MIL is here visiting today. DP was telling me about some changes to a local school district and MIL says, "Teachers make too much money."
I was seriously like, WTF. I told her I felt like most teachers are underpaid. They work a full day, commit to after school activities, many purchase their own classroom supplies and they grade papers, tests, etc. at home on their own time.
"Well, Donna makes more starting out as a teacher than I did when I retired. And Donna went to college which was her choice."
WTMF? Seriously? I'm all kinds of shaking my head at her.
Yeah... I make more than my mom did too, that still doesn't mean I'm adequately paid....
It also depends on where you teach I guess, but a lot of my friends and I work in pretty low paying schools... 6 figures isn't even an option for administration.
Post by cheeseandcrackers on May 7, 2013 12:59:16 GMT -5
Um.. I don't think teachers are overpaid, ha.
I don't think they make so little where they are poor or anything, but the elementary-high school teachers are not getting paid enough, especially high school, ha.
Post by game blouses on May 7, 2013 12:59:59 GMT -5
People used to say this to me too. Something about "you get the whole summer off too!" Ever seen a teacher's summer? It's all planning and meetings and boring professional development...
MIL is here visiting today. DP was telling me about some changes to a local school district and MIL says, "Teachers make too much money."
I was seriously like, WTF. I told her I felt like most teachers are underpaid. They work a full day, commit to after school activities, many purchase their own classroom supplies and they grade papers, tests, etc. at home on their own time.
"Well, Donna makes more starting out as a teacher than I did when I retired. And Donna went to college which was her choice."
WTMF? Seriously? I'm all kinds of shaking my head at her.
Wait, shouldn't the fact that Donna went to college mean that she *does* start out at a higher salary? Isn't that part of the point of going to college, that you can make better $$?
Sour grapes and not thinking too hard is going on here, methinks.
What do you think an appropriate salary is for a HS teacher with a masters degree?
Why does a HS teacher need a Master's degree?
Most states either require a masters at some point to keep your license, or require so many continuing Ed credits that it just makes sense to get your masters.
What do you think an appropriate salary is for a HS teacher with a masters degree?
Why does a HS teacher need a Master's degree?
a lot of districts want you to be specialized in certain subjects, especially for older students. you can't even teach at a community college without a master's (at least around here) and high school students often take those courses.
What do you think an appropriate salary is for a HS teacher with a masters degree?
Why does a HS teacher need a Master's degree?
Teachers can correct me if I am wrong but I think to teach at any grade level you have to have a Master's or maybe be in the process of getting it. I have 4 friends who are teachers (2 Elementary, 1 Middle, 1 HS) and all have Master's.
Most states either require a masters at some point to keep your license, or require so many continuing Ed credits that it just makes sense to get your masters.
Yes, and in Indiana if you don't have your masters degree by 2014, you still have to take the masters classes to keep your license, but you aren't eligible to be move up to a masters degree pay scale, even after you complete the degree
eta: VeryViolet we don't have to have a masters degree to teach elementary school here, but many people do. Especially older teachers. Around the time I became a teacher, younger teachers stopped getting masters degrees as frequently b/c they were having a harder time getting a job with a higher pay grade but little classroom experience.
Teachers can correct me if I am wrong but I think to teach at any grade level you have to have a Master's or maybe be in the process of getting it. I have 4 friends who are teachers (2 Elementary, 1 Middle, 1 HS) and all have Master's.
Does the district pay for the degree? I don't think this is a thing in Texas.
All four of my friends have student loan debt. I have no idea if there is any forgiveness or help after the fact though. Actually that is not true one teaches at a title 1 school and she does get forgiveness after a certain amount of time. I am in Virginia and they all teach here except for one who moved a few years ago to SC.
Teachers can correct me if I am wrong but I think to teach at any grade level you have to have a Master's or maybe be in the process of getting it. I have 4 friends who are teachers (2 Elementary, 1 Middle, 1 HS) and all have Master's.
Does the district pay for the degree? I don't think this is a thing in Texas.
LOL! Nope. In my district they barely paid for your cleared credential, which is required to keep teaching after 5 years. Most districts make teachers go back to the university for it now, which can be several thousand dollars out of pocket.
People used to say this to me too. Something about "you get the whole summer off too!" Ever seen a teacher's summer? It's all planning and meetings and boring professional development...
See, that is something I don't buy. My summers were spent going to the beach, gym, shopping, basically anything but planning, lol.
I'd start planning a few weeks before the year started.
