The Myth of Low Teacher Pay

[88GT]

About being a teacher with a high school diploma. In indiana you must have a four year diploma with a valid teaching license. And every five years you must have six credit hours to renew your license. Substitute teachers only need a HS diploma and CPR license with a criminal history check.

As a point of comparison: I need 16 credit hours of continuing education every two years. And I only help people buy and sell homes.

 

[Arm America]

Our most valuable resource has always been the education of our children.

Education is what lifts nations out of the dark ages.

My favorite bumper sticker reads:

Happiness is when School Teachers have unlimited funds,
and the Military has a bake sale for training supplies.

The bumper sticker comment is only a joke,

Teachers and the Military are equally important.

 

[long coat]

What unmitigated bull****. Public school education is the only sector of our society where the teachers boast about the superiority of their educational teaching prowess and then refuse to evaluated on those claims. ****ing hypocrites one and all. Either you can do it or you can't.
Boo-****in'-hoo. I have to spend upwards of $1500 a year just to maintain active status in my field. Nobody else pays that for me. And considering I only get paid when I produce results (how's that for merit-based pay?), if I don't make a single dollar, I still have to pay it. I have to maintain a minimum level of continuing educations requirements. And because I'm a principal broker, I have to maintain TWO licenses, so my costs are doubled. All of that comes from my pocket, whether or not I make one single penny. Considering that as it stands now, teachers need merely to show up and pretend to teach, I don't think they have it all that bad.

They are fighting that because you can have one kid that can stop everything in the class because they are messing around and the school will not do anything about.

If you don't produce results, is it your fault or someone else?

 

[hickuleas]

For the ones who think teachers have an easy job get a criminal history check and ask to be a volunteer. Most will be surprised. Many kids are totally out of control and seem to be unable to focus and i know this is all the teachers fault.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

They are fighting that because you can have one kid that can stop everything in the class because they are messing around and the school will not do anything about.

If you don't produce results, is it your fault or someone else?

I would tend to think that such highly educated teachers with all their experience could outsmart a troublesome child. But of course it's easier to suggest the parents take their child to the doctor for a Rx......My daughter is in the first grade and her teacher seems to be unable to teach her to differentiate between a lower case "d" and a lower case "b". The teacher instead just keeps marking her papers wrong when she mistakenly puts it together backwards. I will remedy the situation on my own, but have actually made a game of watching this idiot trying to make excuses for NOT teaching our kids. Additionally, I have noticed several worksheets that have answers marked wrong when they are clearly correct from a conservative viewpoint, wrong only from a liberal viewpoint. The teacher I doubt even understands this but rather just marks it the way the book shows her to......I just wish I could find a job that keeps me home more, I would much rather home school my kids than send them to these mediocre over paid bunch of followers.

 

[88GT]

They are fighting that because you can have one kid that can stop everything in the class because they are messing around and the school will not do anything about.

Really? People are receiving death threats because of troublesome kids? I don't think so. But I'll prepare an Emmy-worthy apology if you can find the evidence that says otherwise.

If you don't produce results, is it your fault or someone else?

That depends. Did the seller refuse to price his home reasonably so that it sat there for six months without a single showing? Did the buyer fail to obtain final approval for the loan? Lots of reasons outside of my control that will kill a deal.

But the two main differences between me and a government school teacher: I don't boast about how I'm so much better at it than anybody else and I don't demand payment until I actual deliver. I cannot say the same for government teachers.

 

[long coat]

I would tend to think that such highly educated teachers with all their experience could outsmart a troublesome child. But of course it's easier to suggest the parents take their child to the doctor for a Rx......My daughter is in the first grade and her teacher seems to be unable to teach her to differentiate between a lower case "d" and a lower case "b". The teacher instead just keeps marking her papers wrong when she mistakenly puts it together backwards.

Do you want the teacher to not mark stuff wrong when it is?
So what are the other kids going to do when the teacher is only working with her? Your daugther is slowing down the class and now the other kid are not learning so the teacher will not get paid because the other kids are not learning.

Thank you for making my point about merit pay.

