Posted on 09/10/2011 6:51:05 AM PDT by erkyl
Ron Clark is an award-winning teacher who started his own academy in Atlanta He wants parents to trust teachers and their advice about their students Clark says some teachers hand out A grades so parents won't bother them It's OK for kids to get in trouble sometimes; it teaches life lessons, Clark says
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
That 32 an hour is base pay, it doesn’t include the benefits. In many cases the benefits are worth quite a bit.
The average STARTING salary, nationwide, is $33,227. Divide that by 1500 (0.75 x 2000 hrs/year) and you get $22.15. Starting.
“Median annual wages of kindergarten, elementary, middle, and secondary school teachers ranged from $47,100 to $51,180 in May 2008; the lowest 10 percent earned $30,970 to $34,280; the top 10 percent earned $75,190 to $80,970.
According to the American Federation of Teachers, beginning teachers with a bachelor’s degree earned an average of $33,227 in the 2005-2006 school year.
In 2008, of the majority of all elementary, middle, and secondary school teachers belonged to unions—mainly the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association—that bargain with school systems over salaries, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. “
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos318.htm
Virginia:
Starting Salary: $33,200
Average Salary: $43,823
http://teacherportal.com/salary/Virginia-teacher-salary
“In Virginia, the average annual teacher salary was around $57,873 in 2009, which is very near 2008’s average of $57,415. Virginia teacher salaries are very consistent as is their overall national rank, which hovers at around 6th in the country. The biggest increase in annual salary occurred between the years of 2007 and 2008, which saw an increase of around $2000 per year.
Salaries for Virginia’s teachers continue to slowly increase year after year despite its fluctuating national rank. In 2009, Virginia fell 2 places from 2008’s national rank of #6 to land in at #8. However, average teaching salaries in Virginia have increased from year to year. From 2007 to 2009 there was a recorded salary increase of around 4.7%, and it continues to rise.”
http://www.teachersalaryinfo.com/average-teacher-salary-virginia.html
“The average budgeted classroom teacher salary for fiscal year 2011 is $51,903; this is a 0.02 percent increase from fiscal year 2010.
The average budgeted principal salary for fiscal year 2011 is $91,316; this is a 0.34 percent decrease from fiscal year 2010.
The average budgeted assistant principal salary for fiscal year 2011 is $76,197; this is a 0.76 percent increase from fiscal year 2010.”
Here is a link to Virginia teacher salaries. Looks better than average nationwide, and pretty good in most counties:
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching/workforce_data/salaries/2010-2011_salary_report.pdf
If you’ve been teaching for 15 years, and aren’t getting an average salary, why not? The average of nearly 52K/year for 1500 hrs of work is $34.67/hour. If you prefer to consider it a 2040 hr/year job - which it is not - 52K still would be $25.50/hr.
Currently, I'm in a exurb of NoVa, we don't make the bank that Fairfax and Loudoun make -- is okay. I'll take care of me, you don't need to worry with me. All good, all good.....
I'm not a teacher - but that is a totally unnecessary comment.
True. But here is my point:
My wife is an RN. No benefits, so she supposedly gets paid a differential. This year, the hospital is going to eliminate that differential, cutting her pay. She makes a bit under $27/hr. She is getting her BSN on her own dime...it will result in a raise of a whopping $1/hr. That increase is smaller than her cut in pay from losing the differential as an unbenefited worker.
She works 12 months each year. She works 12 hour shifts. She only recently moved off the night shift. She has 5 years of experience, and works in a life or death type of field. Her average patient load has gone up 25% in the last year. She doesn’t blame patients, families or doctors. And she makes LESS than a public school teacher.
And teachers wonder why I don’t feel sorry for their ‘low pay’?
Damn skippy those are some sweet bennies in my county!! This year I get a whole $50 to spend on my classroom - a whole FIFTY dollars?!!? How will I spend it all?
Nope, no health insurance, it isn't worth the premium I would have to pay, so I stay on my husbands plan, which is still expensive, but at least it doesn't have a $1000 deductible.
Look, I'm just poking at you, I like what I do when all is said and done. I could add $25k a year to my salary if I was willing to commute to Fairfax, with my education and experience in special education, I could be hired tomorrow, but when all is said, life is more than money, it's about being happy and satisfied with yourself. So my salary has been frozen for 6 years? whatevs..... at least I have a job.
Actually, you have a point about nurses....they are truly overworked and truly underpaid.
I hear ya. I own a small business and tire easily of this kind of bitchin. If teachers don’t like their pay let them improve their skills or get a different job.
I believe in the free market. The whole idea of govt forcing higher pay is repugnant.
Those type counties skew all the numbers for the rest of the state. I don't think the median income for ALL employees in Accomack County reaches much above $33K, and that includes all the (real) rocket scientists at NASA and their contractors.
Until recently the teachers in Florida paid nothing for their healthcare benefits.
They received $15 for every $1 they put towards retirement.
If people don’t like it they should get a different job. When enough people take that route then the salaries will go up.
