Why do teachers ALWAYS complain of being underpaid?

That’s a sexist and racist thing to say. All people are the same regardless of race or gender. You will get more diversity by having a rich white guy from Wisconsin and a poor white guy from Mississippi than having a rich white female from Ohio and a rich black male from Ohio. Diversity is in people’s experiences, not the color of skin or gender.

Dumber students gravitate toward teaching while smarter students gravitatr toward engineering, law, and medicine. Teachers don’t understand that if their salaries were higher, they wouldn’t have a job because smarter people would enter the field causing more competition for jobs.

For you to go on a website and talk about teachers like that is disgusting.

No it isn’t. It’s a legitimate question. You might disagree, but it’s okay to ask.

Salaries are market driven wrote:

Dumber students gravitate toward teaching while smarter students gravitatr toward engineering, law, and medicine. Teachers don’t understand that if their salaries were higher, they wouldn’t have a job because smarter people would enter the field causing more competition for jobs.

True to some extent however my school's staff was made up of many bright graduates of our nation's finest universities. For some reason they chose to teach.

Secondly, some people choose lifestyle over money.

I went to a UC - double majored with a minor and graduated Phi Beta Kappa and High Honors.

I teach and some, not all, of my collueges are vastly more intelligent (and I assume we’re better students) than the average lawyer.

Were*

Yea, I get the irony.

Teachers are striking. They should think about the students instead of their pocketbooks.

Can some the people claiming that teachers make good money, have excellent benefits, and 3 months off explain why everyone isn't flocking to become a teacher? If it is such a great job why do almost every state have teacher shortages and huge class sizes?

We are all the same wrote:

Diversity is in people’s experiences, not the color of skin or gender.

Let me guess. You're a white male?

Believe it or not, many people's experiences are affected by the color of their skin and their gender. Every day.

LA teachers wrote:

Teachers are striking. They should think about the students instead of their pocketbooks.

Strikes are not alwasys about pay raise although Im sure these teachers deserve more money. They are thinking about the students, it's about class size and how schools are funded. There are currently classes with more 40 students. A cap of 39 students in a middle school English class is what they want. Frankly 25 is enough to have in a class.

Wolf's Bane wrote:

Teachers in parts of rural north carolina start around 26k. They top out at around 45k.

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This is not true. All public school teachers in NC start at 35K a year, regardless of location, plus local supplements depending on county/city, some up to 7500$ or more with state average around 4200$. Salary is based on experience and goes much higher than 45K. I know a 2nd year teacher right now making 42K a year when you include local supplement and two small coaching supplements...my own mother made over 60K a year her last couple of years teaching in NC. Her retirement just off teaching is about 2700$ a month.

This means teachers start out for ten months (only paid for ten months a year, not paid in summer) at an average of 39K a year or 3900 a month, which when figured with a 40hr work week (closer to 35 for most), 22 paid days a month comes to a daily rate of 177$ a day for a 7.5-8h day or well over or around 20$ an hour before taxes. At the ten year mark they will be making close to 50K a year (with supplement average). Not to bad. Anyone who is good at time management can be a good 'teacher.' That's really all it is. Just good time management. Cost of living isn't all that bad (could be better) except near major cities like Wilmington, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Winston Salem, Charlotte, Asheville, etc. Their insurance is pretty solid as well. Private school teachers can make a little less or a little more depending on which private school they're at, but they often take less for less students and better parent involvement (i.e., less discipline problems). I taught two years public, one year private. I'll take a private school any day even if I was making about 15% less. Some principal supplements in NC are near 25-30K a year on top of a base salary of 50-65K (based on experience). So some principals can make close to 100K a year after only ten to fifteen years...and all they really do is delegate and kiss superintendents' and school boards' asses.

Then you better go get a teaching job then. Of course the whole "putting up with kids" might get a bit tiresome though.

Because they can. In my school we had the most abusive teachers. I'm taking mentally and physically! Yet, they never got fired! Never! Why? Because the ways the oppressive laws are written teachers are protected after a certain period of time. In my school distinction teachers with tenure make over $75,000.00 for only 9 months work. I wish I had that deal! But I don't because I'm too darn honest and like to earn my keep.

random observation wrote:

Can some the people claiming that teachers make good money, have excellent benefits, and 3 months off explain why everyone isn't flocking to become a teacher? If it is such a great job why do almost every state have teacher shortages and huge class sizes?

Because being a teacher sucks. It’s decent pay for the hours. You get summers off. A pension. But it’s still not enough to make people deal with these little brats. There’s no consequence for behavior & kids know it. Parents will sue & they can do what they want.

Teaching isn’t hard. It’s the planning & have something for the students EVERYDAY. It’s dealing with kids who don’t want to be there and come to class high. They are only there because their PO makes them. They talk over you & don’t give two F’s.

It’s not worth teaching your kids.

Marketshare wrote:

Were*

Yea, I get the irony.

Either worked. Should've left it unchecked, man.

If teachers want secure, well paid jobs of the future, they should move to coal country.

THEY are underpaid, My wife and daughter both have Master Degrees and make under 70K, They love what they do, and don't tell me they have three months off! Its more like about seven weeks, and the day doesn't end at 3;30. My wife works at least an hour OT a day and is not compensated for it. Plus they have to stay at school if there is conferences. Some of you people have no idea.

Because they’re democrat pieces of trash.

Speaking truths wrote:

Because they’re democrat pieces of trash.

Agree