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

[Anonymous]

At our private our teachers have very small class sizes and well supported students. They also have flexibility to adapt the curriculum to suit the class' needs. Their professional development opportunities are amazing and provide observable benefits to their students. I chaperoned a field trip and one of the teachers who planned it told me she had applied to our school for several years in a row knowing full well that there were no advertised openings. Her hope was that when an opening became available, she would be considered since the school would know of her dedicated interest. We have very little turnover in the teaching and admin staff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At our private our teachers have very small class sizes and well supported students. They also have flexibility to adapt the curriculum to suit the class' needs. Their professional development opportunities are amazing and provide observable benefits to their students. I chaperoned a field trip and one of the teachers who planned it told me she had applied to our school for several years in a row knowing full well that there were no advertised openings. Her hope was that when an opening became available, she would be considered since the school would know of her dedicated interest. We have very little turnover in the teaching and admin staff.

Do you know anything about their pay and benefits?

[Anonymous]

Yeah, if I lacked any accreditation and wanted to teach whatever I wanted to teach, however I wanted to teach it....private school is the only place that would hire me.

If I studied education and child development and pursued a subject, spent hours pursuing accreditation, identified early on that I wanted to be around children all day, and allowed supervision of my work and my ability to do my job....public school would be the place for me.

[Anonymous]

I agree with pp, there is a distinct downside to giving teachers all that freedom to teach any way they want. I've seen teachers gather the week before school starts to hash out what they plan to do for curriculum that year. It's kind of nice to have a county mandating that certain things definitely get taught. There's also something odd about the fact that teachers don't need any certification or in fact any experience working with children. You just need a college degree (and being able to coach lacrosse helps).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with pp, there is a distinct downside to giving teachers all that freedom to teach any way they want. I've seen teachers gather the week before school starts to hash out what they plan to do for curriculum that year. It's kind of nice to have a county mandating that certain things definitely get taught. There's also something odd about the fact that teachers don't need any certification or in fact any experience working with children. You just need a college degree (and being able to coach lacrosse helps).

In some ways is not nice having a county mandating that certain things get taught. For example, teaching 2nd graders about the civil war. Kids don't even know how to make inferences from texts. Civil War is not age appropriate for 2nd graders. Why the rush to invade very young minds with such stuff?

[Anonymous]

Oh come on. This is ridiculous. Most independent schools in this area are outstanding. It's ridiculous to presume that teacher freedom has really back fired. Being highly educated and knowledgeable in your subject is pretty amazing and frankly beats the teacher certification (which I have), which mostly involved studying common sense, like students respond better to positive reinforcement rather than negative words. No shit. If you need to be told that, you are in the wrong field.

[Anonymous]

Yes, they really do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh come on. This is ridiculous. Most independent schools in this area are outstanding. It's ridiculous to presume that teacher freedom has really back fired. Being highly educated and knowledgeable in your subject is pretty amazing and frankly beats the teacher certification (which I have), which mostly involved studying common sense, like students respond better to positive reinforcement rather than negative words. No shit. If you need to be told that, you are in the wrong field.

Very few people plan to become private school teachers.

[Anonymous]

More resources, fewer students, no standardized tests, tons of flexibility, motivated students, access to quality training...

[Anonymous]

I disagree that private schools have more resources and better training than the public schools. Not at all true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I disagree that private schools have more resources and better training than the public schools. Not at all true.

I was just thinking the same, especially about the resources.

I have taught in a public school for 24 years and have never needed anything that wasn't provided. Everything I have requested beyond that has been provided by the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I disagree that private schools have more resources and better training than the public schools. Not at all true.

I was just thinking the same, especially about the resources.

I have taught in a public school for 24 years and have never needed anything that wasn't provided. Everything I have requested beyond that has been provided by the school.

Then come to my Title One school where we run out of basic supplies regularly or don't get them to begin with. I have used toilet paper as tissues since February. Ran out of pencils a month or two ago and despite asking for more, I just bought more myself. Same is true for other supplies. We run out of copy paper every other year or so in the spring. Etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I disagree that private schools have more resources and better training than the public schools. Not at all true.

I was just thinking the same, especially about the resources.

I have taught in a public school for 24 years and have never needed anything that wasn't provided. Everything I have requested beyond that has been provided by the school.

Then come to my Title One school where we run out of basic supplies regularly or don't get them to begin with. I have used toilet paper as tissues since February. Ran out of pencils a month or two ago and despite asking for more, I just bought more myself. Same is true for other supplies. We run out of copy paper every other year or so in the spring. Etc.

Maybe your school is in a different district, but we have never run out of copy paper and the school buys it, not the parents. The school also buys many other basic supplies such as colored pencils, construction paper, glue sticks, and scissors.

We do ask the students to bring in pencils and tissues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I disagree that private schools have more resources and better training than the public schools. Not at all true.

By definition, every private school is different, so all of us have anecdotal experience only. But the two independent private schools that I have been associated with have had ample resources and a parent base willing to provide anything else that is desired. Teachers do not leave for other positions and the vast majority have advanced degrees.

[Anonymous]

How hard is it for a new graduate to begin teaching in a prime suburban district?

I don't see why talented smart young grads would begin at low-paying privates, charters, or violent inner city districts ... unless that was their only option?

There was an article in the Post years ago about a teacher getting sued for $20M after a parent claimed he pushed her son!