 

[jwdecour]

I think I have it figured out how to please those whom feel teachers are paid too much. We could take all the extra money that they make above whatever value you all deem appropriate, and we could give that money to the wealthy as another tax break. That way they can use all that extra money to create more jobs. Then we can stand here and let the jobs and money just rain down from on high from those that have it to give. Can't you just feel the warmth from all that yellow gold trickling down on us?

Liberals are taking over this country because the conservatives are realizing that most of them are not rich and never will be wealthy and that the rich do not give two thoughts about them or their hard work. They care about money over people and will do whatever they have to inorder to make more.

But I could be wrong and I am sure you all will let me know.

 

[long coat]

Really? People are receiving death threats because of troublesome kids? I don't think so. But I'll prepare an Emmy-worthy apology if you can find the evidence that says otherwise.

Wayne student, 17, charged with punching teacher | The Indianapolis Star | indystar.com

In this case the school did something about it.
I also know stuff never makes the paper.

 

[jwdecour]

@TJ I also had that same problem with the bs and ds. what finally helped me was to think of the word "bed" when you look at it you can pretend it is an actual bed with a head board and a foot the e is the matterss. A teacher taught me that and it stuck with me. Hope it helps with your girl.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

@TJ I also had that same problem with the bs and ds. what finally helped me was to think of the word "bed" when you look at it you can pretend it is an actual bed with a head board and a foot the e is the matterss. A teacher taught me that and it stuck with me. Hope it helps with your girl.

Thank you for the tip I am familiar with many ways of teaching the difference, but don't you think the highly paid, highly educated, professional TEACHER should be able to come up with one or two ideas that can be quickly utilized much like you have mentioned? It isn't her job to just keep marking them wrong, it IS her job to teach the difference. We're not talking about high school lectures or classes of 40-50 kids here. It's a FIRST GRADE class of 20 students with a teacher, teachers aide, and TWO room mothers.....The adults nearly have the students outnumbered for crying out loud!

 

[ThrottleJockey]

Do you want the teacher to not mark stuff wrong when it is?
So what are the other kids going to do when the teacher is only working with her? Your daugther is slowing down the class and now the other kid are not learning so the teacher will not get paid because the other kids are not learning.

Thank you for making my point about merit pay.

Sorry, your argument is ridiculously stupid and ignorant. we're talking about first grade not high school. The teachers JOB is to TEACH the difference. In first grade, kids learn to add, subtract, and read at the most BASIC levels. No one child is going to slow down the class for a simple one time explanation and "gimmick" if you will. It is after all why they are there. I have not by any stretch of the imagination made your point about merit pay. In fact quite the opposite, I find this teacher to be of very little value to the school, has no mind of her own, can't see beyond the pages of her "instruction manual" and cannot even recognize a potential problem that could effect my childs education in later grades. Just pass her along to the next teacher, maybe they'll want to do their job....Based on the qualities this teacher demonstrates, she's worth exactly what she can make in walmart.

 

[long coat]

Thank you for the tip I am familiar with many ways of teaching the difference, but don't you think the highly paid, highly educated, professional TEACHER should be able to come up with one or two ideas that can be quickly utilized much like you have mentioned? It isn't her job to just keep marking them wrong, it IS her job to teach the difference.

How do you know the teacher is not trying to teach her the right way?
And BTW it is the teachers job to mark it wrong.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

How do you know the teacher is not trying to teach her the right way?
And BTW it is the teachers job to mark it wrong.

So when is it her job to teach? I've met with her a few times, she is typical of what I have come to expect from public schools. Of the 50+ some odd public school teachers I had growing up, I can count on one hand the number of them that actually TAUGHT. I can name them to this very day and can even recall their lessons and why they were effective. The remaining 90% just went through the motions and collected a check. The NEA admittedly doesn't even promote curriculum any more, but rather an AGENDA. Read a little about it here.NEA Agenda is Frightening to Parents
The teachers unions MUST BE DESTROYED.

 

[Wabatuckian]

@TJ,

Sir: I do not know the school system you're familiar with. However, the teachers here who only go through the motions are dealt with quickly and decisively.

