Independent School Teacher Salary?

[Anonymous]

Often, public will pay better, but often private has a much better working/teaching environment. Sometimes teachers go to an private so their kids can attend that same private school.

[Anonymous]

It depends on the school. Some take pride in being 80-90% of public school salary scales. Some take pride in paying their teachers nothing and saying they just love the school so much they're willing to work for free. You'll probably get better compensation at the larger independents, where you shouldn't expect class sizes of 12, but no more than 25.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did not take this kind of salary cut. I recommend negotiating and looking at k-12s with bigger endowments.

+1

[Anonymous]

Are there larger salaries in larger school with k-12 and endowments? Anyone out there making in the 85-95k range teaching at a private?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Such low salaries for private school teachers! It wouldn’t even cover the tuition at many privates. Do you at least get a big discount so your children can attend the school?

It’s a job for the children of wealthy families who have a calling to teach at a school like they attended. Just like Catholic.

[Anonymous]

How the hell do independent school teachers retire? Lower salaries, no pension, more expensive health care.....is it assumed you'll have a well-to-do husband?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How the hell do independent school teachers retire? Lower salaries, no pension, more expensive health care.....is it assumed you'll have a well-to-do husband?

WTF? We have retirement funds, just like any other job.

[Anonymous]

Private schools have always paid below public schools. This was the case when my mother taught at private schools in the 1990s-2010, when she finally retired. Many of the teachers were like her, spouses of established doctors and lawyers, so the lower pay wasn't an issue. She was an excellent teacher and thrived in an environment that nurtured her teaching and had no interest in dealing with bureaucracy or much larger class sizes.

I think the "wife of a doctor" is less present these days as doctors are now typically married to other doctors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How the hell do independent school teachers retire? Lower salaries, no pension, more expensive health care.....is it assumed you'll have a well-to-do husband?

Agree! That is why I am no longer teaching in an independent school Don't even get me started on "teacher appreciation week!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Private schools have always paid below public schools. This was the case when my mother taught at private schools in the 1990s-2010, when she finally retired. Many of the teachers were like her, spouses of established doctors and lawyers, so the lower pay wasn't an issue. She was an excellent teacher and thrived in an environment that nurtured her teaching and had no interest in dealing with bureaucracy or much larger class sizes.

I think the "wife of a doctor" is less present these days as doctors are now typically married to other doctors.

Trust me, there is A LOT of bureaucracy in private schools, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Often, public will pay better, but often private has a much better working/teaching environment. Sometimes teachers go to an private so their kids can attend that same private school.

I took a $7K pay cut when I switched from public to private after 12 years of teaching. I couldn’t stand the conditions at my public school (primarily caused by a poor administration). I also lost all future contributions to my pension, although my private contributes to my 403B.

I’m glad I did it, though. The conditions are great at my private. I’m more appreciated, more respected, and more supported.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Private schools have always paid below public schools. This was the case when my mother taught at private schools in the 1990s-2010, when she finally retired. Many of the teachers were like her, spouses of established doctors and lawyers, so the lower pay wasn't an issue. She was an excellent teacher and thrived in an environment that nurtured her teaching and had no interest in dealing with bureaucracy or much larger class sizes.

I think the "wife of a doctor" is less present these days as doctors are now typically married to other doctors.

I see the whole cycle of wealth in America involves being a lawyer. how can this country compete with China?

[Anonymous]

It really depends on the schools. Public pays better and has pensions and better healthcare, but as an adult who attended public (considered good one) and private school my teachers at private school were so much better. The unions protect teachers and I have heard horror stories from extended family members of mine who were superintendents (all former teachers) about awful and bad teachers who had to stay even if they did things that I can’t even write on here. It sounded like such a nightmare to deal with.

I also know someone who is a special ed teacher in DC making more than $100k who brags about how she is meant to be at work t 8 “my contract says” but rolls in right before 9 and leaves early (before contract) and has doing this for awhile. She says it hurts her time lesson planning and I can’t even imagine what her students are dealing with. She lives in DC but sends her own children to a charter (how they got in I have no idea). Other people who are in the field outside DC who heard this conversation were flabbergasted and couldn’t believe it was allowed, but as a friend who is a lawyer (and has dealt with public education things outside DC) said they could reprimand her but she’d sue with her unions backing and probably get a pay out and keep her job. It made me really sad.

If you want to leave public but attend private look at top privates. I know of people who work at privates that are boarding type and they get good salary and have housing on campus so maybe look into that? OR do what the person did above and get your masters to do special ed, occupational therapy, or speech and you’ll be making way more $$ for in many instances less work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How the hell do independent school teachers retire? Lower salaries, no pension, more expensive health care.....is it assumed you'll have a well-to-do husband?

At (non-profit) schools of decent size, there certainly are 403(b)/401(a) retirement arrangements for faculty and staff. A for-profit school of reasonable size generally will have a 401(k) plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I left my highly regarded NoVa independent several years back , (MA and 15 years of experience at the time) and went to FCPS, I went from about 65K to 80K. I got my MA+30 pay increase in FCPS and am now making just over 100K.

I would have to take a good 20-25K pay cut, and return to worse benefits, to go back to private. I might still do it when my kids are a little older.

The class size cap, extensive professional development funds, and AMAZING amount of planning time made for a better quality of life. I never needed to take work home. There were certainly still behavior issues, but they were of the “attitude” variety than the “flipping chairs” variety. The parents were mostly lovely with a few each year that fit the stereotypical nightmare private school parent profile.

I also really like my public school colleagues, but my independent school colleagues were firing on all cylinders. Smart, dedicated, and enthusiastic.

+ 1. I have since left teaching, but my private school colleagues were the same as you described. Plus, I had a blast with them! I miss them dearly. It was the job where I felt must connected and at “home”.