If there are teachers planning the WHOLE summer, they're doing something wrong! (Unless your district has a modified calendar)
Teachers can correct me if I am wrong but I think to teach at any grade level you have to have a Master's or maybe be in the process of getting it. I have 4 friends who are teachers (2 Elementary, 1 Middle, 1 HS) and all have Master's.
Does the district pay for the degree? I don't think this is a thing in Texas.
Not always!
So, if a teacher needs to pay for a masters within five years if being hired, still think they're paid adequately/overpaid?
My girlfriend didn't qualify for tuition reimbursement in her district, and was required to start her masters (paying out of pocket) at 27. Shit gets expensive!
Teachers can correct me if I am wrong but I think to teach at any grade level you have to have a Master's or maybe be in the process of getting it. I have 4 friends who are teachers (2 Elementary, 1 Middle, 1 HS) and all have Master's.
Does the district pay for the degree? I don't think this is a thing in Texas.
My sister, BiL and SIL all teach for different districts. They all had to pay out of pocket for their advanced degrees.
People used to say this to me too. Something about "you get the whole summer off too!" Ever seen a teacher's summer? It's all planning and meetings and boring professional development...
See, that is something I don't buy. My summers were spent going to the beach, gym, shopping, basically anything but planning, lol.
I'd start planning a few weeks before the year started.
If there are teachers planning the WHOLE summer, they're doing something wrong! (Unless your district has a modified calendar)
I worked last summer, logged over 100 hours of professional (unpaid) development trying to get our pacing guides, 9 weeks tests, etc adding in Common Core standards.
And if anyone is interested: 3 years exp + Master's = $32K in my district. I regret my Master's completely.
The top of the pay scale in my hometown is WELL into six figures. They deserve every penny.
Nope, not overpaid at all! After hearing stories from MIL's 30+ years as a teacher, I don't think they are paid enough. Teachers put in a shitton of hours past the school day. And they deal with a lot of shit from some of the kids.
The top of the pay scale in my hometown is WELL into six figures. They deserve every penny.
Nope, not overpaid at all! After hearing stories from MIL's 30+ years as a teacher, I don't think they are paid enough. Teachers put in a shitton of hours past the school day. And they deal with a lot of shit from some of the kids.
My BFF is a HS Spanish teacher. She works 10-12 hour days almost everyday. (She was actually just telling my H that this past weekend.) FWIW, she makes under $35K/year... more like $32K-33K/year.
My mom is a retired kinder teacher. She went to work at 7-7:30am and usually got home no earlier than 6-6:30pm.
Post by W.T.Faulkner on May 7, 2013 21:30:42 GMT -5
Eh, I'm sure as hell not overpaid, but I don't know if I'm underpaid right now, either, as a second-year teacher. In my area (inner-city Philadelphia), teachers have a nice starting salary ($40k+), but the budget woes and the broke-ass charter schools make it so that, even with a master's next year, I'll still be making only about $500 more than I did with no experience and no master's.
Granted, I'm single and childless, so.
My job's hard (everybody's like, "OMGZ IT'S LIKE FREEDOM WRITERS!!?" No, fuck you, it is NOT like that every day), but I knew that going into it, and that's why I wanted to do it, so why would I complain about being underpaid and overworked?
Eh, I'm sure as hell not overpaid, but I don't know if I'm underpaid right now, either, as a second-year teacher. In my area (inner-city Philadelphia), teachers have a nice starting salary ($40k+), but the budget woes and the broke-ass charter schools make it so that, even with a master's next year, I'll still be making only about $500 more than I did with no experience and no master's.
Granted, I'm single and childless, so.
My job's hard (everybody's like, "OMGZ IT'S LIKE FREEDOM WRITERS!!?" No, fuck you, it is NOT like that every day), but I knew that going into it, and that's why I wanted to do it, so why would I complain about being underpaid and overworked?
What age group do you deal with? No matter what, I admire you. MIL is in the city school here (about two hours from you, actually) and the state took over now, and everything basically sucks. She was a Home Ec teacher, but they eliminated that class, so she spent last school year on sabbatical to get certified in another "core" area so she could keep her job. She went back this year to pretty much pure hell. The state is just sending the district further down the drain IMO. Half the teachers she has worked with for years have pretty much quit, or taken medical leave now. She just recently started medical leave herself. She has to finish out next year yet to get full retirement. And the charter schools take more and more students, therefore more and more of the money from the district. Her district is in a terrible state. I just hope they don't dick her around w/r/t her retirement.
I don't know her exact salary or anything, but last I know she was in the $60-$70K range, but only after giving the district almost 35 years. She started out at peanuts.