Independent school teachers salary survey!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Those salaries are indeed all shockingly low. Definitely hope you all get tuition breaks for your kids!

I often wonder about the private school insistence on parent volunteering. You know how often we're hit up to organize the fair, the little parties, you name it. (Not that I think parents shouldn't be encouraged to be involved if they can-- but at our school it can feel like an overwhelming demand, with intense social pressure to volunteer, oten for events where 50 people who probably bill at $400 an hour in five hours....for events that net $5k!) I often wish the schools would offer an option: volunteer often v. just make a sizable extra donation and we'll leave you alone all year. I, for one, would gladly give an extra $2000, to be paid directly into a teacher salary fund, if the school would only leave me alone about sorting books for the damn bookfair.

Give me a break. Just this morning my teenage son asked me, "Why is it that 10% of people always carry the other 90%?" Welcome to the world, dear. He just couldn't fathom how anybody could feel good about himself being one of the 90%. Guess he needs to read Atlas Shrugged.

PP. if you want to help the school, give the money AND the labor, too. Some of us do both, you know--DH and I give way more than 2K a year to the annual fund, AND I do tons of volunteer work (and yes, my real-life clients are billed at >$400 an hour, BTW). So stop whining and start contributing. Be one of the 10%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those salaries are indeed all shockingly low. Definitely hope you all get tuition breaks for your kids!

I often wonder about the private school insistence on parent volunteering. You know how often we're hit up to organize the fair, the little parties, you name it. (Not that I think parents shouldn't be encouraged to be involved if they can-- but at our school it can feel like an overwhelming demand, with intense social pressure to volunteer, oten for events where 50 people who probably bill at $400 an hour in five hours....for events that net $5k!) I often wish the schools would offer an option: volunteer often v. just make a sizable extra donation and we'll leave you alone all year. I, for one, would gladly give an extra $2000, to be paid directly into a teacher salary fund, if the school would only leave me alone about sorting books for the damn bookfair.

Give me a break. Just this morning my teenage son asked me, "Why is it that 10% of people always carry the other 90%?" Welcome to the world, dear. He just couldn't fathom how anybody could feel good about himself being one of the 90%. Guess he needs to read Atlas Shrugged.

PP. if you want to help the school, give the money AND the labor, too. Some of us do both, you know--DH and I give way more than 2K a year to the annual fund, AND I do tons of volunteer work (and yes, my real-life clients are billed at >$400 an hour, BTW). So stop whining and start contributing. Be one of the 10%.

Hmmm. No one ever asks what the teachers want. And yes, we like the idea of contributions to faculty salary. Can you imagine being told the message "yes you will get raises one day and be paid what you are worth one day but first we need to pay for other important things like.....another stairmaster in the gym that already has ten or for a director who doesnt do her job as it is but we need to pay for her professional development" We are at the bottom of the list of priorities.

[Anonymous]

The ONLY people who can help teachers in Independent Schools are the only ones who count in the process--the parents. So if you think that your teachers deserve fair pay for their work, energy, enthusiasm, and dedication, you need to demand it from your board and from your admins.

[Anonymous]

22 years, school counselor, 110,000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:22 years, school counselor, 110,000

That is disgusting. Our school counselor doesnt do anything besides make the girls feel as though they have problems even if they dont. My DC isnt allowed in her office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:22 years, school counselor, 110,000

That is disgusting. Our school counselor doesnt do anything besides make the girls feel as though they have problems even if they dont. My DC isnt allowed in her office.

DD isn't allowed to go near the guidance counselor. She does nothing but cause problems instead of fix them!

[Anonymous]

Do not forget that the amount of salary actually received by a teacher is not the only cost to the school for a full time employee -- a good rule of thumb for the cost to the employer of a full time employee is to multiply that base amount by 22-25% to cover things like payroll tax (FICA) and medical benefits. As with all other American employers who offer health benefits, independent schools have been burdened with rising health care costs. The benefits costs aren't as much as for state/municipal employees, because generally these schools don't offer pensions or health care to retirees, but they are significant all the same. Pretty much all schools have costs for staff/faculty as their highest costs.

Agreed there may be ways to cut down on FTEs, including some admin positions, but over time most parents have come to expect the schools to have sophisticated technology (need an IT staff), in-house counseling (need a professional school counselor who is not the college counselor), robust college counseling offices, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do not forget that the amount of salary actually received by a teacher is not the only cost to the school for a full time employee -- a good rule of thumb for the cost to the employer of a full time employee is to multiply that base amount by 22-25% to cover things like payroll tax (FICA) and medical benefits. As with all other American employers who offer health benefits, independent schools have been burdened with rising health care costs. The benefits costs aren't as much as for state/municipal employees, because generally these schools don't offer pensions or health care to retirees, but they are significant all the same. Pretty much all schools have costs for staff/faculty as their highest costs.

Agreed there may be ways to cut down on FTEs, including some admin positions, but over time most parents have come to expect the schools to have sophisticated technology (need an IT staff), in-house counseling (need a professional school counselor who is not the college counselor), robust college counseling offices, etc.

