What do private school teachers earn?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BFF teaches HS private in the DC area (not at a big 3). She has a Phd in her subject and makes $80k. She gets about 50% tuition assistance for her son.

She laments about benefits but likes the ability to teach in a more collegiate manner than having to teach to specific standards.

Exactly. Private school teachers can TEACH without the bureaucracy, testing requirements, and behavior problems that often plague public schools.

Yeah. But now, at 39, I'm starting to regret the romantic idealism that shaped my early choices in schools. I've had great students and worked in lovely settings, but I am starting to worry about what my future will look like. I'll have good memories of my students and my job, but that isn't much to live on when I'm old.

I know that my students' wealthy parents realize how little I earn, but they value my dedication to their children and my job . However, I've been teaching long enough to have heard multiple high school students (and parents) speak disparagingly about my profession; I know the same parents who pay tuition so their children can be in the classrooms of poor, "dedicated" teachers who love teaching would never, ever encourage their children to become teachers. I didn't realize this when I was younger.

I know, I know. This might mean it is time to reconsider my professional trajectory and choices.

At my child's school, the classes range from 8-16 kids per class in HIGH SCHOOL. A few classes had a handful of kids in them. THAT is what the parents pay for. Extremely low teacher to student ratio. And the teachers to teach to them without standardized testing and freedom to bring in their passions and preferred learning style to the classroom. They get to take sabbaticals, get their tuition partially paid for furthering education, have more time to do research, write in teaching journals, and go on FREE national and international trips with students if they prefer.

If you prefer better pay, of course it is better to go to a massive school district. You will then have 30 kids per class and at least 1/3 of them won't give two craps about what you are teaching or even show up to your class. You will also spend countless hours a week grading and planning for the 100+ more kids you teach each week. Not to mention more mindless training/meetings, forcing kids to take standardized testing, being judged on trying to get Spanish speaking only kids to pass your classes, etc...

You are comparing apples to oranges here....

I am not saying ALL teachers do not deserve more. They do. But there is a reason many teachers pick private schools over public. I am a nurse and I could make a lot more money working night shifts with 15 patients at a major DC hospital. But I chose a massive pay cut to be an outpatient infusion nurse. Less stress, better hours, more positive working condition. Not everyone picks the highest paycheck for their career.

I teach in a massive school district, and do not have 30 kids in my class. Nor do I have a lot of experience with kids who don’t give a crap about what I am teaching, and they do show up to my class. I am the PP used to teach a Big Three, so I have experience in both systems. It is true that the bureaucracy could drive you crazy. But it is also true that the private school parents could drive you crazy. And all parents care about their kids’ education. That is true without exception in my 28 years of experience.

In any case, if you have a family, then someone has to have a job to support that family, and that job has to provide good pay and benefits including health insurance and retirement. If your employer won’t provide that, then your spouse’s employers has to. It’s one or the other. Writing in journals and taking “free” international trips as a chaperone won’t do anything for you in retirement.

I have 4 kids. 3 in public. 1 in private

Senior private: highest class this year is 15 kids
8th public: last year her smallest class was 28. Most were 30-31
4th public: 29 kids homeroom/32 kids compacted math
K public: 27 kids, no aide.

Sorry, but just because you have never had 30 doesn’t mean others don’t. It is a terrible system.

Reasonable people can disagree on whether or not it is a "terrible system," but that doesn't speak to the point I made above, i.e., that small class sizes, "free" trips (during which you work as a chaperone), and writing in journals doesn't pay the bills or provide retirement security.

Yeah, and I think it is mainly parents who choose private who like to insinuate that the teachers at their kids' schools, who are terribly underpaid, are somehow better because they choose small class sizes, free travel (by the way, traveling with a group of teenagers is NOT the same as a vacation: I am exhausted after one of those trips, and on the trip, am always on duty and up late), etc, etc. But notice that none of those parents are hoping their own children will become teachers at privates (or anywhere else). They speak about private school teachers in the same tones my grandma used to talk about her sister who became a nun: my grandma thought her sister was practically a saint, but would never, ever have become a nun herself, or wanted her granddaughters to do so.

Actually, apparently elderly nuns are assured of having care and support. Elderly private school teachers don't have that security.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BFF teaches HS private in the DC area (not at a big 3). She has a Phd in her subject and makes $80k. She gets about 50% tuition assistance for her son.

She laments about benefits but likes the ability to teach in a more collegiate manner than having to teach to specific standards.

Exactly. Private school teachers can TEACH without the bureaucracy, testing requirements, and behavior problems that often plague public schools.

