Do you think teachers should get paid more?

[tashamjoy]

?

[cloudsoup]

from the people i know who are teachers, i've
always heard the pay isn't great, given the job
that they provide. i'm not sure how much they
get paid though, or what their pay is based
off of?

are all teacher salaries the same or is it based on
qualifications/location/etc? 

[munitono]

My husband and my father-in-law are teachers (mother-in-law was a teacher as well, she just retaired). And yes they shoud get paid more! Their job is endless, they are working all the times and don't get paid much. They deserve more!

[gaylasue]

Yes, teachers should be paid more if they are good teachers and deserve it.  They have a great responsibility.  They should, however, be held accountable and should have to go through testing like kids do.  We have many teachers in our local system that is only there to put in their time and draw their good retirement.  Teachers' salaries are much better here in KY than in other states.  My daughter just started teaching this year.  She started out with a Master's in chemistry and teaching.  She was hired in at $52,000 for her first year.  I don't think that is a very bad salary to start out especially considering she will have weekends, holidays and the summer off from work!

[sommap]

Absolutely!  They are framing our youth for the future.  I have one grandson who wants to be a math teacher.  I think he should also get a degree in accounting.  We tell him he won't get rich being a teacher.  Around here, he won't even be middle class.  It is a shame that we would try to encourage someone into doing a different major.  I also agree that teachers should be accountable.

[webmasterdn]

I think teaching is valuable as any kind of jobs. Regardless of degrees. So they should not paid more but increase payments if that teacher puts more times than others such as tutoring.

[hawkeye3210]

No, because in general teachers are already compensated well enough in my opinion.  When you start factoring the benefits that they receive as public employees, along with having summers off, they are being paid a lot better than what they would led you to believe. I think a merit pay system would be better to reward those teachers who are doing a good job, and hold those who aren't accountable.

[animikokala]

Definitely yes!  Considering the amount of education required, and how important their job really is for the country, they should be making more.

I'm doing a vet tech program at a community college; the starting salary once I get my Associates is about $25 k.  The average teacher with a Bachelors starting salary is about the same in at least a third of the country.

• A comparison of teachers’ weekly wages to those of other workers with similar education and experience shows that, since 1993, female teacher wages have fallen behind 13% and male teacher wages 12.5% (11.5% among all teachers). Since 1979 teacher wages relative to those of other similar workers have dropped 18.5% among women, 9.3% among men, and 13.1% among both combined.

• A comparison of teachers’ wages to those of workers with comparable skill requirements, including accountants, reporters, registered nurses, computer programmers, clergy, personnel officers, and vocational counselors and inspectors, shows that teachers earned $116 less per week in 2002, a wage disadvantage of 12.2%. Because teachers worked more hours per week, the hourly wage disadvantage was an even larger 14.1%.

http://www.epi.org/publication/books_teacher_pay/

Remember that a teacher's "hours" don't end once the school day ends.  They have to design and grade assignments/quizzes/tests, create lesson plans, while dealing with federal restrictions and "standards".  So those so-called "free" holidays and weekends off may not be as free as you think.  And depending on their pay, they may be working then as well.  When I lived in TN, I knew many of my teachers worked summer jobs because the teaching salary was insufficient for the whole year.  Some even worked at stores at the mall!

[Storm61115]

no they are getting paid enough as it is.

[bowrunner]

I believe that teachers are very well paid for their time.  They are off for a lot of holidays, work only 4 or 5 hours a day and are off all summer.  If that's all figured in they are being paid more than most in the private sector and their benefits are unreal.  (I wouldn't want to have to put up with a bunch of kids every day though.)

[tashamjoy]

I dont know what teacher works 4 or 5 hours a day for whoever said that maybe if you teach kindergarten but still i believe more then that and yes they do get breaks and summers off but there are some very dedicated teachers who take home papers to grade make lessons buy extra school supplies they do work hard. There are the good teachers and bad ones but teachers are also the people who instill values and morals into your children they teach them right from wrong let alone about the world. Can you think of a teacher that made a difference in your life wheather its good or bad you have some type of memory. Some teachers can spend 8 hours 5 days a week with your child some teachers spend more time with these kids then their parents some teachers are there to provide the one and only meal that child will get. Yes there are a ton of bad teachers out there but there are also those ones who truly care about improving the lives of these children.

[Joeyramone]

They earn 52% more than the private sector.  Why?

This study came out in the November 8th Wall Street Journal.

[Abrupt]

Based on the results I say.  If you are a terrible teacher that produces ignorant students then you shouldn't be paid at all.  If you are a gifted teacher that produces brilliant students then you are worth your weight in gold.  Based on the results of most students in the US I would have to say almost all teachers are being way overpaid, but I do know there are some who are not payed anywhere near enough.  Remember, it doesn't matter how hard you work at your job -- if your results are worthless then so are you (at that job anyways).

[adrienne33]

they should definately be paid more. they teach our future

[lannl]

I think they should be paid more considering they have our children's future in their hands.