1) So many people think public school teachers have the best deal going, and they've thought this for years. However, what is the reason that most people give for not wanting to go into education? "Teachers don't make enough money." Funny how these people change their tune when it's convenient for them, and when it fits the prevailing political winds.
2) Enough of misguided people comparing the "average" teacher salaries to the "average" private employee salaries! All teachers must have a bachelor's or equivalent; but most have an master's and/or additional college courses. All need 20 professional development hours every year. The private sector encompasses all non-public jobs, from bank CEO's to people with GEDs or less. When people want to compare average salaries, let's make sure the number of years worked in the position and the level of education are equal before the comparison is made.
3) When I entered college, unlike the public's opinion of teacher candidates, I could have gone into any field of my choice. I did not choose teaching because it was easy. I wanted a career where I could: a) Make a difference in kids’ lives, thus effecting positive change in the future; and b) Have stability and good benefits. Many of my friends chose careers where they could make a lot of money right off the bat. We both knew what we were getting into. I knew I'd never live in a mansion, drive sports cars, or go on fancy vacations. They knew that they might make a ton of money, but their job market might be more volatile and they'd have to pay into their benefits. I don't begrudge them for having bigger houses/cars/bank accounts than I do. Don't begrudge me for having good benefits and a pension - that's what I accepted in exchange for smaller yearly wages.
4) I have 14 years into teaching in the same district, a master's and 45 credits, plus numerous accolades and awards. That being said, I averaged my salary over the past 14 years, and it came to about $47,000. The “private sector” people who have the same years of experience, degrees, and commendations have averaged at nearly double that amount or more. Teachers may make a good salary after 25 years in the same district, but we live paycheck-to-paycheck up until that point. And before someone says, “You only work 180 days!” … take a comparable employee and compare days off, vacation, holidays, etc. On average, teachers work approximately 87% of the days their “private” counterparts, while making 65% of their “private” counterparts’ pay.
5) Why pensions? Even when living modestly, most teachers cannot even begin to save for retirement until they're almost ready to retire. A comparable private sector employee who lived as modestly as a teacher would be able to sock away thousands of dollars over the course of a career. Many can do this anyway, even if they aren't living modestly. We educate all other professions, and live meagerly to do so. A pension is the only way teachers can even hope to survive after retirement. We have no stock options, bonuses, severance packages, or golden parachutes. And don't forget, we pay our own money into the pension fund as well! New Jersey officials didn’t mind taking the hard-earned money that we paid into the fund while not putting a dime back, did they?
6) Property taxes? I pay them too, just like you. Do I wish they were lower? Sure. Do I want to sacrifice my children's education and the entire educational system to do it? No way! There's a reason New Jersey is ranked at the top of the country for educational success. Cutting educational funds will not lower property taxes. Alternatively, it will lower property values. Think about it. What is a major factor in determining property value? The quality of the school system surrounding the home. Hurt the schools, hurt the home values.
7) Tenure: This is needed to ensure the integrity of the education system. I can't tell you how many times I've been "asked" to change a grade for a student by an influential parent. I've never caved, since these threats have come when I had tenure. Without it, our education system will be up for sale, for fear of teachers losing their jobs because they gave an influential parent’s kid a well-deserved "D". Little Johnny, whose parents don’t have political clout, is working his tail off to get a “B”, while Little Tommy gets an “A” just for having a politically-connected mom or dad. How fair would that be? You want to blame someone for tenure protecting bad teachers? Talk to the people who are supposed to be evaluating the teachers! If a teacher is truly slacking, an administrator has the tools to get rid of the teacher.
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The pensions aren't "generous" unless teachers work 25 or 30 years, an increasingly difficult milestone given the number of incompetent or malicious principals who mark older or senior teachers for termination. And if they work in a state not paying into Social Security for its teachers, then midlife teachers are screwed over double, thanks to the so-called windfall elimination provision, unless they have paid into Social Security for 30 goddamned years.
And, as anybody who has read this blog knows, "tenure" doesn't protect teachers as much as it protects school districts from even more lawsuits from teachers, which is actually pretty rare considering the limited resources most teachers have and the fact unions don't do one thing to help them beyond the sham "due process" hearings. However, there would be even more workplace harassment by principals and higher administrators if "tenure" didn't exist.
Teaching is NOT an easy career; it is damned difficult, and it's getting harder all the time. The reasons the job pays crappy are two-fold: the fact taxpayers are reluctant to have their taxes increased to pay higher salaries and the fact teaching has been thought of as a traditional "woman's" job and doesn't deserve a family wage.
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