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Independent school teachers salary survey!
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Anonymous
That's terrible! |
Anonymous
That is best practices and recommended by independent school accrediting bodies. The lavish gifts with a perception that it could influence grades/treatment of children became a huge issue in NYC in particular but DC also. Most schools either have a no gift policy or a max amount (nothing over $25). I think it represents a laudable concern for ethics and as a teacher I support our school's policy. |
Anonymous
Another teacher here: 11:10 is right from my experience. To argue that teachers have the same vacations as other professions/jobs is just not objectively correct. Anybody have a sibling or spouse limited to a strict 2 or 3 weeks of vacation? Our situation is not the same. At my school our meetings end by third week of June and we have one week of meetings the last week of August. We are off the clock for a minimum of eight weeks. We also get about 3 weeks vacation for winter/spring breaks. My colleagues at other schools in the area have similar schedules. (Maybe you are at a school with an atypical schedule?) Lots of teachers work additional jobs in the summer from my school, but we'd never try to say we are 12 month employees. Some of my colleagues also travel or just spend that July/August time with their families. We all work very hard--harder than most people think when you throw in grading and prep and college recs and all other non-classroom time--but it is a very livable lifestyle. |
Anonymous
This is a valid concern, especially with our parent population in the DC area. It places teachers in an awkward position when parents give lavish gifts. Don't forget that some of us work in schools that embrace economic diversity, as well. |
Anonymous
| 10:15 here again. Just something to think about-- whether you are speaking to a parent in person or anonymously on the DCUM forum, you still represent your school and what you write can reflect positively or negatively on you and your colleagues. Why not just answer the original question rather than branch off into a list of complaints about your school, Head, or parents? Remember, you have a choice about where you work. |
Anonymous
Amen. Sidwell parent here. I'm horrified by how low these salaries are . . . and I work in the non-profit sector. As far as tuition remission, I support that as well. It really helps for a teacher to have a parent's perspective on the school. |
Anonymous
| As a member of my school's annual fund committee, I am wondering whether there is a way to tap into some people's desire to have teachers get paid more to get them to contribute more to the school. Most schools won't let you "target" your giving, but are there other options? Another thought -- do any schools that don't allow teacher gifts ever take up a collection for teacher "bonuses"? I think our old school used to do something like that. People could make an anonymous contribution into a fund that was divided evenly between teachers and perhaps administrators. That enabled parents to show their appreciation and avoided any ethical issues or unfairness because one teacher had a really rich kid in the class, or because people always give more to the homeroom teacher than to the art/music teacher, etc. Suggestions? |
Anonymous
The STA parents club funds from their House Tour/Auction holiday bonuses which go to 1/3 of faculty each year on a rotating basis--so any given teacher gets the bonus every 3 years. They also have a mortgage assistance program. Many schools already earmark the auction etc. for financial aid but it's food for thought. |
Anonymous
STA sounds like one of the best places for a teacher to work, gathering from what I've heard on other threads. While NCS sounds like one of the worst! Why this would be I do not know. STA higher salaries than NCS. STA around 100% tuition remission, NCS 0. STA bonuses NCS ? WTF? And I don't even work there. I teach in Bethesda. |
Anonymous
I've heard the same thing! NCS does NOT treat its teachers well, but St. Albans is paradise and values their teachers beyond belief. 100% tuition remission, mortgage assistance program??? If I could find an opening, I'd apply. |
Anonymous
| Landon also offers mortgage assistance. |
Anonymous
| 14 years LS BA and Masters 62,000 |
Anonymous
| 16 years counselor 72,000 |
Anonymous
|
STA gives out two $50,000 grants/yr. for teachers to buy their first homes in the area. The program was initially funded by alumni from the 1980's and the grants are now drawn from a 2 million dollar endowment fund that was a component of the recent capital campaign. The Parent's Club, mainly using money raised from the Annual Christmas House Tour, contributed a significant amount of the money in the endowment.
The grant works like so: teachers can use up to $25,000 of the money as part of a down payment and the remainder of the funds are dispersed over a five year period. Of the twenty-two teachers who have received the grants over the years, 20 are still at the school, and one has retired. One of the most challenging aspects of teaching in this area is the absurdly high cost of housing. Neighborhoods that were full of faculty 20 years ago, like Silver Spring and Arlington are simply out of reach for most young teachers. |
Anonymous
| While STA is definitely a good place for teachers on multiple levels, people should not go overboard and assert that NCS "does not treat teachers well" based on the fact that the financial benefits are not as good as at STA. The simple fact is that STA has more money than NCS. (Not uncommon when comparing all-boys and all-girls school, given the greater earning power for much of the 20th century of men.) Automatic tuition remission, for example, costs a school money in terms of foregone revenue and that money has to come from somewhere. NCS teachers can and do apply for financial aid and faculty kids do attend NCS. NCS has made some good strides in faculty compensation in the last 5 years and they have good faculty retention. |