Yeah. But now, at 39, I'm starting to regret the romantic idealism that shaped my early choices in schools. I've had great students and worked in lovely settings, but I am starting to worry about what my future will look like. I'll have good memories of my students and my job, but that isn't much to live on when I'm old.

I know that my students' wealthy parents realize how little I earn, but they value my dedication to their children and my job . However, I've been teaching long enough to have heard multiple high school students (and parents) speak disparagingly about my profession; I know the same parents who pay tuition so their children can be in the classrooms of poor, "dedicated" teachers who love teaching would never, ever encourage their children to become teachers. I didn't realize this when I was younger.

I know, I know. This might mean it is time to reconsider my professional trajectory and choices.

At my child's school, the classes range from 8-16 kids per class in HIGH SCHOOL. A few classes had a handful of kids in them. THAT is what the parents pay for. Extremely low teacher to student ratio. And the teachers to teach to them without standardized testing and freedom to bring in their passions and preferred learning style to the classroom. They get to take sabbaticals, get their tuition partially paid for furthering education, have more time to do research, write in teaching journals, and go on FREE national and international trips with students if they prefer.

If you prefer better pay, of course it is better to go to a massive school district. You will then have 30 kids per class and at least 1/3 of them won't give two craps about what you are teaching or even show up to your class. You will also spend countless hours a week grading and planning for the 100+ more kids you teach each week. Not to mention more mindless training/meetings, forcing kids to take standardized testing, being judged on trying to get Spanish speaking only kids to pass your classes, etc...

You are comparing apples to oranges here....

I am not saying ALL teachers do not deserve more. They do. But there is a reason many teachers pick private schools over public. I am a nurse and I could make a lot more money working night shifts with 15 patients at a major DC hospital. But I chose a massive pay cut to be an outpatient infusion nurse. Less stress, better hours, more positive working condition. Not everyone picks the highest paycheck for their career.

I teach in a massive school district, and do not have 30 kids in my class. Nor do I have a lot of experience with kids who don’t give a crap about what I am teaching, and they do show up to my class. I am the PP used to teach a Big Three, so I have experience in both systems. It is true that the bureaucracy could drive you crazy. But it is also true that the private school parents could drive you crazy. And all parents care about their kids’ education. That is true without exception in my 28 years of experience.

In any case, if you have a family, then someone has to have a job to support that family, and that job has to provide good pay and benefits including health insurance and retirement. If your employer won’t provide that, then your spouse’s employers has to. It’s one or the other. Writing in journals and taking “free” international trips as a chaperone won’t do anything for you in retirement.

I have 4 kids. 3 in public. 1 in private

Senior private: highest class this year is 15 kids
8th public: last year her smallest class was 28. Most were 30-31
4th public: 29 kids homeroom/32 kids compacted math
K public: 27 kids, no aide.

Sorry, but just because you have never had 30 doesn’t mean others don’t. It is a terrible system.

Reasonable people can disagree on whether or not it is a "terrible system," but that doesn't speak to the point I made above, i.e., that small class sizes, "free" trips (during which you work as a chaperone), and writing in journals doesn't pay the bills or provide retirement security.

Yeah, and I think it is mainly parents who choose private who like to insinuate that the teachers at their kids' schools, who are terribly underpaid, are somehow better because they choose small class sizes, free travel (by the way, traveling with a group of teenagers is NOT the same as a vacation: I am exhausted after one of those trips, and on the trip, am always on duty and up late), etc, etc. But notice that none of those parents are hoping their own children will become teachers at privates (or anywhere else). They speak about private school teachers in the same tones my grandma used to talk about her sister who became a nun: my grandma thought her sister was practically a saint, but would never, ever have become a nun herself, or wanted her granddaughters to do so.

Actually, apparently elderly nuns are assured of having care and support. Elderly private school teachers don't have that security.

And of course private school parents HAVE to assure themselves of the selfless devotion of the work-for-peanuts private school teachers (because the alternative is that many private school teachers just aren't employable by public, lack experience, and just might not be better in the classroom).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And of course private school parents HAVE to assure themselves of the selfless devotion of the work-for-peanuts private school teachers (because the alternative is that many private school teachers just aren't employable by public, lack experience, and just might not be better in the classroom).

What a stupid comments. Teachers at private schools like Sidwell and Potomac are just as good, if not better, than teachers from Langley or Mclean HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, I can easily look up public school pay scales. I’m interested in actual numbers from private school salaries. Dying of curiosity!!

Does the info on this thread not suffice?

Private schools do not pay as well as, or provide benefits comparable to what public school systems in this area do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is crazy how much these vary
$40k to $85k is a huge range.

I have a PhD and one of the reasons some of my friends teach in private schools is that they don't require teacher certification. The ones,who've gone public have had to do formal certification or second career training peograms.

