Thread: If I hear this one more time......

Not to mention, at least in Middle & High school, they teach maybe 5 periods out of 7., so in those 2 free periods they have time to grade papers & prepare lessons, etc...

Originally Posted by mosdata1

they do put in more time, for less money than most other professionals.

Less money? Where? They make about 70k a year here... that's more than police officers, firemen and paramedics... teachers make very good money.

As for the original post. I've read the same exact thing about: Military, Police Officers, Firemen, Truckers, Doctors, Nurses & just about every profession on FB........"Firefighters, EMTs, Paramedics & Law Enforcement Officers of all kinds work the streets day & night to keep people safe. They are missing their family to care for yours.........." Same complaint just worded differently.


According to the salary index - Teachers salary is average to what others makes in different professions....

State Starting Salary Average Salary 10-year increase Salary Comfort Index
Alabama $31,368 $40,347 28.9% 13
Alaska $38,657 $53,553 7.9% 30
Arizona $30,404 $44,672 37.5% 35
Arkansas $28,784 $42,768 44.8% 11
California $35,760 $59,825 41.6% 44
Colorado $35,086 $44,439 25.7% 12
Connecticut$39,259 $59,304 18.0% 22
Delaware $35,854 $54,264 33.9% 2
Florida $33,427 $43,302 29.9% 26
Georgia $34,442 $48,300 42.1% 3
Hawaii $35,816 $49,292 37.7% 50
Idaho $27,500 $41,150 33.2% 33
Illinois $37,500 $58,686 43.4% 1
Indiana $30,844 $47,255 25.4% 8
Iowa $27,284 $41,083 26.9% 31
Kansas $27,840 $41,467 28.1% 21
Kentucky $30,619 $42,592 28.8% 15
Louisiana $31,298 $40,029 45.4% 20
Maine $26,643 $40,737 23.9% 47
Maryland $37,125 $54,333 32.0% 37
Massachusetts $35,421 $56,369 35.0% 34
Michigan $35,557 $54,739 16.9% 4
Minnesota $31,532 $48,489 31.3% 10
Mississippi $28,200 $40,576 46.5% 19
Missouri $29,281 $40,462 25.2% 16
Montana $25,318 $39,832 35.6% 46
Nebraska $29,303 $40,382 28.2% 17
Nevada $27,957 $44,426 22.8% 45
New Hampshire $28,279 $45,263 26.5% 48
New Jersey $38,408 $58,156 19.3% 36
New Mexico $33,730 $41,637 43.2% 29
New York $37,321 $57,354 19.2% 38 <~~~ 6 figures?
North Carolina $27,944 $43,922 44.4% 23
North Dakota $24,872 $37,764 40.0% 43
Ohio $33,671 $50,314 33.0% 6
Oklahoma $29,174 $38,772 36.5% 18
Oregon $33,699 $50,044 26.0% 14
Pennsylvania $34,976 $54,027 17.2% 5
Rhode Island $33,815 $54,730 31.0% 42
South Carolina $28,568 $43,011 36.0% 24
South Dakota $26,111 $34,709 31.7% 41
Tennessee $32,369 $42,537 28.4% 9
Texas $33,775 $41,744 32.9% 7
Utah $26,521 $40,007 30.8% 39
Vermont $26,461 $46,622 28.5% 49
Virginia $33,200 $43,823 26.0% 25
Washington $30,974 $46,326 22.4% 32
West Virginia $26,704 $38,284 19.1% 40
Wisconsin $25,222 $46,390 21.5% 28
Wyoming $31,481 $43,255 37.0% 27

Originally Posted by Lori63

I told myself I wasn't going to get in this discussion, so I'll try to be brief. Teachers are overworked, underappreciated, and underpaid. As for summers off, that's just assinine. Maybe 2 months without kids, but very few teachers go 2 weeks without working/planning/etc., even during the summer.
Weekends off? Have you been in a school building on a weekend? Stop by one sometime-I bet there is at least one teacher there, working on something.

For the record, I am NOT a teacher.

Again perhaps it depends on the area, but what you are describing is not typical here, most teachers have their lessons pretty set after their first year of teaching, most get their grading done during their prep periods, have very nice paychecks and our schools are ghost towns on weekends -- our teachers get all of their medical paid in full too, only in the last year or two did they take it away from new hires, only they have to pay into their medical now, all the other teachers still get it fully covered.

That said I do appreciate the work of a good teacher. IMHO a good teacher definitely earns their salary and their time off BUT I agree with pepperpot, cut the martyrdom out. My dh is salaried, he leaves the house at 6:30 am and doesn't get home until 7pm most nights, he comes home and eats and works some more from home, he works every weekend, and they call him constantly we can't have a Sunday afternoon at the beach without 20 phone calls or a family vacation without a million phone calls or us halting all activities because they need Dad on a conference call right now, but it is what it is, it comes with the job and he does what he has to do.

