Overpaid teachers?

[phorsenuf]

Interesting perspective.



Teachers' hefty salaries are driving up taxes, and they only work 9 or10 months a year! It's time we put things in perspective and pay them for what they do - babysit!

We can get that for less than minimum wage.


That's right. Let's give them $3.00 an hour and only the hours they worked; not any of that silly planning time, or any time they spend before or after school. That would be $19.50 a day (7:45 to 3:00 PM with 45 min. off for lunch and plan-- that equals 6 1/2 hours).


Each parent should pay $19.50 a day for these teachers to baby-sit their children. Now how many students do they teach in a day...maybe 30? So that's $19.50 x 30 = $585.00 a day.

However, remember they only work 180 days a year!!! I am not going to pay them for any vacations.

LET'S SEE....

That's $585 X 180= $105,300 per year. (Hold on! My calculator needs new batteries).


What about those special education teachers and the ones with Master's degrees? Well, we could pay them minimum wage ($7.75), and just to be fair, round it off to $8.00 an
hour. That would be $8 X 6 1/2 hours X 30 children X 180 days = $280,800 per year.

Wait a minute -- there's something wrong here! There sure is!

The average teacher's salary (nation wide) is $50,000. $50,000/180 days= $277.77/per day/30 students=$9.25/6.5 hours = $1.42 per hour per student--a very inexpensive baby-sitter and they even EDUCATE your kids!) WHAT A DEAL!!!!

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Most of the teachers in our district make around 100k. Some a little less and some a little more. So your calculations are flawed.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I don't think they are overpaid, but their jobs are public service and are dependent on taxes. Noble efforts do not usually mean a good paycheck simply because the things that need to be done most benefit those least likely to be able to pay for it and that's all there is to it. For every person kicking in their fair share of taxes their tax money is being split 10 ways to pay for kids whose parents do not contribute. My kids do not in any way shape or form get the full benefit of the amount we pay in taxes. I don't usually say anything about this but to think that the people who are complaining are being ungrateful just isn't right. I'm ok with the way things are set up because its for the greater good but when MY kids don't get to play sports, get new books or go on class trips, yeah I get a little miffed because I know my fair share is there. These days conditions are worsening which means we are even considering private school which means I will not only be paying for other people kid's in taxes but also footing an entirely separate bill for my own... why is that fair to me? Consider my patience with this an equally noble effort. Most parents do not complain about the disparity.

 

[si-am]

Most of the teachers in our district make around 100k. Some a little less and some a little more. So your calculations are flawed.

Link?

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Link?

You can check any Long Island school district.

 

[Agri]

Most of the teachers in our district make around 100k. Some a little less and some a little more. So your calculations are flawed.

Its likely not the OP's calculations - its one of those things making the internet rounds. Saw it on FB this morning. I believe its meant to be sarcastic in the first place.

 

[Swank]

Most of the teachers in our district make around 100k. Some a little less and some a little more. So your calculations are flawed.

Ok then $2.84 per hour.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Its likely not the OP's calculations - its one of those things making the internet rounds. Saw it on FB this morning. I believe its meant to be sarcastic in the first place.

 

[Swank]

 

[RitaE]

Every time this subject comes up in our area they do a comparison study of the District Teachers with occupations that require similar educations and work experience (Finance, Mid-Level Managers, Sales) etc

What they find is the Public School Teachers make a little less (5 to 10%) annualized but the value of their pension and benefit packages more than make up for it. They also generally find that Teachers are working about the same number of hours a week as the other Professionals. (ie very few get a 40 hour workweek anymore)

Oh, and I don't believe it is their salaries that are driving up taxes. It is the Public Defined Benefit Pension plans.

 

[eliza61]

You can check any Long Island school district.

Not a viable comparison. New Yorkers as a rule (cops, firemen, indian chiefs) all get paid higher wages because the cost of living in that area is considerably higher.

So your comparison is flawed.

But as to the topic. I taught H.S. for 2 years (in Brooklyn) and there is not enough money in the world to make me put up with what teachers have to deal with.

Now I teach H.S. Chemistry once a year every 5 years as part of a program that puts female scientist in the classroom. Luckily my salary is paid by my coporation so I don't have to endure a pay cut. teachers in my area also average ~50-60K. no way would I endure what they have to endure for 50k a year.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

Its likely not the OP's calculations - its one of those things making the internet rounds. Saw it on FB this morning. I believe its meant to be sarcastic in the first place.

And it is things like this that only make things worse for the teachers. I saw multiple news reports over the weekend that showed that the whole thing in Wisconsin has actually soured a lot of fence-sitters, and that favorable attitudes of public service workers & Unions are at a historical low. Unfortunately, for the teachers & other public workers in Wisconsin, I think they are taking the brunt of a storm that was worsened by the cowardly actions of some of their State Senators.

I know a lot of Union supporters were hoping the actions in Wisconsin would help fuel support going into Ohio, New Jersey, and a bunch of other States which are about to face similar legislation, but I think it's only ended up hardening the stance of those seeking to pass that legislation.