This is exactly it. Private schools don't require certification. And many of the teachers have degrees in subjects that aren't very employable. Private schools may not pay much, but they pay more than Starbucks!

As a private school teacher, I'm really curious which private schools don't require certification? Catholic schools require certification of every teacher, surely other privates do too? Genuinely curious which schools don't

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is crazy how much these vary
$40k to $85k is a huge range.

I have a PhD and one of the reasons some of my friends teach in private schools is that they don't require teacher certification. The ones,who've gone public have had to do formal certification or second career training peograms.

This is exactly it. Private schools don't require certification. And many of the teachers have degrees in subjects that aren't very employable. Private schools may not pay much, but they pay more than Starbucks!

As a private school teacher, I'm really curious which private schools don't require certification? Catholic schools require certification of every teacher, surely other privates do too? Genuinely curious which schools don't

Sidwell does not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is crazy how much these vary
$40k to $85k is a huge range.

I have a PhD and one of the reasons some of my friends teach in private schools is that they don't require teacher certification. The ones,who've gone public have had to do formal certification or second career training peograms.

This is exactly it. Private schools don't require certification. And many of the teachers have degrees in subjects that aren't very employable. Private schools may not pay much, but they pay more than Starbucks!

As a private school teacher, I'm really curious which private schools don't require certification? Catholic schools require certification of every teacher, surely other privates do too? Genuinely curious which schools don't

Norwood does not.

[Anonymous]

Here’s an ad for a Beauvoir position that does not mention certification:

https://www.aimsmddc.org/networking/apply_now.aspx?view=2&id=515371

I think it’s pretty standard not to require certification.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BFF teaches HS private in the DC area (not at a big 3). She has a Phd in her subject and makes $80k. She gets about 50% tuition assistance for her son.

She laments about benefits but likes the ability to teach in a more collegiate manner than having to teach to specific standards.

$80k with a PhD? I make more than that and didn't go to college. Teachers are underpaid.

For comparison: I make 80k as a near-tenured humanities professor at GW. I wrote a book, have published a ton of articles, have gotten NEH grants, and work about 60 hours a week writing, teaching and doing admin for the department. Clearly am not doing this for the money. And yes, definitely underpaid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here’s an ad for a Beauvoir position that does not mention certification:

https://www.aimsmddc.org/networking/apply_now.aspx?view=2&id=515371

I think it’s pretty standard not to require certification.

I'm the PP that was asking- interesting! I wonder why they don't require certification

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here’s an ad for a Beauvoir position that does not mention certification:

https://www.aimsmddc.org/networking/apply_now.aspx?view=2&id=515371

I think it’s pretty standard not to require certification.

I'm the PP that was asking- interesting! I wonder why they don't require certification

My DD attends a school that doesn't require certification of their teachers. That's not to say their teachers aren't certified, it's just not something that's required to get hired. They don't require it because some of the teachers they want don't have it. My DD's 9th grade Algebra 2/trig teacher was not a certified teacher. He has a PhD in math and is a career changer. He is in the process of earning a teaching credential, and it won't surprise me if he ends up teaching in public for the benefits & pay (he does not have any children who would benefit from the tuition discount teachers at my DD's school get, and that is a major perk that draws/keeps teachers) once he completes his credential. He is an amazing teacher. Every child should have a math teacher like him - knowledgeable, passionate, not afraid to follow the kids questions wherever they led. It was an inspiring year for my DD.

She also, at a YMCA preschool, had a preschool teacher in her 2 year old class who didn't have any early childcare certificate. Her teacher was a 60-something who'd graduated from high school and that was it. The YMCA preschool was in the process of getting some certification or other which required all of their lead teachers to be early childcare certified, and that was a major issue for this teacher. In the end, she ended up being kept on as something other than the lead teacher, which is a shame. She was a wonderful preschool teacher, she'd been doing it since the dawn of time and was one of those people who continues learning and improving on their craft, and our children benefited tremendously from her knowledge and skill. But the quest for certificates and requiring paper over practice left her behind.

A credential can be a good signal that someone is qualified. It is not the only signal, and in smaller environments it can be possible to evaluate individuals for qualifications in a way that is not possible in a much larger system.

[Anonymous]

maybe or original question was answered already but if you are looking for salary scale for private schools you will not find one. Each school's board offers the teachers a contract based on their own school's goals and contracts are year to year.

Private schools are not required to hire teachers with certifications but most hire candidates with degrees in education who would be able to get a state certification.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here’s an ad for a Beauvoir position that does not mention certification:

https://www.aimsmddc.org/networking/apply_now.aspx?view=2&id=515371

I think it’s pretty standard not to require certification.

