Independent school teachers salary survey!

[Anonymous]

19 yrs US at well known independent 72,000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This board is depressing. Now we know just how little teaches are valued. Except for counselors. They make some serious dOugh.

Admissions directors make much more than teachers at most independent schools. They usually get the whole summer off too. Once those admissions letters go out, they pretty much take the whole spring off as well.

That isn't true at our school. They are still bringing families through to look at the school. It has slowed down a lot but it's still part of the landscape. That said, the AD position is very important. It is the first impression people have of your school. We have a couple of really good ones and a couple of not so good ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[Anonymous]

To me-- as a parent-- it's just very simple. I'd rather have the grounds look a little scruffier and have the teachers get paid more. Rather have less fancy athletic facilities and see the teachers get paid more. At the end of the day, the teachers are the ones who will make the difference in my child's life, not the glitzy new buildings or fanciest new IT toys.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We all knew ahead of time that teachers earn the least of all professionals. (BTW I think that is where the post w/ doctors analogy was headed, though is was truly a bad analogy) We are not part of the service industry, we are professionals but are paid little for our expertise. However, I wonder how many people that expressed frustration on this thread have actually taken the initiative to self-advocate and talk to their HOS or Division Director about higher pay.
Both my HOS and DivD are supportive. Any leadership opportunity or curriculum work has been funded. If you don't ask, demonstrate, and prove that you are a positive and essential member of your school community, you won't be heard. Rather than express anger with your HOS, try engaging in a dialogue. Most HOS are so busy they don't even have the opportunity to see what great teaching is going on in your classroom. And don't be selfish and advocate just for yourself. The best teacher and the most deserving I have ever seen of a pay raise is my teaching partner who would never dare ask for one. It's up to those of us that are comfortable in taking a position of advocacy and speaking to our DivD and HOS about opportunities for

I and others at my school have tried to self advocate for better pay. Our HOS always blames it on the Board saying that his hands are tied. The Board decides these things and prioritizes the expenses. It would be very interesting to get a peek at what goes on at the Board Meetings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A few misconceptions to clear up...

1. Summers off hardly exist. School year is longer and longer and teachers must do extensive professional development over the summers. At the end of the day, the teaching profession's vacations look exactly like other professions.
2. The love of the children argument is precisely what holds teachers down. Let's see, you love your job, are a dedicated professional, and are excellent at what you do, so you should get paid less? It's ridiculous.
3. Gender discrimination is a large part of the teacher salary issue.

Gender discrimination is the only basis for the salary issue. We aren't considered breadwinners.

Here are some more explanations: (1) advanced degree not required; (2) supply and demand -- lots more college grads trying to teach -- it's not like trying to train up a doctor; (3) no teachers' unions to push up salaries; and (4) schools are not for profit institution and don't have a lot of money to throw around (compare with lawyers billing by the hour).

And lastly, a historical note: For the most famous and prestigious independent schools (e.g. the big boarding schools like Andover, Exeter, St. Paul's etc) traditionally there was the view that independent school teachers were most likely financially self-sufficient and didn't need to live off their (very low) salaries. You will still find some trust fund babies dotting the ranks of boarding school faculty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We all knew ahead of time that teachers earn the least of all professionals. (BTW I think that is where the post w/ doctors analogy was headed, though is was truly a bad analogy) We are not part of the service industry, we are professionals but are paid little for our expertise. However, I wonder how many people that expressed frustration on this thread have actually taken the initiative to self-advocate and talk to their HOS or Division Director about higher pay.
Both my HOS and DivD are supportive. Any leadership opportunity or curriculum work has been funded. If you don't ask, demonstrate, and prove that you are a positive and essential member of your school community, you won't be heard. Rather than express anger with your HOS, try engaging in a dialogue. Most HOS are so busy they don't even have the opportunity to see what great teaching is going on in your classroom. And don't be selfish and advocate just for yourself. The best teacher and the most deserving I have ever seen of a pay raise is my teaching partner who would never dare ask for one. It's up to those of us that are comfortable in taking a position of advocacy and speaking to our DivD and HOS about opportunities for

I and others at my school have tried to self advocate for better pay. Our HOS always blames it on the Board saying that his hands are tied. The Board decides these things and prioritizes the expenses. It would be very interesting to get a peek at what goes on at the Board Meetings.