Originally Posted by SLance68

Just a note about teachers dipping into their own funds - did they also tell you that they get to deduct that money from their taxes? I bet they left that part out. My Aunt and one of my cousins are both teachers. Neither spend evenings or weekends grading anything. They also make a pretty hefty salary for someone who really only works a part time job. They don't usually have to be at the school until 8:00 and are home before 4:00 - that is part time especially when you figure in that they do get almost 3 months in the summer, 2 weeks in December plus a week for Spring Break along with every made up holiday known to man.

Absolutely it is a deduction. You are right! However, it isn't a dollar for dollar deduction. For example, if they spend $500 for school supplies, that doesn't reduce their taxes by $500. It reduces it by a percentage of the $500!!

Originally Posted by Kelsey1224

Absolutely it is a deduction. You are right! However, it isn't a dollar for dollar deduction. For example, if they spend $500 for school supplies, that doesn't reduce their taxes by $500. It reduces it by a percentage of the $500!!

While I don't believe in and do agree with you that teachers (or any profession) should not be paying for items used on the job with their salaries....teachers also receive discounts (in lots of places) when they do purchase items. Not only for class items, but for themselves as well. That's one of the teacher's perks that certainly does come in handy.

They also get discounted admissions (sometimes free admission too) to lots of places while not having to bring their class along.

Those are just some of the perks of the job. I'm only mentioning this to keep things in perspective as well.

OK, i'm just gonna say this... Most people know what teachers get paid when they start college for it.. its a choice THEY MAKE THEMSESLVES.... thats the only problem i have hearing about their low pay...a long time ago, i remember teachers taking alot of papers home, but i also know that the unions have made sure they have free periods and such doing the day to do it now.. (not all but some schools) I work 4 (yes four) jobs, 1 full time and 3 part time.... and a teacher around here still makes more than i do at all 4. and thats fine with me, because I ENJOY GOING TO WORK EVERYDAY.... i'd rather bust my big fat butt at jobs i love than be constantly complaining about my job. but with my full time.. if there is a wreck or a sick person close to my house...since we live in a very rural area and it can take over 30 minutes for an ambulance to get there, you can bet your butt they are gonna call me to go see what i can do till the ambulance does get there.... I never complain, i just say ok, tell the boys what i'm doing and hit the door running.....if the patient is bad enough i sometimes end up riding in to the hosp with the ambulance... i don't get any kind of compensation for it... I DO IT BECAUSE I LOVE HELPING PEOPLE... just like alot of teachers do it because THEY LOVE KIDS, AND HELPING THEM LEARN. If they are complaining that much, they have a college education that qualifies them for other work, I think they should go do it. I don't want my kids learning from someone who complains about having to teach him anyway. i don't get off work alot at my "scheduled time" because i'm running calls... its just life... ALOT of jobs require some kind of personal sacrifice....

Originally Posted by MsLynn

OK, i'm just gonna say this... Most people know what teachers get paid when they start college for it.. its a choice THEY MAKE THEMSESLVES.... thats the only problem i have hearing about their low pay...a long time ago, i remember teachers taking alot of papers home, but i also know that the unions have made sure they have free periods and such doing the day to do it now.. (not all but some schools) I work 4 (yes four) jobs, 1 full time and 3 part time.... and a teacher around here still makes more than i do at all 4. and thats fine with me, because I ENJOY GOING TO WORK EVERYDAY.... i'd rather bust my big fat butt at jobs i love than be constantly complaining about my job. but with my full time.. if there is a wreck or a sick person close to my house...since we live in a very rural area and it can take over 30 minutes for an ambulance to get there, you can bet your butt they are gonna call me to go see what i can do till the ambulance does get there.... I never complain, i just say ok, tell the boys what i'm doing and hit the door running.....if the patient is bad enough i sometimes end up riding in to the hosp with the ambulance... i don't get any kind of compensation for it... I DO IT BECAUSE I LOVE HELPING PEOPLE... just like alot of teachers do it because THEY LOVE KIDS, AND HELPING THEM LEARN. If they are complaining that much, they have a college education that qualifies them for other work, I think they should go do it. I don't want my kids learning from someone who complains about having to teach him anyway. i don't get off work alot at my "scheduled time" because i'm running calls... its just life... ALOT of jobs require some kind of personal sacrifice....

See, and there are lots of threads where people have said that because "they" are Doctors, EMTs, Paramedics, nurses, police officers, etc. that they have an obligation to respond to ANYTHING that happens around them ANYWHERE and at ANYTIME. Of course, all that would be "off the clock" and at their own liability and inconvenience. It doesn't seem to be realized that other professions "give, give, give" as well at their own "expense". That goes unappreciated as well.

I'm not saying that they should all be posting martyring blips as well, but some things are inherent to certain positions.

If some things need to be changed/addressed, absolutely address them...don't be a martyr, it gets old real fast.

MsLynn, if your clothes get torn or damaged, your gas used, supplies used, etc...who reimburses you when you "volunteer" you assistance?