Do private teachers really make a lot less than public teachers? If so...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When the gal across the street moved from a highly sought after DC private school to a Virginia public school her annual salary increased 60%. That's a lot. But the OP is wrong in that in Virginia at least there is no teacher union. Not sure about Maryland and the District. Getting back to the gal from private, she did note that the number of school days increased dramatically, the number of teacher gifts decreased significantly, the amount of work stayed the same, she gets MORE contact after-hours from parents and the parents are much more demanding (this last part I thought was odd but she had quite a few examples. Could it be due to the class size increasing?).

There are teacher unions in VA. It is a Right to Work state, but there are unions and associations.

No, again. You're wrong. There is an association but it does not do collective bargaining, hence it is not a union.

FEA is an association. https://fairfaxea.org/

FCFT is a union. http://www.fcft.org/ hampton has an AFT local too: http://www.aft.org/affiliate/04260

The ability to collectively bargain does not define a union.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When the gal across the street moved from a highly sought after DC private school to a Virginia public school her annual salary increased 60%. That's a lot. But the OP is wrong in that in Virginia at least there is no teacher union. Not sure about Maryland and the District. Getting back to the gal from private, she did note that the number of school days increased dramatically, the number of teacher gifts decreased significantly, the amount of work stayed the same, she gets MORE contact after-hours from parents and the parents are much more demanding (this last part I thought was odd but she had quite a few examples. Could it be due to the class size increasing?).

Why did she begin at the private in the first place? Weren't any years there sort of years wasted as far as pension and salary/seniority tiers are concerned?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When the gal across the street moved from a highly sought after DC private school to a Virginia public school her annual salary increased 60%. That's a lot. But the OP is wrong in that in Virginia at least there is no teacher union. Not sure about Maryland and the District. Getting back to the gal from private, she did note that the number of school days increased dramatically, the number of teacher gifts decreased significantly, the amount of work stayed the same, she gets MORE contact after-hours from parents and the parents are much more demanding (this last part I thought was odd but she had quite a few examples. Could it be due to the class size increasing?).

Why did she begin at the private in the first place? Weren't any years there sort of years wasted as far as pension and salary/seniority tiers are concerned?

Not the pp.

My DW worked for ten years at a private school. When she switched to FCPS they started her off on step 10.

[Anonymous]

*Step 11

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very, very few privates offer any tuition discount to their teachers and free tuition is a thing of the pass.

. You are mistaken- our private offers 50 percent discount to all staff for kids tuition.

Which would make your school one of the very few.

Don't know why PP is so insistent that independent schools don't discount for teachers. I know of very few that DON'T discount. Sidwell maybe? Very few are free (st albans is the only one I know of), but most range from 50% off 1st kid to 50% off all kids.

[Anonymous]

I taught at an independent school coming from a PhD and not wanting to go back to get my public school teaching certification.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In Baltimore, many of the privates offer free housing to faculty, even the day schools.

One of them, the Park School, offers free tuition to all faculty (but no housing). They also have an endowment that allows faculty to do independent research during the summer.

[Anonymous]

I've been a county teacher for 19 years. If money was not a concern, I would love to teach at a private school. The class size is a big reason, but on top of that, children with major behavioral challenges can actually be kicked out. These two things would be worth a huge pay cut.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:...why do teachers go work at privates? Is it tough for privates to hire teachers?

Public gets higher salary, union representation, better & lifetime health insurance, pension after 25 years, more chances to rise ranks in administration? Private gets paid less, not sure about health insurance, and no pension? I believe private teachers get major tuition discount for their kids, but I doubt that's a difference maker when you're in your 20s and just starting out.

Yes, teachers at privates are paid significantly less! I've taught at three...

I attended private schools and have only taught in independents. I don't think private schools necessarily have the best teachers because there are so many very young teachers who take the low-paying jobs because they don't intend to stay in teaching long, or because they aren't employable at public since they are not certified. Of course, there are also some great teachers, many of whom don't need the money because of their spouses, but the young, uncertified, inexperienced teachers are a problem I am noticing more as I get older.

Of course, on this site, parents will chime in to tell me it is different at their school, and their underpaid young teachers are excellent.

I'm offering my opinion based on 10+ years as a teacher in several independents.

Color me ignorant: what's an independent school? A charter?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:...why do teachers go work at privates? Is it tough for privates to hire teachers?

