Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I have a PhD and was offered a position with DCPS a year ago and the salary was 65k.

😱 This is tragic. WTF is wrong with this country.

My DS just finished his freshman year of college and is majoring in math and secondary education. He went to a private high school and really wants to be a high school math teacher at his alma mater. However, he is realistic that there won't be openings every year for a math teacher so he'd most likely have to work in the public schools. I love that he has the passion to teach. But he has very expensive tastes. I hate squashing his dream but he also has to be realistic about how much money he'll earn as a teacher. On the plus side, as long as he doesn't do something stupid, he'll probably never have to worry about unemployment and he could easily move to another area of the country and find a job. There is a huge demand for math teachers. It is so awful that we pay teachers such low salaries.

He needs to face reality unless you plan to supplement his income. Expensive tastes and being a teacher are a bad combination.
It is smart that he is double majoring though. He could always teach for a few years and then switch to something else. Most people don’t realize that teaching is a very hard job. It is very draining and the the hours are completely rigid and inflexible.

The job is no harder than any other job and you get every holiday and all summer off. The flexibility is similar to any other job that expects you to actually. do. your. job. Try working your ass off for 20+ years in a 60hr. a week pressure cooker big law firm. Teaching is not a hard job.

Ok, soldier. You are super human amazing. Also, you are rich. And an a$$. Bet you wouldn’t last a week in nursing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I have a PhD and was offered a position with DCPS a year ago and the salary was 65k.

😱 This is tragic. WTF is wrong with this country.

My DS just finished his freshman year of college and is majoring in math and secondary education. He went to a private high school and really wants to be a high school math teacher at his alma mater. However, he is realistic that there won't be openings every year for a math teacher so he'd most likely have to work in the public schools. I love that he has the passion to teach. But he has very expensive tastes. I hate squashing his dream but he also has to be realistic about how much money he'll earn as a teacher. On the plus side, as long as he doesn't do something stupid, he'll probably never have to worry about unemployment and he could easily move to another area of the country and find a job. There is a huge demand for math teachers. It is so awful that we pay teachers such low salaries.

He needs to face reality unless you plan to supplement his income. Expensive tastes and being a teacher are a bad combination.
It is smart that he is double majoring though. He could always teach for a few years and then switch to something else. Most people don’t realize that teaching is a very hard job. It is very draining and the the hours are completely rigid and inflexible.

The job is no harder than any other job and you get every holiday and all summer off. The flexibility is similar to any other job that expects you to actually. do. your. job. Try working your ass off for 20+ years in a 60hr. a week pressure cooker big law firm. Teaching is not a hard job.

Your misconception of teaching is one of the reasons salaries stay low. People think it’s easy! You say 20 years at 60 hours / week? I have you beat. I teach advanced high school courses. 60 hour weeks are the norm. Even when I’m not paid over the summer, I’m still working 15-20 hours / week to prep for next year. And no harder than other jobs? I am directly responsible for the success of 120+ students each year and I am given about 30 minutes a day of uninterrupted time to prepare and grade. Also, there is NO flexibility in teaching. Not feeling up to presenting for 4.5 hours a day? Tough. Not up for late nights recording and tracking data on all of those students, and then sending out as many notices as necessary to parents? Tough. Not up to getting to your laptop at 3pm to respond to the 30+ emails that collected as you presented, each one requiring a crafted response? Tough. As a teacher, you have to juggle a myriad of challenges each day with no break and very little support. It’s emotionally and physically exhausting. (Oh… and make sure you train your bladder. There may be a 4 minute chance to run to the bathroom between periods, but be prepared for another desperate teacher to beat you there.)

I work at a NOVA independent school. According to the school our average faculty pay is “at or above that of our peer schools” (not sure I believe that). I make just under 70k a year with 10 years teaching experience and a masters.

One thing of note — until recently our salaries (upon hiring and also for raises each year) were determined by a pay scale that was public to all employees. However: recently found out about multiple colleagues (all male, which I think it important to note) who were able to negotiate raises either when hired or at some point during their tenure to the tune of 10-15k+. If you decide to go the independent route make sure you VOUCH FOR YOURSELF and KNOW YOUR WORTH!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I have a PhD and was offered a position with DCPS a year ago and the salary was 65k.

😱 This is tragic. WTF is wrong with this country.