I'm the PP that was asking- interesting! I wonder why they don't require certification

My DD attends a school that doesn't require certification of their teachers. That's not to say their teachers aren't certified, it's just not something that's required to get hired. They don't require it because some of the teachers they want don't have it. My DD's 9th grade Algebra 2/trig teacher was not a certified teacher. He has a PhD in math and is a career changer. He is in the process of earning a teaching credential, and it won't surprise me if he ends up teaching in public for the benefits & pay (he does not have any children who would benefit from the tuition discount teachers at my DD's school get, and that is a major perk that draws/keeps teachers) once he completes his credential. He is an amazing teacher. Every child should have a math teacher like him - knowledgeable, passionate, not afraid to follow the kids questions wherever they led. It was an inspiring year for my DD.

She also, at a YMCA preschool, had a preschool teacher in her 2 year old class who didn't have any early childcare certificate. Her teacher was a 60-something who'd graduated from high school and that was it. The YMCA preschool was in the process of getting some certification or other which required all of their lead teachers to be early childcare certified, and that was a major issue for this teacher. In the end, she ended up being kept on as something other than the lead teacher, which is a shame. She was a wonderful preschool teacher, she'd been doing it since the dawn of time and was one of those people who continues learning and improving on their craft, and our children benefited tremendously from her knowledge and skill. But the quest for certificates and requiring paper over practice left her behind.

A credential can be a good signal that someone is qualified. It is not the only signal, and in smaller environments it can be possible to evaluate individuals for qualifications in a way that is not possible in a much larger system.

Well of course certification doesn't make someone a good teacher, and lack of certification certainly doesn't make someone a bad teacher. And the high school level is different than primary grades/ elementary. I'm just surprised in 2018 that an elementary school wouldn't require certification of their teachers. Not saying it's a bad thing, I'm just surprised

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here’s an ad for a Beauvoir position that does not mention certification:

https://www.aimsmddc.org/networking/apply_now.aspx?view=2&id=515371

I think it’s pretty standard not to require certification.

I'm the PP that was asking- interesting! I wonder why they don't require certification

My DD attends a school that doesn't require certification of their teachers. That's not to say their teachers aren't certified, it's just not something that's required to get hired. They don't require it because some of the teachers they want don't have it. My DD's 9th grade Algebra 2/trig teacher was not a certified teacher. He has a PhD in math and is a career changer. He is in the process of earning a teaching credential, and it won't surprise me if he ends up teaching in public for the benefits & pay (he does not have any children who would benefit from the tuition discount teachers at my DD's school get, and that is a major perk that draws/keeps teachers) once he completes his credential. He is an amazing teacher. Every child should have a math teacher like him - knowledgeable, passionate, not afraid to follow the kids questions wherever they led. It was an inspiring year for my DD.

She also, at a YMCA preschool, had a preschool teacher in her 2 year old class who didn't have any early childcare certificate. Her teacher was a 60-something who'd graduated from high school and that was it. The YMCA preschool was in the process of getting some certification or other which required all of their lead teachers to be early childcare certified, and that was a major issue for this teacher. In the end, she ended up being kept on as something other than the lead teacher, which is a shame. She was a wonderful preschool teacher, she'd been doing it since the dawn of time and was one of those people who continues learning and improving on their craft, and our children benefited tremendously from her knowledge and skill. But the quest for certificates and requiring paper over practice left her behind.

A credential can be a good signal that someone is qualified. It is not the only signal, and in smaller environments it can be possible to evaluate individuals for qualifications in a way that is not possible in a much larger system.

Well of course certification doesn't make someone a good teacher, and lack of certification certainly doesn't make someone a bad teacher. And the high school level is different than primary grades/ elementary. I'm just surprised in 2018 that an elementary school wouldn't require certification of their teachers. Not saying it's a bad thing, I'm just surprised

This has been going on in private schools for decades with no indication that it will change. The surprise here is that anyone involved with private schools would be surprised.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BFF teaches HS private in the DC area (not at a big 3). She has a Phd in her subject and makes $80k. She gets about 50% tuition assistance for her son.

She laments about benefits but likes the ability to teach in a more collegiate manner than having to teach to specific standards.

$80k with a PhD? I make more than that and didn't go to college. Teachers are underpaid.

For comparison: I make 80k as a near-tenured humanities professor at GW. I wrote a book, have published a ton of articles, have gotten NEH grants, and work about 60 hours a week writing, teaching and doing admin for the department. Clearly am not doing this for the money. And yes, definitely underpaid.

You get your summers off. Working full time in the ‘real world’ would be an adjustment. You know you love it, don’t lie.