At our school we have faculty seats on the board. We get to vote on them -- not appointed by admin or Board. They report back to the rest of us and are generally report being impressed by how hard the Board works to balance competing interests -- e.g. faculty compensation vs. financial aid vs. trying to keep tuition increases down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We all knew ahead of time that teachers earn the least of all professionals. (BTW I think that is where the post w/ doctors analogy was headed, though is was truly a bad analogy) We are not part of the service industry, we are professionals but are paid little for our expertise. However, I wonder how many people that expressed frustration on this thread have actually taken the initiative to self-advocate and talk to their HOS or Division Director about higher pay.
Both my HOS and DivD are supportive. Any leadership opportunity or curriculum work has been funded. If you don't ask, demonstrate, and prove that you are a positive and essential member of your school community, you won't be heard. Rather than express anger with your HOS, try engaging in a dialogue. Most HOS are so busy they don't even have the opportunity to see what great teaching is going on in your classroom. And don't be selfish and advocate just for yourself. The best teacher and the most deserving I have ever seen of a pay raise is my teaching partner who would never dare ask for one. It's up to those of us that are comfortable in taking a position of advocacy and speaking to our DivD and HOS about opportunities for

I and others at my school have tried to self advocate for better pay. Our HOS always blames it on the Board saying that his hands are tied. The Board decides these things and prioritizes the expenses. It would be very interesting to get a peek at what goes on at the Board Meetings.

At our school we have faculty seats on the board. We get to vote on them -- not appointed by admin or Board. They report back to the rest of us and are generally report being impressed by how hard the Board works to balance competing interests -- e.g. faculty compensation vs. financial aid vs. trying to keep tuition increases down.

This is interesting! Do you mind identifying your school?

[Anonymous]

It is one of the commonly listed "big 3" schools in DC.

[Anonymous]

11 years, M.Ed, middle school, 67K

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To me-- as a parent-- it's just very simple. I'd rather have the grounds look a little scruffier and have the teachers get paid more. Rather have less fancy athletic facilities and see the teachers get paid more. At the end of the day, the teachers are the ones who will make the difference in my child's life, not the glitzy new buildings or fanciest new IT toys.

That's great but have you made that opinion known ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We all knew ahead of time that teachers earn the least of all professionals. (BTW I think that is where the post w/ doctors analogy was headed, though is was truly a bad analogy) We are not part of the service industry, we are professionals but are paid little for our expertise. However, I wonder how many people that expressed frustration on this thread have actually taken the initiative to self-advocate and talk to their HOS or Division Director about higher pay.
Both my HOS and DivD are supportive. Any leadership opportunity or curriculum work has been funded. If you don't ask, demonstrate, and prove that you are a positive and essential member of your school community, you won't be heard. Rather than express anger with your HOS, try engaging in a dialogue. Most HOS are so busy they don't even have the opportunity to see what great teaching is going on in your classroom. And don't be selfish and advocate just for yourself. The best teacher and the most deserving I have ever seen of a pay raise is my teaching partner who would never dare ask for one. It's up to those of us that are comfortable in taking a position of advocacy and speaking to our DivD and HOS about opportunities for

I and others at my school have tried to self advocate for better pay. Our HOS always blames it on the Board saying that his hands are tied. The Board decides these things and prioritizes the expenses. It would be very interesting to get a peek at what goes on at the Board Meetings.

Ours too but they don't report back to us.
At our school we have faculty seats on the board. We get to vote on them -- not appointed by admin or Board. They report back to the rest of us and are generally report being impressed by how hard the Board works to balance competing interests -- e.g. faculty compensation vs. financial aid vs. trying to keep tuition increases down.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, number 1 is not accurate. Every independent school in this area is out by mid-June and most generally start (still) after Labor Day.


To poster 11:10 who is clearly full of crap and certainly not a teacher, I say this to you...at least learn a bit about the requirements of the job before making blanket assumptions. Clearly, you have no clue what teachers do and make.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To me-- as a parent-- it's just very simple. I'd rather have the grounds look a little scruffier and have the teachers get paid more. Rather have less fancy athletic facilities and see the teachers get paid more. At the end of the day, the teachers are the ones who will make the difference in my child's life, not the glitzy new buildings or fanciest new IT toys.

Our board and HOS doesn't even let the teachers receive holiday gifts!!! It is such BS. Teachers use any gift cards to buy holiday gifts for their own families because we can't afford gifts otherwise! For many of us that end of year gift card allows s to actually buy ourselves something for a change. Sounds selfish? Probably. Its just rude for him to make that decision for us like we are children.

[Anonymous]

Our board and HOS doesn't even let the teachers receive holiday gifts!!!


TRUE TRUE TRUE