Reply to Unpopular opinion: DCPS teachers are super well paid!

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I just read this in David Graeber's "Bullshit Jobs" that may explain some of the vibes here.

he's talking in this section about how capitalism has created this "principle of inverse relation of compensation and social benefit" --- basically, the larger the social benefit and contribution of your job, the less money you are allowed to demand. Very twisted, IMO.

"teachers perform a vitally necessary function, yet have the temerity to demand middle-class lifestyles. They are the objects of a special ire, I suspect, by those trapped in soul-desroying low- and middle-level bullshit jobs."[/quote]

Is this surprising, given that many of those soul-destroying jobs are lower paid than teaching, and also do not come with two months off during the summer and other breaks throughout the year?  And then to hear teachers making $130k say that's not enough and act like they're working harder than anyone else?[/quote]

I don’t know a single teacher making anywhere remotely near $130K (or even over $100K). Can we stop using the extreme top of a pay scale that most people NEVER see as an “average” salary? It’s disingenuous.[/quote]

There's literally a poster on this thread who said they make $130k in DCPS, and the subject of the post is "DCPS teachers are well paid," so it seems reasonable to mention.  Obviously they're not all making that much.  But some are.[/quote]

So, one poster here. Okay. If you’ve read the thread, it has been well established —over and over again — how rare this salary is, even in DCPS (the highest paid region).

I suppose I should judge every profession by its highest paid representative? So every lawyer makes 7 figures? Every one!
[/quote]

Exactly. A first year DCPS teacher makes $57k or $61 if they have a masters. Not exactly living on champagne and caviar in DC on that salary. You'd be lucky to afford an apartment without roommates. [/quote]

Once again, this is not unique.  I'm a fed and our agency hires new grads with masters at GS-7 or GS-9, so in the same range.  OH, and only 3 weeks vacation total for each of the first three years (no summer, winter, and spring break)![/quote]

A first year teacher makes $63,373 or $67,598 with a masters under the new (now expired) contract. It is not living on champagne and caviar. It's a decent start compared to some other professions but it's also below many others. Even if one considers the salary appropriate, it may not be enough to compete with other starting jobs that allow you to work remote or hybrid, not constantly be on stage and not have to address the demands and needs of numerous stakeholders every minute of every day. [/quote]

[b]So it might not be enough to attract candidates who don't actually want to be teachers? Okay.[/b]

I'm a librarian and those salaries would be extremely competitive in my field for someone entry level (and librarian positions increasingly require a master's even to be considered). Librarians are not as "on stage" as teachers are, even in public facing reference positions or children's library roles. There are rote and hybrid library jobs, especially in the private sector or roles where all or most materials are online. There are lots of stakeholders in a library job, though they are probably not as demanding as those teachers deal with.

Library jobs in DC average much higher pay than in other parts of the country because of some idiosyncrasies of the market (Library of Congress, various federal agency libraries, plus a lot of private libraries at law firms and associations) but it would still be hard to find entry level positions here paying as well as DCPS teachers can make right out if school.

Just some perspective. Maybe some of the disgruntled teachers should switch to library work. Though you'll probably need to get an MLS.[/quote]

Yes, exactly. Also, most of the librarians I know really, really love books and wanted to be librarians. There are many who entered teaching where it wasn't their first choice. Some discovered they loved it over time. The starting salary in the absence of other opportunities got them in the door.

Also, this thread is odd. Debating whether teachers are "super well paid" is not the same as saying teacher starting pay is ok or fair.  I don't think teachers are super well paid but the starting pay seems reasonable. [/quote]

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