My DS just finished his freshman year of college and is majoring in math and secondary education. He went to a private high school and really wants to be a high school math teacher at his alma mater. However, he is realistic that there won't be openings every year for a math teacher so he'd most likely have to work in the public schools. I love that he has the passion to teach. But he has very expensive tastes. I hate squashing his dream but he also has to be realistic about how much money he'll earn as a teacher. On the plus side, as long as he doesn't do something stupid, he'll probably never have to worry about unemployment and he could easily move to another area of the country and find a job. There is a huge demand for math teachers. It is so awful that we pay teachers such low salaries.

He needs to face reality unless you plan to supplement his income. Expensive tastes and being a teacher are a bad combination.
It is smart that he is double majoring though. He could always teach for a few years and then switch to something else. Most people don’t realize that teaching is a very hard job. It is very draining and the the hours are completely rigid and inflexible.

The job is no harder than any other job and you get every holiday and all summer off. The flexibility is similar to any other job that expects you to actually. do. your. job. Try working your ass off for 20+ years in a 60hr. a week pressure cooker big law firm. Teaching is not a hard job.

That's the view if you don't have to do everything teachers have to do. How many jobs make you the sole host and director of 25-30 hours of meetings every week? How many office workers have to prepare that much original content EVERY WEEK? How often does a lawyer have to figure out or even care if his colleagues know what he is talking about and alter his presentations for those who don't get it yet? How many office workers have to deal with their coworkers' parents complaining about their kids' experience with your firm? Do you have to notice or care if someone in your staff is bullying someone else? How about drugs in the workplace?

That just scratches the surface of what teachers face.

And one more, if your coworkers fail at your workplace, it's YOUR FAULT.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I have a PhD and was offered a position with DCPS a year ago and the salary was 65k.

😱 This is tragic. WTF is wrong with this country.

My DS just finished his freshman year of college and is majoring in math and secondary education. He went to a private high school and really wants to be a high school math teacher at his alma mater. However, he is realistic that there won't be openings every year for a math teacher so he'd most likely have to work in the public schools. I love that he has the passion to teach. But he has very expensive tastes. I hate squashing his dream but he also has to be realistic about how much money he'll earn as a teacher. On the plus side, as long as he doesn't do something stupid, he'll probably never have to worry about unemployment and he could easily move to another area of the country and find a job. There is a huge demand for math teachers. It is so awful that we pay teachers such low salaries.

He needs to face reality unless you plan to supplement his income. Expensive tastes and being a teacher are a bad combination.
It is smart that he is double majoring though. He could always teach for a few years and then switch to something else. Most people don’t realize that teaching is a very hard job. It is very draining and the the hours are completely rigid and inflexible.

The job is no harder than any other job and you get every holiday and all summer off. The flexibility is similar to any other job that expects you to actually. do. your. job. Try working your ass off for 20+ years in a 60hr. a week pressure cooker big law firm. Teaching is not a hard job.

That's the view if you don't have to do everything teachers have to do. How many jobs make you the sole host and director of 25-30 hours of meetings every week? How many office workers have to prepare that much original content EVERY WEEK? How often does a lawyer have to figure out or even care if his colleagues know what he is talking about and alter his presentations for those who don't get it yet? How many office workers have to deal with their coworkers' parents complaining about their kids' experience with your firm? Do you have to notice or care if someone in your staff is bullying someone else? How about drugs in the workplace?

That just scratches the surface of what teachers face.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I have a PhD and was offered a position with DCPS a year ago and the salary was 65k.

😱 This is tragic. WTF is wrong with this country.

My DS just finished his freshman year of college and is majoring in math and secondary education. He went to a private high school and really wants to be a high school math teacher at his alma mater. However, he is realistic that there won't be openings every year for a math teacher so he'd most likely have to work in the public schools. I love that he has the passion to teach. But he has very expensive tastes. I hate squashing his dream but he also has to be realistic about how much money he'll earn as a teacher. On the plus side, as long as he doesn't do something stupid, he'll probably never have to worry about unemployment and he could easily move to another area of the country and find a job. There is a huge demand for math teachers. It is so awful that we pay teachers such low salaries.

He needs to face reality unless you plan to supplement his income. Expensive tastes and being a teacher are a bad combination.
It is smart that he is double majoring though. He could always teach for a few years and then switch to something else. Most people don’t realize that teaching is a very hard job. It is very draining and the the hours are completely rigid and inflexible.