As always, an excuse for not paying teachers more. Almost all employees need payroll tax and medical benefits but for some reason you never hear that a hospital is unable to pay its doctors what they are worth because of taxes. The benefits are poor in some schools and good in others. We pay tuition so that our DC have top IT staff top counseling and top teachers. How do you recruit top teachers unless you have top pay? Its disheartening to find out that our teachers arent being paid what we thought they were especially in an independent school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those salaries are indeed all shockingly low. Definitely hope you all get tuition breaks for your kids!

I often wonder about the private school insistence on parent volunteering. You know how often we're hit up to organize the fair, the little parties, you name it. (Not that I think parents shouldn't be encouraged to be involved if they can-- but at our school it can feel like an overwhelming demand, with intense social pressure to volunteer, oten for events where 50 people who probably bill at $400 an hour in five hours....for events that net $5k!) I often wish the schools would offer an option: volunteer often v. just make a sizable extra donation and we'll leave you alone all year. I, for one, would gladly give an extra $2000, to be paid directly into a teacher salary fund, if the school would only leave me alone about sorting books for the damn bookfair.

Give me a break. Just this morning my teenage son asked me, "Why is it that 10% of people always carry the other 90%?" Welcome to the world, dear. He just couldn't fathom how anybody could feel good about himself being one of the 90%. Guess he needs to read Atlas Shrugged.

PP. if you want to help the school, give the money AND the labor, too. Some of us do both, you know--DH and I give way more than 2K a year to the annual fund, AND I do tons of volunteer work (and yes, my real-life clients are billed at >$400 an hour, BTW). So stop whining and start contributing. Be one of the 10%.

Hear hear!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do not forget that the amount of salary actually received by a teacher is not the only cost to the school for a full time employee -- a good rule of thumb for the cost to the employer of a full time employee is to multiply that base amount by 22-25% to cover things like payroll tax (FICA) and medical benefits. As with all other American employers who offer health benefits, independent schools have been burdened with rising health care costs. The benefits costs aren't as much as for state/municipal employees, because generally these schools don't offer pensions or health care to retirees, but they are significant all the same. Pretty much all schools have costs for staff/faculty as their highest costs.

Agreed there may be ways to cut down on FTEs, including some admin positions, but over time most parents have come to expect the schools to have sophisticated technology (need an IT staff), in-house counseling (need a professional school counselor who is not the college counselor), robust college counseling offices, etc.

As always, an excuse for not paying teachers more. Almost all employees need payroll tax and medical benefits but for some reason you never hear that a hospital is unable to pay its doctors what they are worth because of taxes. The benefits are poor in some schools and good in others. We pay tuition so that our DC have top IT staff top counseling and top teachers. How do you recruit top teachers unless you have top pay? Its disheartening to find out that our teachers arent being paid what we thought they were especially in an independent school.

Ummm, have you noticed that the health care system is caving in under its own weight? Lol, what an analogy. Seriously, if you are this exercised, sit down with someone on your school's board (or get on a board) and ask for a detailed briefing on school finances--it may open your eyes.

A few last points about teaching: (1) it is generally a 9 month job, and most teachers supplement base salary with summer work or choose to enjoy the time with families -- but that 60K salary is equivalent to 80K for a 12-month salary; (2) teaching is still seen as a "service" profession (like the military), and many earn much less than they would in other professions for the love of teaching; (3) teachers have the option of going to the public schools and earning more -- if they stay in independent schools it is generally because they value the autonomy, an academic atmosphere not hostage to standardized tests, and small classes with motivated students.

With that said, do I believe teachers should be well paid? Of course. Just trying to tell you that if you look at the school finances the biggest budget item is faculty/staff salary/benefits. Truly.

[Anonymous]

9 years, master's, 8th grade, 60K. 30K+ tuition school.

[Anonymous]

To add to the poor hospital analogy, most doctors do not work for a hospital, but for a practice, where they are responsible for the salaries of their staffs, insurance ($$$), office rent etc.

To suggest that the doctors salaries do not include taxes is such a horrible example. It is why so many Americans are opting away from medicine as a profession.

[Anonymous]

Ha! I don't know a single young teacher who has the summers off. We work at stores, we waitress, we work for summer camps, tutor, work on school for the following year, we regularly atop by school to check in with our classrooms and peers, we never stop thinking about our students, we shop with our paltry earnings for our students, and most of take care of our families full time too. Does that some like a summer off? And admissions people spend the entire summer still working to fill classrooms and work on marketing. How far removed from a teacher's life are you, 20:28?? Very.

[Anonymous]

Masters , no short cuts as some idiot onthis board suggested. Those are for public school or parochial school teachers. Masters, 16 years, middle school, 58,000. Baby to feed and pay for daycare. Student loans. House payments. Car payments. I

[Anonymous]

4 yrs Masters US teacher at big 3 school 45 thousand