Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd wager most DC/MD/VA teachers are clueless about how good they've got it compared to other teachers elsewhere. I've got two masters and several years and am at 50k in IL, and I'm well aware that I'm already in one of the absolute best states for teacher pay in the US.

I'd be interested in comparing cost of living numbers.

Salaries and benefitts in western PA, especially around Pittsburgh, seem to be very good...if you can get a spot.

And in the DMV it is very bad when you compare median household incomes. Virginia is ranked as the 38th worst-paying state for teachers in the country.

Benefits in Northern VA aren't nearly as good.

When comparing state to state, or even district to district within a state, we would have to consider salary, cost of living, active employee benefits, retiree benefits, etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd wager most DC/MD/VA teachers are clueless about how good they've got it compared to other teachers elsewhere. I've got two masters and several years and am at 50k in IL, and I'm well aware that I'm already in one of the absolute best states for teacher pay in the US.

I'd be interested in comparing cost of living numbers.

Salaries and benefitts in western PA, especially around Pittsburgh, seem to be very good...if you can get a spot.

And in the DMV it is very bad when you compare median household incomes. Virginia is ranked as the 38th worst-paying state for teachers in the country.

I'm a PWCS high school teacher on my 3rd year and make about 48k. I knew the pay going into it, it's published and there is no negotiation like at my old job. (Career switcher from a biotech company). The first year is a huge time committment but so is the first year at a lot of places. It gets easier. I feel much less stressed this year and when I do work outside of contract hours, it's totally my choice. No one is making me do it. I do think teachers as a whole are undervalued but this area is actually pretty awesome for teachers. The stress for me doesn't really come from the work load but from parents of students who are apathetic or who refuse to complete work they are capable of doing. Many parents ask what "we" can do to help Larla achieve, without considering that ultimately it is up to Larla. Luckily my administration is very supportive of teachers and this can be addressed in conferences with the student and parents present. I also think having a short summer break would be better than the current set up, but that's not going to change anytime soon for public schools.

Also, as a teacher, my biggest issues aren't related to money--they're related to the systematic deprofessionalization of the career. Teachers in Finland don't get paid much more than we do here, but morale there is much, much higher because they have far more autonomy in the classroom and respect out of it. I'd gladly trade my salary increases besides COL adjustments for the rest of my career if I got to teach exactly the way I wanted to every day of the year--no assessments, no evaluations, no observations, my own schedule...oh, I'd better stop now before the white coats get here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd wager most DC/MD/VA teachers are clueless about how good they've got it compared to other teachers elsewhere. I've got two masters and several years and am at 50k in IL, and I'm well aware that I'm already in one of the absolute best states for teacher pay in the US.

Knowing how bad it is elsewhere doesn't mean how teachers are compensated here is fair. It's just less unfair.

Meh, the word "fair" is relative. It's not fair that a teacher making 50k makes as much as half of the entire families in the country, either. We have a lot of inequality throughout our society, and while I'd love to be paid more as a teacher, I try not to lose sight about how fortunate I already am compared to most. When I forget, my spouse reminds me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, check out the podcast and blog Angela Watson's 40 hr teacher work week. There is a paid club (which I don't do as my job is unique and has different challenges than a classroom teacher) but I've found the pod casts and blogs help me be more intentional with my time. It's not an easy job (I do thankfully love what I do) but this helped me to feel better under control.

I've got ads for this, but wondered was it really worth it. In two decades of teaching, I've found that the 40 hour teachers and the 80 hour teachers weren't the strongest ones. And I was an 80 hour teacher my first year and then the first year teaching any new curriculum. I'm at 60 hours on average now and am considered strong enough to lead a team and mentor new teachers. I'd love to be more efficient with my time and technology helps a lot with that. I spend little time at the copier thanks to Google Classroom, for example. I also use Google Forms quizzes when I can since they self-grade. But I still need to write individualized feedback on essays and projects. Can you give some specific hints that might convince me the subscription is worth it?

This doesn't necessarily mean anything besides the fact that you aren't on an improvement plan and that you volunteered to be a mentor. It's extra work for people who want the ego boost, like most things in life.

Schools and school systems differ so you don't know what the requirements are at a particular school to hold these roles. Maybe they are handed out to the barely competent at your school. Which makes one wonder what positions you're consider qualified to fill?

LOL. I'm just a simple teacher, but I roll my eyes whenever a teacher talks about their team leadership. Maybe I've seen too many aspiring principals come and go.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, check out the podcast and blog Angela Watson's 40 hr teacher work week. There is a paid club (which I don't do as my job is unique and has different challenges than a classroom teacher) but I've found the pod casts and blogs help me be more intentional with my time. It's not an easy job (I do thankfully love what I do) but this helped me to feel better under control.

I've got ads for this, but wondered was it really worth it. In two decades of teaching, I've found that the 40 hour teachers and the 80 hour teachers weren't the strongest ones. And I was an 80 hour teacher my first year and then the first year teaching any new curriculum. I'm at 60 hours on average now and am considered strong enough to lead a team and mentor new teachers. I'd love to be more efficient with my time and technology helps a lot with that. I spend little time at the copier thanks to Google Classroom, for example. I also use Google Forms quizzes when I can since they self-grade. But I still need to write individualized feedback on essays and projects. Can you give some specific hints that might convince me the subscription is worth it?

This doesn't necessarily mean anything besides the fact that you aren't on an improvement plan and that you volunteered to be a mentor. It's extra work for people who want the ego boost, like most things in life.