The job is no harder than any other job and you get every holiday and all summer off. The flexibility is similar to any other job that expects you to actually. do. your. job. Try working your ass off for 20+ years in a 60hr. a week pressure cooker big law firm. Teaching is not a hard job.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:...and yet somehow my kid's teacher last year (big three) sends their 3 kids k-12 with no problem when the spouse is also a teacher (at a different school).
They make it work. Maybe the salary isn't such a hardship. It's pretty good for 9 months of work.

I think St Albans covers cost of tuition. NCS doesn't. Not sure about Sidwell.

Sidwell does not. Teachers have to apply for FA just as anyone else does.

Anonymous wrote:...and yet somehow my kid's teacher last year (big three) sends their 3 kids k-12 with no problem when the spouse is also a teacher (at a different school).
They make it work. Maybe the salary isn't such a hardship. It's pretty good for 9 months of work.

They send their three kids to the independent school?

Family money.

Anonymous wrote:Private school teachers often come from money - there's family money there somewhere. Some. Enough that may make a difference. In the DMV or similar, at elite private schools

Many private school teachers went to private school themselves

Private school teachers often come from money - there's family money there somewhere. Some. Enough that may make a difference. In the DMV or similar, at elite private schools

Anonymous wrote:...and yet somehow my kid's teacher last year (big three) sends their 3 kids k-12 with no problem when the spouse is also a teacher (at a different school).
They make it work. Maybe the salary isn't such a hardship. It's pretty good for 9 months of work.

I think St Albans covers cost of tuition. NCS doesn't. Not sure about Sidwell.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:10+ years in DC area privates. Not a teacher, think a student support role, have a masters in my field and a total of 14 years experience in my field. My salary is low 80’s. In DCPS I’d be over 100k

I’m curious why you don’t jump to DCPS?

Some day I might. I’m licensed and keep it current. I tried several years ago and the offers I got were schools with much longer commutes and/or working with a grade level I don’t prefer. Also, switching schools is hard… emotionally and logistically. In private schools you are set up to resign before you can have another job lined up (in a private or public). That is a tough move to make.

I’m curious when you have to resign in private school if you are not coming back the next year?
In MCPS, you have until July to resign I think.

I've been in a few private schools. They have varied a little, but it's some degree of "I intend to come back" around spring break time. Some schools are more official/binding than others but the vibe is that it's VERY poor form to say you intend to come back and then find another job. People of course do it and there is some risk involved

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:10+ years in DC area privates. Not a teacher, think a student support role, have a masters in my field and a total of 14 years experience in my field. My salary is low 80’s. In DCPS I’d be over 100k

I’m curious why you don’t jump to DCPS?

Some day I might. I’m licensed and keep it current. I tried several years ago and the offers I got were schools with much longer commutes and/or working with a grade level I don’t prefer. Also, switching schools is hard… emotionally and logistically. In private schools you are set up to resign before you can have another job lined up (in a private or public). That is a tough move to make.

I’m curious when you have to resign in private school if you are not coming back the next year?
In MCPS, you have until July to resign I think.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I have a PhD and was offered a position with DCPS a year ago and the salary was 65k.

😱 This is tragic. WTF is wrong with this country.

My DS just finished his freshman year of college and is majoring in math and secondary education. He went to a private high school and really wants to be a high school math teacher at his alma mater. However, he is realistic that there won't be openings every year for a math teacher so he'd most likely have to work in the public schools. I love that he has the passion to teach. But he has very expensive tastes. I hate squashing his dream but he also has to be realistic about how much money he'll earn as a teacher. On the plus side, as long as he doesn't do something stupid, he'll probably never have to worry about unemployment and he could easily move to another area of the country and find a job. There is a huge demand for math teachers. It is so awful that we pay teachers such low salaries.

He needs to face reality unless you plan to supplement his income. Expensive tastes and being a teacher are a bad combination.
It is smart that he is double majoring though. He could always teach for a few years and then switch to something else. Most people don’t realize that teaching is a very hard job. It is very draining and the the hours are completely rigid and inflexible.

Not sure about DCPS, but all of the MD and VA public school districts in the DMV will cap your pay upon entering the system. So my Masters plus 20 years experience and a current teaching certificate will only get me at step 8 in MCPS which is just $72k. I’m making the switch anyway because I want better health insurance and the protection of a union.