insurance etc that comes out of the check

 

[tarheel618]

The problem you pointed out is not specific to teachers though. In fact, where do you think the "profits" are being kept so that teachers aren't getting them?

Big profits go to companies like Pearson. Millions of dollars in mandatory test and then when students can't pass the test the same company has a computer program that they will sell the schools to "fix" the students.

I don't care about the money going to teachers but I do care about the amount of testing my students and my own children are forced to do each year and how it affects their preception of themselves.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

This thread is an example of why people are leaving the profession. There is a good deal of hate directed toward teachers currently. One of the reasons you see lower pays and loss of benefits is the move away from collective bargaining. Large corporations are not making less in profits then companies 50 years ago who had to work with unions on contracts. They just keep much more of the money up top. A company should not just continue to increase their profit levels at the expense of employees. A profitable company should make sure employees have a fair wage and basic health care for their family before they increase their pay or quadruple their CEO's salary. States where teachers make enough to buy at least an entry level home in the town they teach in are generally ones with a strong union. Most teachers work hard and care a good deal. There are some who don't just like I am sure everybody works with somebody who underperforms. Very few people would encourage their child to go into teaching today. If you don't attract the best and brightest where do you think we will be in 40 years? Would you prefer all talented science majors go into research or pharm sales?

We're even further off topic here, but consumers are at least as much to blame as corporations. Unions add cost. And that cost can either drive up pricing or lower quality compared to non-Union built products. And consumers have been unwilling to absorb those costs. GM & Ford lose $4,000 per car toward retiree benefits. Make sure that's not a right-to-work built Toyota in your driveway if you're pro-labor

 

[Southernmiss]

The pay complaints from teachers also spread into other professionals who are paid by their state.

Dh worked for the state with his masters degree for over 23 years. Could have made more working in the private sector or for the federal gov't but stayed for the retirement benefits.

His medical insurance stunk and was worse than our state teachers.

At election time it's always improve conditions for teachers, never is there a rally call for other state employees.

But all employed by the gov't know what they're getting into before hand. There's always politics involved.

Dh has been employed by the federal govt for almost a year in a similar line of work and next year could be making the salary he ended 23 year's with.

Just added this to let teachers know that many others outside of teaching don't have it 'easy'.

 

[undertheradar]

And we are back to the "grass is always greener" part of this thread.

 

[tarheel618]

And we are back to the "grass is always greener" part of this thread.

Gave up a long time ago trying to explain my point of view. I'll just sit back and wait for the "I can't believe my kids school list, these teachers are insane" thread. It always warms my heart.

 

[kimmar067]

Great googily kimmar, I get it. Fine. Teachers don't get paid over the summer. Do you feel better now?

I still maintain it doesn't matter whether teachers get paid for the two month summer vacation or not. If you're a teacher and you don't like not getting paid over the summer, then find another job. If you're not a teacher and you want a job that gives you summer off, go get your teaching certificate.

EVERY job has perks.
EVERY job has negatives.
It's poor form (IMO) to say "my job is worse (more stressful, cheaper, etc) than your job." If your job is that bad, find another one.

refer. to. post. 175.
[...it ain't always about the moo-lah.]

 

[IDoDis]

Lots of people in the private sector have been dealing with things like this, many of them without the benefit of a nice reliable pension plan or great health benefits to mitigate the lack of pay increases.

The grass simply is not always greener.

Our health care is not cheap. We pay $800 a month for a family of 4 with fairly large co-pays and a large yearly deductible. Also, 10% off of the top of each check goes towards retirement. We've also suffered pay cuts which I didn't mention because a couple of years later the pay cut ended, but by that time, our health insurance premiums and retirement contributions had increased. Also, remember when payroll taxes were lowered and as a result people saw bigger paychecks (to stimulate the economy)? Well, when that happened, the state decided we had to increase retirement contributions again and figured we wouldn't feel the pain because everyone was getting that extra stimulus money, so the increase in retirement contributions was offset by the stimulus money. Then when the stimulus ended and the payroll taxes went back up, we had another pay decrease because we never got the stimulus to begin with.

I am no fool and realize that this happens in other jobs, too. And don't get me wrong -- I don't hate my job at all. However, I would not go into teaching at this time if I were starting fresh and I wouldn't advise anyone else to do so, either unless they were going to teach in the private sector.

You do realize that teachers are required to pay into that "reliable" pension, right. In our area, that is 8% of their salary, required, not a choice. You would have a nice reliable retirement if you put in at least 8% of your salary every paycheck from day one too. It's also a myth that teachers have great health benefits. It varies from district to district, state to state and teachers are paying premiums just like the rest of the country.

Ten percent is taken out of our checks for retirement. I wish it were only 8%!

 

[Tiggeroo]

The problem you pointed out is not specific to teachers though. In fact, where do you think the "profits" are being kept so that teachers aren't getting them?

I don't mean that teachers are working with profits. Other fields are resentful of a basic living wage and benefits some teachers have maintained. These are kept in place through collective bargaining. Private sector collective bargaining is largely non existent. This is often in spite of the fact that the employers post record profits. People use auto workers as a reason to justify loss of unions. That is a specific type of example. When an item is being manufactured cheaper overseas and Americans choose to buy that instead of course that business will die. That doesn't explain how Walmart makes continual record profits while their employees are surviving off of our tax dollars because they are eligible for government assistance. I believe one of the reasons we have problems with 1% earning 99% is loss of union power.
Resentment because their jobs treat them poorly will desimate the teaching profession.