The majority attempt to stimulate original thought, even if it goes against the teacher's opinion.

I first learned that we won the Battle of Bunker Hill (actually Breed's Hill). Did we hold the hill? No, it wasn't strategically important. But our guys would rake the Redcoats with fire whenever they tried to advance, and only stopped when they (the Americans) ran out of ammo. They then retreated.

We lost a few.

The Brits took the hill, but lost a few hundred they couldn't readily replace.

Who won that battle?

It's traditionally taught that the British won. They took the hill. However, my history teacher in High School was a 'nam vet and had a master's in history and psychology, and did a lot of study on military tactics. We achieved the desired result at Breeds Hill, he said, and illustrated why this is so.

However, there are certain things which must be taught in the way the State wants it taught, and I disagree with this wholeheartedly.

For example, in the study of poetry, you draw a typical line graph |_ with the meter on one axis and rhyme on the other. As as you plot the scores, it will illustrate that the higher the meter and rhyme, the more thorough your enjoyment of the poem.

Really? Who does this stuff?

The only time it's ever even been remotely useful, in my experience, has been when teaching Julius Caesar. Everyone talked in eloquent flowery poetic language except Brutus, who would deadpan everything. I guess the folks of that time found that hilarious, but folks in Shakespeare's time were pretty messed up.

If I had my way, I'd teach poetry only if I had to. It really should be a high school elective, in my opinion. However, it's required of the curriculum. So if I have to teach it, I'm going to try to teach the kids to read it for enjoyment, not analysis.

The teachers' unions would be what would get us there.

They shouldn't be destroyed, but reformed. If they didn't exist, everything would be much more liberal than it is. You can choose whether to believe this, but in all honesty, most teachers are, at their cores, pretty conservative and only appear to be liberal because of the way they're forced to be.

The teacher I spoke of, the one who taught me history -- he kept a 1911 in the coat closet. Most other teachers hunted.

I just visited my 6th grade teacher (who is still working) and he as a "Don't Tread On Me" flag hanging in his classroom, as well as a lot of other patriotic stuff about minutemen and learning discipline through martial arts, etc. It would be enough to give most libtarts heart attacks.

Another teacher I know is also a taxidermist. You should see his classroom -- it is unbelievable!

The teachers' union, here, backs this and has let it continue. The administration would like to wipe it out and go socialist.

We recite the pledge, still say "One nation, under God," have a moment of silent prayer afterward, and this is thanks to that same union.

I will give you this, however: This is the only good union I have had experience with, and it may not be typical.

Just another viewpoint.

Josh

 

[hornadylnl]

I always asked my mom to name 1 thing the union did to improve education. It was always met with silence.

 

[Wabatuckian]

I dunno. Like I said, maybe this is a special case, but they're really slowing the liberal agenda here.

Josh

 

[hornadylnl]

I dunno. Like I said, maybe this is a special case, but they're really slowing the liberal agenda here.

Josh

Being that they're the National EDUCATION Association, what they're doing to improve education should be readily apparent. Why don't they just rename it the National TEACHER Association.

 

[Rookie]

And now there are 25-30 kids in a room.

That statement always bothers me. When I was in sixth grade, our school had roughly 120 kids. Guess how many teachers we had? TWO! One teacher for kindergarten through third grade, and one for fourth through sixth grade. Guess how many teacher's aides? Zero. The amazing thing is that no one, not one single child failed. Most pulled A's and B's. When our family moved to a different city, my sister bounced from first grade to third, not because of the poor education in the new school (algebra, geometry, and calculus were mandatory in high school), but because of the excellent education she received from those poor teachers that had large classrooms with multiple grades.

Three of my children spent most of their time in our old district's public school system. My wife and I finally had enough of the 'education' and moved to a different district. The result? My son, who is in the SECOND grade, can spell better than my daughter who is a senior.

Their lack of education is completely my fault. I should have moved them long ago. The only thing I don't understand is, how is my son getting a better education in a classroom the same size or larger than the classrooms my daughter was in?

 

[ATOMonkey]

You are worth the cost of your replacement. Once you figure that out, the rest of life becomes much easier.