If being a teacher is so amazing, become one. |
I'm not sure that's fair. It's an objectively difficult job that isnt for most people (myself included). They need to be paid like the professionals like they are, and barriers to their success- be they from central office, parents, anybody- need to be eliminated. That doesnt mean they should get top 5% salaries in the area either. Moco does pay their teachers well, as compared to pretty much the entire country. |
COL is higher in Moco compared to pretty much the entire country. |
And? I believe that is reflected in their pay. There are probably a handful of districts in the country where classroom teachers can earn a 6 figure salary, in addition to their great health care, definded benefit pensions, and summers off. Will you get wealthy teaching? No. But it is a very good, middle class living. Some of the other gripes- about moco housing being unaffordable- are valid complaints but affect every person in the county. Most of whom are not teachers. |
Again, if it was such a great gig we wouldn’t have any teacher shortages. |
| Teachers have the upper hand here & will get what they’re asking for. They are not replaceable. |
If teachers have it so good, how come so many teachers are leaving? My kid is doing elementary education as a second major (not at Towson, and the first major isn't basketweaving, thankyouverymuch). All the teachers my kid has talked to are saying, Don't do it. |
In Montgomery county, they pretty much always do get what they are asking for. Whether or not the full budget is enacted- the teachers pay scales were already approved yesterday. The county is not going to not pay them. One of the more frustrating parts to me is Elrich's budget grows the entire county government by like 7%, including thousands of new positions despite many current positions still being vacant. And because its "for the schools", Elrich and Madeleno are goign to loophole this in to get it past a unanimous council vote. When the entire county government is growing significantly in this budget. Even worse- even if the full 10% property tax increase is enacted- there is still a structural shortage for NEXT YEAR. It's a huge tax hike, that covers exactly 11 months of new spending. |
I did. I spent 10 years in the private sector, but unlike many of my peers I know how great I have it compared to the alternatives. |
Sure, Jan. It's easy to pretend to be a teacher online. You know who has it good? People who work from home. That's what most teachers are leaving to do. Teachers absolutely do not "have it better." They are essentially trapped in a building all day, with zero freedoms including basic ones such as using the restroom. Give me a break. |
With all due respect- I work in an office 5 days a week. (Yes I am allowed to use the bathroom as much as I'd like, but I think that was some hyperbole on your part). And you got to work from home for a year plus. Certain jobs are never going to be WFH positions due to the nature of the work. If it is a better option for you to work one of those great WFH jobs that all the teachers are leaving to do (?), it seems like you should do that. |
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A big problem is that it takes so long to make decent money in teaching (7 % of salary goes towards the pension). By that time we have lost many talented teachers. And, for hires after 2011, it takes longer to be vested in the pension and longer to earn the pension. For many, it's not worth it anymore to stick around to the end.
The union is working to increase the starting salary and work to getting teachers to make a solid income quicker. Teaching has gotten harder with all the initiatives, pointless and degrading trainings/meetings, admin, behaviors and loss of autonomy. We are losing a lot due to this. And the workload can be crushing but also inequitable - depending on position (I know this because I have had several positions in the county). I'm curious to see how the raise effects retention. I know several friends that are taking childcare leave (out of the blue, their kids are older), some are leaving for new jobs and some are switching to teaching jobs closer to where they live (When I worked in Germantown, I had a coworker that came in from PA and another from W. VA and many were in Frederick). |
And that's where lots of individual choices become a societal issue. I am not a teacher, but I am able to recognize that it will be a real problem for everyone if lots of current teachers decide that not-teaching would be a better option for them. |
It seems like there are lots of beginning teachers, and lots of end-of-career teachers, but maybe not so many mid-career teachers? |
It can also be a very rewarding job. |