Replies

I feel like you are saying two different things. First you say that teachers don't work hard because they don't work that many hours.

Then when people tell you that they work more hours than you are clocking, you say, "So what, so do (some) other professions."

Okay. But that doesn't change the fact that this means that your first assertion was wrong.

So why couldn't you handle teaching, anyway?

No, I say what teachers are paid is more than they should be paid for what is ordinarily a nominal 1260-1500 hours per year, compared to a nominal 2000 hours for a full time employee.

Teachers like to pretend that they work as many hours as FTE's because they put in so many hours after school; they fail to take in to account that most full time white collar professionals put in at least as many hours beyond their nominal time as teachers do.

Bottom line: when you add extra hours that ALL college educated professionals put in, teachers still work 500-750 fewer hours per year. Consequently, they deserve to be paid considerably less than FTE's are paid. And the truth is, many ARE NOT paid less than FTE professionals.

So why couldn't you handle teaching, anyway?

Your presumption is annoying. I handled teaching just fine. I have several teaching awards at both high school and undergraduate level. I wasn't terrifically enthused with academia after I got my PhD, and decided to do something new. It wasn't the first time: I was a machinist for years before I went back to graduate school.