Are Teachers Really Underpaid?
There's an ongoing debate in the US about the pay of public school teachers. It is often claimed that they are inadequately compensated; the Teachers' Union and others have claimed that higher pay will increase educational results. However, there is substantial evidence that pay has no effect on student performance.
A common reason many of my peers dismiss teaching is because of the salary. That teachers are undercompensated is such a common refrain that it is rarely questioned (perhaps because of publicity by the national teacher unions?). If one looks more closely at the numbers, teaching is actually a financially attractive profession.
One factor people often leave-out of this debate is the fact public school teachers work substantially less than other professions (about 9 months out of the year, as opposed to 11.5). The average income of a teacher in the US is $46,752 (excluding benefits). If these this mythical teachers worked all year, rather than take their standard 3 months vacation, their pro rata income would be $62,336 (plus benefits).
Benefits differ by state, but there are some commonalities. Pension plans tend to be generous: for example, in Missouri, a teacher who worked from age 22-55 could retire with 84% of her annual salary, adjusted for inflation; at age 55, the ex-teacher could even take a new job and still receive the pension. As one might expect, teachers, on average, retire four years younger than the average retiree collecting Social Security. Incredibly, health insurance coverage for public school teachers is over 99% nationally.
When compared to other similarly educated professional using these metrics, teaching is actually a very attractive profession.
If the government really wants to increase the caliber of new teachers, rather than emphasize the miserly pay, it should publicize the fact that it is a wonderful financial and personal opportunity for college graduates.
Posted by Peter
A common reason many of my peers dismiss teaching is because of the salary. That teachers are undercompensated is such a common refrain that it is rarely questioned (perhaps because of publicity by the national teacher unions?). If one looks more closely at the numbers, teaching is actually a financially attractive profession.
One factor people often leave-out of this debate is the fact public school teachers work substantially less than other professions (about 9 months out of the year, as opposed to 11.5). The average income of a teacher in the US is $46,752 (excluding benefits). If these this mythical teachers worked all year, rather than take their standard 3 months vacation, their pro rata income would be $62,336 (plus benefits).
Benefits differ by state, but there are some commonalities. Pension plans tend to be generous: for example, in Missouri, a teacher who worked from age 22-55 could retire with 84% of her annual salary, adjusted for inflation; at age 55, the ex-teacher could even take a new job and still receive the pension. As one might expect, teachers, on average, retire four years younger than the average retiree collecting Social Security. Incredibly, health insurance coverage for public school teachers is over 99% nationally.
When compared to other similarly educated professional using these metrics, teaching is actually a very attractive profession.
If the government really wants to increase the caliber of new teachers, rather than emphasize the miserly pay, it should publicize the fact that it is a wonderful financial and personal opportunity for college graduates.
Posted by Peter
posted by PWN at 12:24 PM
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