As to the email that the OP posted, I don't know what to think. Do the teachers want to be considered babysitters? Or, do they want to be considered professionals? It's their call, but they can't have it both ways.

 

[sistersledge24]

I live on Long Island too and teachers here are rediculous. Most are paid around 100k and the quality of the public schools here are not good. Most of the public school teachers I have dealt with here have not been top quality teachers. Yes, that could just be around me but it still angers me. I do not believe anyone should be getting paid 100k for a 180 days a year job, there are people out there who work well over 300 days a year doing manual labor and make 30k a year. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of devoted teachers out there but I am mad at the overpaid ones that couldn't care less about their job. When a kid spends all their time studying or writing a paper I think the teacher should try to get it graded as soon as possible. I have had experiences with teachers who could not grade papers for weeks because of vacations, Yankee games, etc. If the student had one of those things they would still have to do the assignment so why can't the teacher grade it still!

And I would not say New Yorkers always get paid higher in every job. I know plenty of people around here that get paid low wages in their job that could be making more elsewhere.

 

[eliza61]

And it is things like this that only make things worse for the teachers. I saw multiple news reports over the weekend that showed that the whole thing in Wisconsin has actually soured a lot of fence-sitters, and that favorable attitudes of public service workers & Unions are at a historical low. Unfortunately, for the teachers & other public workers in Wisconsin, I think they are taking the brunt of a storm that was worsened by the cowardly actions of some of their State Senators.


As to the email that the OP posted, I don't know what to think. Do the teachers want to be considered babysitters? Or, do they want to be considered professionals? It's their call, but they can't have it both ways.

Not quite. when asked why they were soured it is because they are scrambling to find alternative child care.

Unfortunately we have become a country that doesn't care much about anyone but our intimate situations. When polls most Wisconsins said they just want it to be over so the kids could get back to school. (according to world news tonight).
so basically, they don't care what happens just let me get back to my normal routine.

 

[si-am]

Interesting. Granted, I only clicked on 5 or so random districts, but none lists the average teacher salary as 100k.

http://www.longislandschools.com/long-island-school-districts.aspx

 

[jrmasm]

Obtuse

I was thinking silly.

 

[sistersledge24]

Interesting. Granted, I only clicked on 5 or so random districts, but none lists the average teacher salary as 100k.

http://www.longislandschools.com/long-island-school-districts.aspx

Still, a lot in the 70's and 80's which IMO is still high. I know plenty of people on Long Island that work more hours and doing manual work and make less then 50k.

 

[eliza61]

I live on Long Island too and teachers here are rediculous. Most are paid around 100k and the quality of the public schools here are not good. Most of the public school teachers I have dealt with here have not been top quality teachers. Yes, that could just be around me but it still angers me. I do not believe anyone should be getting paid 100k for a 180 days a year job, there are people out there who work well over 300 days a year doing manual labor and make 30k a year. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of devoted teachers out there but I am mad at the overpaid ones that couldn't care less about their job. When a kid spends all their time studying or writing a paper I think the teacher should try to get it graded as soon as possible. I have had experiences with teachers who could not grade papers for weeks because of vacations, Yankee games, etc. If the student had one of those things they would still have to do the assignment so why can't the teacher grade it still!

And I would not say New Yorkers always get paid higher in every job. I know plenty of people around here that get paid low wages in their job that could be making more elsewhere.

Of course not in every job. I really didn't think that needed to be said. I lived in queens. NYC cops (my dad is retired cop, my sister is retired cop) firemen, and sanititation routinely on AVERAGE (not all but average) make a higher salary that has been adjusted for col. My sister routinely made over 125K as a pollice officer.

We could go on and on forever about who deserves what. Why do LI cops get to retire after only 20 years on the job with sweet pensions and health insurance? Why do nursing care workers only make pennies? Why do we pay our young men and women in the military crap?

 

[okeydokey]

Most of the teachers in our district make around 100k. Some a little less and some a little more. So your calculations are flawed.

In your area, certainly not in mine.

 

[Rumpus]

Every time this subject comes up in our area they do a comparison study of the District Teachers with occupations that require similar educations and work experience (Finance, Mid-Level Managers, Sales) etc

What they find is the Public School Teachers make a little less (5 to 10%) annualized but the value of their pension and benefit packages more than make up for it. They also generally find that Teachers are working about the same number of hours a week as the other Professionals. (ie very few get a 40 hour workweek anymore)

Oh, and I don't believe it is their salaries that are driving up taxes. It is the Public Defined Benefit Pension plans.

Absolutely. And if the individual states do not solve the problem with the unfunded pension plans, a "bailout" will no doubt be in the works. Should Texas, which manages to balance their budget have to pay for Wisconsin who is currently struggling to balance their budget and every other state who can't balance it due to unfunded plans. There are one trillion dollars in unfunded pension plans; much of them from public workers.