Public gets higher salary, union representation, better & lifetime health insurance, pension after 25 years, more chances to rise ranks in administration? Private gets paid less, not sure about health insurance, and no pension? I believe private teachers get major tuition discount for their kids, but I doubt that's a difference maker when you're in your 20s and just starting out.

Yes, teachers at privates are paid significantly less! I've taught at three...

I attended private schools and have only taught in independents. I don't think private schools necessarily have the best teachers because there are so many very young teachers who take the low-paying jobs because they don't intend to stay in teaching long, or because they aren't employable at public since they are not certified. Of course, there are also some great teachers, many of whom don't need the money because of their spouses, but the young, uncertified, inexperienced teachers are a problem I am noticing more as I get older.

Of course, on this site, parents will chime in to tell me it is different at their school, and their underpaid young teachers are excellent.

I'm offering my opinion based on 10+ years as a teacher in several independents.

Color me ignorant: what's an independent school? A charter?

Private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When the gal across the street moved from a highly sought after DC private school to a Virginia public school her annual salary increased 60%. That's a lot. But the OP is wrong in that in Virginia at least there is no teacher union. Not sure about Maryland and the District. Getting back to the gal from private, she did note that the number of school days increased dramatically, the number of teacher gifts decreased significantly, the amount of work stayed the same, she gets MORE contact after-hours from parents and the parents are much more demanding (this last part I thought was odd but she had quite a few examples. Could it be due to the class size increasing?).

Why did she begin at the private in the first place? Weren't any years there sort of years wasted as far as pension and salary/seniority tiers are concerned?

This is the first poster. My neighbor started at a private because it was her first teaching experience as a career switcher from a career in the field she now teaches. She stayed at the private for five or six years I think while she finished her certification and left when she got hired by a NoVa school system. Her private tried to offer her more but they just couldn't compete with the pay at a public. She is an awesome teacher and they loved her at the private. So she did lose years of pension and seniority but it got her into teaching. As much as school systems and state departments of education complain about the teacher shortage and the need for career switchers in critical need areas, they don't make it easy for people to do it. This was how my neighbor was able to do it and everyone benefited.

[Anonymous]

I am in private, freedom to teach is number one to me. No teaching to tests, fully trusted by administration to impart info as I see fit. Small class sizes with very interested students. Rigorous curriculum, not bogged down by latest trend in the classroom management or pedagogy, which changes just about every year. I love it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very, very few privates offer any tuition discount to their teachers and free tuition is a thing of the pass.

. You are mistaken- our private offers 50 percent discount to all staff for kids tuition.

Which would make your school one of the very few.

Don't know why PP is so insistent that independent schools don't discount for teachers. I know of very few that DON'T discount. Sidwell maybe? Very few are free (st albans is the only one I know of), but most range from 50% off 1st kid to 50% off all kids.

None of the private schools I've taught at offer close to 50%. The first two offered nothing, and the one I'm at now offers significantly less than 50%, only if you've been here more than 3 years, and only if you happen to have a kid in the right age range, of the correct gender, and who meets the admissions criteria.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:...why do teachers go work at privates? Is it tough for privates to hire teachers?

Public gets higher salary, union representation, better & lifetime health insurance, pension after 25 years, more chances to rise ranks in administration? Private gets paid less, not sure about health insurance, and no pension? I believe private teachers get major tuition discount for their kids, but I doubt that's a difference maker when you're in your 20s and just starting out.

Yes, teachers at privates are paid significantly less! I've taught at three...

I attended private schools and have only taught in independents. I don't think private schools necessarily have the best teachers because there are so many very young teachers who take the low-paying jobs because they don't intend to stay in teaching long, or because they aren't employable at public since they are not certified. Of course, there are also some great teachers, many of whom don't need the money because of their spouses, but the young, uncertified, inexperienced teachers are a problem I am noticing more as I get older.

Of course, on this site, parents will chime in to tell me it is different at their school, and their underpaid young teachers are excellent.

I'm offering my opinion based on 10+ years as a teacher in several independents.

Color me ignorant: what's an independent school? A charter?

A private school that isn't governed by a larger religious organization such as a diocese/archdiocese.

You can have an independent religious school, if it's not part of a diocese.

So, for example, Gonzaga is an independent Jesuit, but Bishop O'Connell, which is run by the Archdiocese of Arlington.

Generally, the word independent also isn't used for private schools that serve primarily students with disabilities who are funded by public school system. Those schools are called "non-public" schools.

[Anonymous]

My school offers 50%