Posted on 06/06/2005 4:33:44 PM PDT by Tumbleweed_Connection
...But this noble sensibility ignores a crucial fact about the teaching profession in Westchester County: Teacher pay levels in Scarsdale, and several other districts in the county, are now high enough to constitute an entry ticket to upper-middle-class income and status. In Scarsdale, 166 teachers - nearly half - have base salaries exceeding $100,000; for more than a dozen, base pay tops $120,000.
A study of teacher salaries across New York State found that as administrators and affluent parents compete to give their children every possible advantage, thousands of teachers in the New York suburbs now make six-figure salaries - numbers strongly at variance with the popular stereotype of the poorly paid, altruistic mentor of the young.
The study indicates that only the most experienced teachers, with the most education, earn such salaries - which are the highest in the nation. But the money is arguably substantial enough to affect what it means to be a public school teacher. Consider this, for instance: A family whose parents both teach in Westchester schools can make enough to put it in the top 6 percent of earners in the county.
Teachers say the salaries are justified, even necessary, in a place where the cost of living is high. "You can earn $100,000 and not afford to live here," said Susan Taylor, a longtime Scarsdale teacher who heads the district's teacher training institute...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I imagine Jonas Salk had more to do with his eduction than the whole of his teachers. Very smart people are like that.
But since you bring it up, how much were Jonas Salk's teachers paid?
First of all , read my post ..I sure as hell don't make 90K.You think that 90K is sooo unreal of a pay for someone who put in 30 years and went to night school for at least 8 to 10 of those years to get a Masters +30 ? Where the hell do you come from bro? Again , MOST teachers NEVER EVER see that kind of money .Guy sloading trucks make what I make afte r10 years teaching ( and I did that job too so don't even go there ) If it's such a scam , wonderfull job pal , such a rich mans salary then why the hell dont you quit what you're doing , take 5 years of your time to get your papers and go teach ..Big mouth !
BJungNan has a personal axe to grind again teachers, that is becoming REAL obvious to me . He's probably one of those parents who is at the school 25 times a year. Evertime his precious kid gets ANYTHING under 100 on anything he does he's up there blaming the teachers for not seeing the hidden talents .Again , this guy woulnd't last a day at that job..HEY BJungNan , who should make 90K a year by the way ? Doing what may I ask >
His parents were virtually illiterate Russian immigrants. He went to public school in NYC and then City college.
The next Jonas Salk will probably be the son or daughter of poorly educated immigrant parents and will go to NYC schools. The only difference will be that he/she will be Asian.
Teachers back then -- a largely female staff -- made only slightly less than today in real dollars.
Heck, we could pay the current teachers 1 million dollars a year and the results would be the same. Teachers are not totally to blame here although; parents expecting the government to educate their kids properly, while they spend no time trying to educate them, also share the blame.
bookmark bump
The will to continue public education in any meaningful way has largely been lost in this country. There are still pockets of it in some wealthy communities as well as NYC, but what isn't needed falls to the wayside. There is a whole world of very bright kids in other countries who are more than willing to step in.
You have a serious personal stake in this dont you pal..I can feel your anger from here..I worked in the private sector for years so shut the hell up first of all.
And you acuse me of being angry. Really, I am not the least bit angry. If you think I sound angry it is likely because you don't like what you are hearing that teachers are overpaid when compared to nearly every other working American. I have not interjected any irrational emotion into this discussion.
I have also not assigned any false motives to it as you asume of me.
What do you do for a living pal?Or is it a matte rof now that the public paid for YOUR kids to go to school you dont want your money goin gto pay for the next generation of kids..You sound like some off the wall postal type for some reason there bro..hummmmmmmmmmm
Society gets a benefit from the eductation of children. But that is not the issue here or what we are discussing. You are trying to change the subject. What we are talking about is how much money is necessary to properly educate children.
Let's stay on subject OK? And try to keep your emotions out of it.
Have you ever started a business? You make it sound awfully easy. It is not. The U.S. is not presently friendly to the entrepreneur. The insurances alone have so raised the stakes that get started is now beyond the reach of most Americans, not to mention the regulations to be complied with.
And if you do manage to get a start, it is not an easy haul after that. Maybe I am missing the comparison you are trying to make. But I do agree those on hourly wages will have a tough time - especially as government bureaucracies consume more and more of the private sector resources.
