Just wondering if everyone thinks that teachers are paid too little. It's a tough job and lots of hours but you get 2.5 months off every year. I think their salary is right in line with the service they provide. Now college professors that's a different story.

teachers dont get paid for the months off..they get paid for the months they work and money form each pay is put aside for the time off so the pay is distributed that way..

well i have a bunch of friends that work and are laid off during the winter (they collect unemployment) they get off 2.5 months and get paid from an outside source..yet no one seems to complain about that..

its a tough job..no one realizes the work teachers put in on weekends, nights etc when they are off the clock also..

I don't really know what teachers make in this area, but they should make at least 50,000 /year. If they don't then I vote for they don't make enough.

as a teacher this is a biased opinion, but the general public has no idea what we deal with. and as far as 2.5 months off in summer, we have to take a certain number of classes every 5 years to keep our credential up to date, dependin on who you are, we spend time redoing lessons and reviewing materials, we have conferences and workshops.

and i know some people out there think we only work a school day, but we have to be there 30 minutes before school and 30 minutes after school, but the good ones are there way earlier to tutor for free, to make handouts, and we stay way later to grade papers, tutor, and supervise student activities. and if you really care about the kids, you support them in their athletics, drama, musicals and anything else they do.

i know its a biased opinion but i do a hell of a lot of work for my paycheck.

Well put, and I wouldn't really call that a biased opinion at all. As the son of a teacher i know how hard you guys work. On top of all the extracurricular work most teachers do, alot of them put up with a LOT of crap from spoiled kids, ignorant parents and cash-strapped governments. Most teachers love what they do and would do it regardless of whether they made $25,000 or $150,000, but in most cases they probably aren't paid what they are worth.

for the most part they are underpaid. teacher's salaries have remained stagnant as goods and services in our economy get more expensive. i agree that 50,000 dollars is a good STARTING salary. but as teachers become more experienced and specialized, they should be compensated.

remember though, they do get GREAT benefits.

I was going to throw in here, but you pretty much said everything I was going to say.

I love my work, but trust me, marking high school essays sometimes make me want to gouge my eyes out.

Oh, and the classes that you see on television do not exist...

True, and they get great retirement packages as well (at least around here). My mom will get to retire at 55 if she wants to with a full pension.

GROSSLY UNDERPAID ACROSS THE BOARD.

$50,000 in New York. That's what my wife was pulling down to teach Autistic children in Orange County, NY.

She took a $15,000 pay cut by moving to Florida. She has a masters degree and she's making $34,000 to do a job that nobody wants. That is wrong.

I have family and friends who teach and they make the same amount as me. w/ much time off. They aren't working now. Bastards.

If you're from washington and want to look at what some of your old teachers, friends or family make, here is a link to all public employees in WA. I think you will be surprised.

http://www.lbloom.net/

Vastly underpaid. For people that can have such a large impact on children and the future of a nation as a whole, they don't receive nearly the compensation they deserve.

I want to lean on the side of underpaid, but I also want to see a bunch a raw data on what the salaries, benefits are with regards to public, private, or cooperative schools.

As usual, I eagerly await McParadigm to chime in on this thread.

Overall, I don't think they get paid enough. Yeah, they have lots of time off, but they also put in a lot of hours while class isn't in session.

THEY ARE UNDERPAID.

i used to think it was a sweet, cake job, so much so I was thinking about becoming one. now that I am about to marry a teacher, i have changed my mind considerably. i had no idea just how much goes into being a teacher. i can't explain to you how many nights she stays up until midnight grading papers or doing lesson plans. or how many weekends she has spent at her desk working. and thats not to mention all the parents she has to deal with.

you should think twice when you think about how "easy" teachers have it.

[quote="Bammer"]Overall, I don't think they get paid enough. Yeah, they have lots of time off, but they also put in a lot of hours while class isn't in session.[/quote]

Bammer,

Mark this post down. I agree with you 110%.

Love,
Cal.

A good teacher will never get paid enough, because what they do is invaluable.

[quote="Cal Varnsen"][quote="Bammer"]Overall, I don't think they get paid enough. Yeah, they have lots of time off, but they also put in a lot of hours while class isn't in session.[/quote]

Bammer,

Mark this post down. I agree with you 110%.

Love,
Cal.[/quote]

Oh good, I rank now.

For the level of education they have, they're underpaid.

My aunt has a masters degree and has a special needs class.
She only makes about $40k a year.

Around here, it's not a bad salary, but considering she's a teacher, I don't think it's enough.

considering how important they are to the nation's future, teaching our future and all...