Schools and school systems differ so you don't know what the requirements are at a particular school to hold these roles. Maybe they are handed out to the barely competent at your school. Which makes one wonder what positions you're consider qualified to fill?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's 3 weeks into the school year and I'm already having a flare of my autoimmune disease due to stress. I don't think I'm cut out for this gig for many more years. Unfortunately I'm only 13 years in. I've cut things out like running after school clubs (stipend was removed years ago) but that only gives me back a few hours a week. I feel guilty because I use up all of my patience during the day and have none left when I get home for my own kids and husband. For me it still wouldn't be worth it even if I was paid more.

Ok, how do schools get teachers to agree to running these after school clubs if they aren't paid?

Not OP, but I was guilted into it for the last two years because "It's for the kids." Teachers generally truly are dedicated to students' academic and emotional well-being.

Anonymous wrote:I'd wager most DC/MD/VA teachers are clueless about how good they've got it compared to other teachers elsewhere. I've got two masters and several years and am at 50k in IL, and I'm well aware that I'm already in one of the absolute best states for teacher pay in the US.

Knowing how bad it is elsewhere doesn't mean how teachers are compensated here is fair. It's just less unfair.

Anonymous wrote:I'd wager most DC/MD/VA teachers are clueless about how good they've got it compared to other teachers elsewhere. I've got two masters and several years and am at 50k in IL, and I'm well aware that I'm already in one of the absolute best states for teacher pay in the US.

I'd be interested in comparing cost of living numbers.

Salaries and benefitts in western PA, especially around Pittsburgh, seem to be very good...if you can get a spot.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:60 hours a week x 38 weeks = 2280 hours per year.

40 hours a week x 52 weeks = 2080 hours per year.

A full time year round employee who works 44 hours a week works the same amount as a teacher. Most professionals I know work this and then some. I get the exhaustion that comes from long days with other people's children, but the amount of complaining is really unwarranted.

Most professionals I know make way more money than teachers do, as in twice or even three times more than the average teacher. OP at 65,000 makes more than most teachers I know. The average among the teachers I know is more like 50-55,000 and most of those have 5+ years experience and advanced degrees as well. You could (possibly) be correct that, over the course of the year, other professionals may put in more hours than teachers do but it is nowhere near 2-3x more hours spent working to make the pay at all comparable. Not a fair comparison. Teachers are woefully underpaid.

Ok, I agree that teaching sucks, but Prince William County starts beginning teachers at $50,000. We win no points by exaggerating things. There's plenty to legitimately complain about.

I'm the pp you are responding to. I don't live in Prince William County and I'm not exaggerating. I taught for 5 years before leaving the field and know a lot of teachers. As I said, average pay for teachers I know, most of whom have masters degrees and at least several years experience, is about 50,000-55,000. This was in Florida.

First of all, you are completely correct. Virtually no teachers outside of the richest districts start at 50k (mine would have started me at 33k if I hadn't come in with two masters degrees).

Second, why'd you leave and which industry did you leave for?

I'd wager most DC/MD/VA teachers are clueless about how good they've got it compared to other teachers elsewhere. I've got two masters and several years and am at 50k in IL, and I'm well aware that I'm already in one of the absolute best states for teacher pay in the US.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:60 hours a week x 38 weeks = 2280 hours per year.

40 hours a week x 52 weeks = 2080 hours per year.

A full time year round employee who works 44 hours a week works the same amount as a teacher. Most professionals I know work this and then some. I get the exhaustion that comes from long days with other people's children, but the amount of complaining is really unwarranted.

Most professionals I know make way more money than teachers do, as in twice or even three times more than the average teacher. OP at 65,000 makes more than most teachers I know. The average among the teachers I know is more like 50-55,000 and most of those have 5+ years experience and advanced degrees as well. You could (possibly) be correct that, over the course of the year, other professionals may put in more hours than teachers do but it is nowhere near 2-3x more hours spent working to make the pay at all comparable. Not a fair comparison. Teachers are woefully underpaid.

Ok, I agree that teaching sucks, but Prince William County starts beginning teachers at $50,000. We win no points by exaggerating things. There's plenty to legitimately complain about.

I'm the pp you are responding to. I don't live in Prince William County and I'm not exaggerating. I taught for 5 years before leaving the field and know a lot of teachers. As I said, average pay for teachers I know, most of whom have masters degrees and at least several years experience, is about 50,000-55,000. This was in Florida.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:60 hours a week x 38 weeks = 2280 hours per year.

40 hours a week x 52 weeks = 2080 hours per year.

A full time year round employee who works 44 hours a week works the same amount as a teacher. Most professionals I know work this and then some. I get the exhaustion that comes from long days with other people's children, but the amount of complaining is really unwarranted.

How many professionals work 52 weeks a year? Most people get some kind of vacation time. And most professionals earn considerably more than teachers.

Teachers need to realize that the average HOUSEHOLD income in the US is $59k. So this whole boo hoo complaining about being underpaid at $65k is completely unfounded. Especially when you throw in 10 weeks vacation. Grow up or change professions.

If teaching is so well paid with so much time off, why aren't you one?

I would rather gouge my eyes out with a fire poker than work around petulant whiny self claimed victims.

Ah, too cowardly to do the work. Got it.

Anonymous wrote:I'm a new teacher (Career Switcher) and they keep piling on meetings and PD to my schedule outside of contract hours without giving me more planning time. How they get away with this is beyond me, but I notice that the ones who pile on all these meetings and PD -- much of it filled with useless fluff, btw -- literally have no family or life outside their careers.

I guess it depends on the school district. My district (Fairfax County) has policies that protect planning time and prevent excessive meetings before and after school.