You are lost man ..Ok , lets pay teachers $200 a week to start .
I seriously dont think you have a clue what people make in the private sector..Anyone with a Masters degree in MOST other areas after 30 year with the SAME company will make a hell of a lot more than 90K ..For the 3rd tim e, the average teacher in my state makes 40k a year .If you think that's a LOT of money then I have a feeling you're from some country where they pay people a dollar a day .YES , you are righ tthere are some teachers a VERY smal percentage who make a lot of money .I'm sure I could find some truck drivers who make WAY abouve the norm too. Most teachers I kno wwork all summer because they can't afford the 2 months off. MOST do ..Some guy up there 20/25 years have finally made enough to take the time . We DONT get compensation . I have to use sick days and then I DONT get paid at all. A 6 year teacher friend I know justy got over a somewhat serious illness. She couldn't work for 2 months ..She had 22 sick day and went without $$$ after that . I work an easy 50 hour week so I make up for the holidays off . Whyam I bothering ..Ther are few jobs as important as teaching . If you dont see that I can't help you out..Again , you have a real problem that goes beyond discussion here.
Your are most certainly correct on that.
you have some serious chip on your shoulder pal..Whats the matter? Pissed off the world's not paying you the millions you're worth ..We all dont see what a huge value you are to society..Love to know what you do for a living ..
I've been in business for myself for quite some time. Nothing is easy. If making a lot of money were easy, then every joe blow wearing a polyester uniform, name tag and paper hat would do it. The simple fact of the matter is, most people are without ambition, imgination or any kind of drive. The vast majority of folks are clock punchers who are currently getting creamed by those willing to punch a clock for less money.
I can't fault them too much. They weren't warned that clock punching is a competition -- a race to the bottom. What I can fault them for is trying to screw up the lives of their kids by saving a few bucks on taxes and dismantling public education in this country.
Again, you try to obfuscate the debate by assigning positions to my side of this discussions that I do not hold. You said it was a scam, not me. As for you calling me a "Big mouth", that is the stuff of school yard debates, akin to telling someone they have kuddies.
You would be VERY surprised at how few parents do ANYTHING to educate their kids.Im sure peopl eon here like BJungNan think that a modern urban school is lik eschool was when we were kids. Like something out of Leave it to Beaver era .Most of our kids are dumped on us by parents who could care less ( both rich and poor alike ) and we are social baby sitters ,fill in parents , cops and shrinks besides being teachers.
You are ignorant aren't you .
I gave yo uFACTS ..The average teacher make 40K in my state ..If you think thats wayy wayy out of line then you have a problem.The whole 180 day 6 hour work day is very misleading . You kno wNOTHING about the profession .Again (and I'll say it again ) if it's such a high paying , do nothing job ( and you do imply that ) why aren;'t you doing it .
PS , Ive YET to meet the teacher who make the 100K you seem to think is common.
Don't take my position to a rediculas extreme and try and say that is my view of the discussion. You make your case, I will make mine. Mine is that teachers are presently adequately compensated for the job that they do.
Hey, what are you complaining about? Don't the parents dope up the kids on ritalin and prozac for you before sending them to school?
I did not say 40K is way out of line. It is a good salary when you factor in all other compensation - qualifying that with what region of the country that is in.
The whole 180 day 6 hour work day is very misleading . What is misleading about it? Please, fill me in.You kno wNOTHING about the profession
Yes, I do know a thing or two about the profession.
Again (and I'll say it again ) if it's such a high paying , do nothing job ( and you do imply that ) why aren;'t you doing it .
Please, drop the nonsense.
to otired to type here and you've bored me enough .I meet the likes of yo uall the time..Oh you only work 10 months blah blah blah..You dont know anything about teaching at all. I still say you have some personal axe to grind ..It's obvious . Who knows maybe some teacher flunked your kid , whatever..If you want to bitch about over paid people there are PLENTY or people who make unreal money doing nothing at the tax payers expense.Look at mOST politicians and school board members . That swhere the real $$ goes. I earn evey dime of my $560 a week I clear ( when I finish my Master I'll be clearing ALMOST $572 a week OOOHHHH MANNNNN !!!..Raping the public I am .
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.