Teachers earn more than editors & reporters

email ^ | Craig J. Cantoni

[hsmomx3]

The Summer 2003 edition of the education journal "Education Next" has statistics on teacher pay from the Bureau of Labor Statistics that match my own research. To quote: "Teachers earn more per hour than architects, civil engineers, mechanical engineers, statisticians, biological and life scientists, registered nurses, university-level foreign-language teachers, and editors and reporters." The statistics exclude benefits, which are far richer for teachers than for private-sector employees.

On a related note, the web site of a private citizen has great graphs and stats on government spending. One graph shows how education productivity has declined by 70 percent over the last 40 years, based on the ratio of SAT scores to inflation-adjusted per-pupil spending. The graph can be found at:

http://mwhodges.home.att.net/education.htm

Regards,

Craig J. Cantoni

Capstone Consulting Group

480-661-8175

Fax 480-661-8155

[DainBramage]

Um excuse me, but teachers are private citizens too, and I doubt it takes into account the hours they spend at home grading papers, doing lesson plans, not counting putting up with your snot nosed kid who wont ever bring in his home work.

If its such good pay, give it a try.

[DainBramage]

That was to Craig.(:)

[widowithfoursons]

Wadaminit. You should read John Derbyshire's latest in NRO. Teachers have one of the most powerful lobbies in the US. They write their own ticket, and try to fire one! Tenure, tenure, tenure.

[Clara Lou]

I'm pretty sure that Texas teachers don't earn more than the people in the professions you mentioned. Of course, we don't have unions negotiating for us, either, and we couldn't strike if we wanted to.

[mrfixit514]

Oh boy. Here we go again. I haven't read any responses but I can imagine. If the education bashers have made it to this thread it will be about how sorry public schools are and how teachers don't deserve higher salaries.

[Beck_isright]

Gee, if this doesn't sound like another post for advocating stealing more tax dollars at gun point for the teacher's union, I don't know what does. Please, sing to a choir that is on DU.

[netmilsmom]

>>Um excuse me, but teachers are private citizens too, and I doubt it takes into account the hours they spend at home grading papers, doing lesson plans, not counting putting up with your snot nosed kid who wont ever bring in his home work.<<

My sister does not pay SS and is employed by the government, Cleveland City Schools. Some are private citizens some aren't.

I think the point of the article is that teachers constantly bellow about being underpaid. They are not. Figure in the hours per day (if you are doing something else during your planning period, why?) the amount of vacation time (2weeks at Christmas, 1 week in Feb, and 1 week at Easter in my district) and factor in that they are off 3 months of the year. In realtime hours, they don't earn that little. Maybe not a ton but my property tax money pays for it. My husband has just as much education and works a 50 hour week to earn what our average teacher earns.
Be still and appreciate what you have, teacher.

[mrfixit514]

The union in Georgia is very weak. In the ten years I have been teaching more people have been fired than the plant in which my father works as an electrician. They can't get rid of anyone without a legal fight.

[mrfixit514]

Teachers don't get paid for time they don't work. We sign a 190 day contract. Then our salary is divided by 12 so that we get a check each month.

[mrfixit514]

This email is bogus. Educational productivity has declined 70%? I would like to see their facts to back that up. Funny how the US economy has grown and become so powerful in the face of all that poor education. Maybe the author should try education in the third world if the US is so bad.

[netmilsmom]

>>Teachers don't get paid for time they don't work. We sign a 190 day contract. Then our salary is divided by 12 so that we get a check each month.<<

WHAT? My sister earns 54,000 a year for 180 days a year. My husband earns 50,000 and works 250 days a year. I would really like it if he got three months of vacation for that money. Divide it however you like.

[hsmomx3]

He (Craig) really did send it to me. I have posted many, many articles written by him. His email is listed if you'd like to contact him.

[steve8714]

nobody says they get paid for time not worked. Teachers are compensated on an annual basis, and do get extensive time off. The irony is that nationwide stats are inflated by the high salaries paid at the crappiest big city schools(Washington, St. Louis, Chicago, etc.)
I don't care how much paid, but I want teachers who will take control of their classes and teach.
Pussies who can't should take their degrees to other government positions.

[MurryMom]

If its such good pay, give it a try.

Not on your life! My lifestyle couldn't stand the pay cut, and coping with smart-mouthed, half-interested punks for 6 hours a day would drive me insane. Anybody who needs a teaching job because the Bush Recession has foreclosed other emplyment prospects deserves all the sympathy in the world.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

It's the Clinton Recession. (But it's OK, you're probably the product of public schools.)

[Tribune7]

All teachers are paid on the same scale in Pennsylvania with the only criteria begin years of service and educational credits acquired. This means that a fellow who teaches high school computer science well is paid at the same rate as the elementary school gym teacher. The former can probably make more in the private sector. The latter would be lucky to make half.

What's worse in my state is you can't fire bad teachers, or teachers who have a agenda apart from their job description.

Our schools are broken. I've become a big advocate of vouchers.

[billhilly]

Reading comprehension is not your long suit, is it? The conclusion one could take from this analysis is that teacher pay is excessive; hardly an argument for "stealing more tax dollars at gun point for the teacher's union..."

[Temple Owl]

Of course, we don't have unions negotiating for us, either, and we couldn't strike if we wanted to.

That's probably the reason Texas kids are getting a better education than our kids in Pennsylvania. The teachers' union runs things in this state and we can't even fire perverts.

[Beck_isright]

Bite moi. The point is that teachers as a national average do not make more than more than many of the professions in the list. This posting is a blatant unionist attempt to win sympathy. The problem is those senior members in the teacher's unions earn absurd salaries at the expense of the teachers. For example, the administrative staff in Broward County, FL who were able to spend taxpayer dollars for $2,000 per night suitesin Las Vegas for some sort of "convention" obviously are overpaid and allowed to abuse the system. But GOD FORBID a taxpayer say something negative about the holy grail of "educators". Please. Get a life and go back to DU.