Teachers bitch about their low pay. On this thread, they complain that car mechanics make more. Frankly, teachers need to learn how to read numbers.
As I’ve pointed out, my sister & her husband are both teachers. Both are good. Both work hard. Both earn their pay.
But then, it isn’t the lack of pay that upsets them. It is the lack of support from the administration. It is the paperwork. It is the PC garbage. My sister was warned after she broke up a fight between two students...seems she actually pulled one student off the other. The parents didn’t complain, but the principal warned her about touching a student - even a student on top of another student, punching him. And yes, there were several other teachers watching because they didn’t want to get in trouble.
My brother-in-law was told he would be evaluated on the annual testing. He pointed out that his classes have over 90% turnover in a year. Out of 27 students starting, the spring test will probably only have 3-4 of them still in his class...so how can he be held for teaching them a year of material, when almost none of them are in his class for a year?
I don’t blame teachers. I do blame administrators. I do blame unions. And I do blame government monopoly of schools.
I did not take exception with all teachers based upon this one event...I just used this one event to point out part of the larger problem. The article had statements from teachers that parents should take their word over that of their children and that they should not even be questioned...that the teacher should automatically be given respect. My point is that respect should be earned...and getting a piece of paper from a college (another teacher) does not earn you instant respect. What was one of the things that the teachers in Madison kept repeating...”respect”. Sorry but the actions of the many (there were a lot of teachers there) did hurt the whole profession in the area of respect...where were the teachers that denounced the actions taken by their union? There were some but they truly were few.
“Yes, some teachers will intentionally stretch the truth to ‘get at’ a student”
And the parent should just accept the word of those teachers? That is what this article is telling parents...”trust us”.
“What I find curious is the number of parents who take the child's word that of not one, but five teachers”
???Are you referring to a particular event? For myself, I would take the word of one of my children over that of another adult...even multiple adults...and this would be true of teachers, pastors, etc...all of mankind is sinful...see Romans 3:23...as a parent part of my job is to protect my children...and listening to them is a great tool to help in that area. Thankfully one parent believed their child in this area and kept looking for the truth...even when other teachers supported the accused teacher...it removed a teacher that had abused children in several school districts. And yes I know that not all teachers are like this one...but it does point out that we should not automatically believe the teacher just because they are the teacher.
“Parents, Peckerheads, and Policies”
If they left the profession because they did not want to work with parents then it is a good thing that they left. Any time that you are going to work with a child you had better plan on working with the parents...that child belongs to that parent and the parent does not give up the right and responsibility of the position just because their child walks into the school building.
I would strongly suggest that you read "Clergy in the Classroon" by David A. Noebel
You got that right with the homework. My kids are homeschooled and my 6th grader can get his work done in 3hrs if he kicks butt. So much wasted time in school, one of the things that use to drive me crazy when I was there.
Yeah, I’ve heard stories about FL before - I had an acquaintance of mine move down there with some friends to teach for 3 (I THINK) years to qualify for a pension. Money isn’t worth that much to me.
Thank you.
Not having home internet service for over 2 years reminded me that there is more to life than the internet, as much as I enjoy it.
Willing to listen?
Seriously, this guy is telling parents to sit down and shut up.
I think the point of the article is that Ron Clark is “Disney’s Teacher of the Year” and has been made a “Phenomenal Man” by Oprah. He is on a pedestal, held up as what teachers should be by CNN. Yet his rant to parents is a cross between scolding a naughty child, and playing martyr. Perhaps teachers should be upset with this man for depicting them so badly.
Parents pay his salary afterall.
Did you read Linda Dobson’s reply to this dillweed?
http://www.parentatthehelm.com/6666/homeschooling-parent-responds-to-disneys-teacher-of-the-year/
“I don’t think the median income for ALL employees in Accomack County reaches much above $33K, and that includes all the (real) rocket scientists at NASA and their contractors.”
Accomack County: Average teacher’s salary $39,000. That is in the bottom 10% for Virginia. Starting salary there is $32K.
FWIW: 32000/1500 = $21.33 starting salary. Average would be $26/hr. Average wage nationwide for a car mechanic? Under $17/hr. And I would bet the average car mechanic in Accomack County is less than the national average.
But look at the bright side. The average principal in Accomack County makes $71,900.
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching/workforce_data/salaries/2010-2011_salary_report.pdf
As the year started, the child told me almost daily, "I can't do that, I have a short term memory problem." Until the one day we played a game similiar to concentration using homonyms -- and she won. I pulled her aside and told her good job...then pointed out that she couldn't do that game if she had a short term memory issue. She told me again what her mother said. I told her 'Your mother is talking about the 5th grade you, she's never had a 6th grade you, and the 6th grade you might NOT have a short term memory problem..."
Long story short...by the end of the year she was reading on a 7th grade level - yup, 5 levels in one year. Her mother stopped me in the grocery store the other day and hugged me for what I did - she thinks I "cured' her short term memory problem.
Just smile and nod...smile and nod....
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