Do you think America supports its teachers?

Question

I was reading an article about the Democratic debate that happened a few days ago, and apparently they all agreed teachers should be paid more (I didn't personally watch it). I scrolled through the comments and found this comment with the following response:

Do you think America supports its teachers?

The responder also stated in a later comment that every they listed had a Bachelor's degree in reference to them needing to get their Master's.

I was always under the impression that teachers got paid enough and whined and complained about nothing. Then I found the following SS that's been circulating in my area for the past couple of days. It's a message a teacher sent out to the parents of her students this school year concerning homework:

What do you think? Does America as a country and society do enough to support teachers and education? My husband thinks teachers get paid plenty and are respected enough for what they do and only the ones who care about the check leave. His family agrees with him, and they think that if they for more money then they do not care about the kids who need them. I kind of agree to an extent, but I don't think it's so cut and dry. Caring for kids doesn't pay your bills so I understand they should make enough to support themselves especially if they're also responsible for buying their own supplies.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

The issue of teachers' salaries is a self-correcting "problem". If teachers were underpaid, there would be a shortage of teachers and the very same market forces that ultimately dictate salaries in other fields would automatically force teachers' salaries to adjust upward. But that has not happened and there are very good reasons for that. Teaching is a very attractive profession to a lot of people because it is relatively unskilled, relatively easy, very rewarding in some important ways that are especially attractive to women (sorry ladies, but let's dispense with the political correctness be honest for the purposes of this discussion), has great benefits and allows teachers to take their summers off. That is why so many people, and especially women, choose it as a profession.

I have heard people make the argument that teachers' salaries is an issue of sexism, and that if there were more men in teaching the salaries would be higher. That argument is false and completely backward. The fact is there are fewer men in teaching because the salaries are low. It's not that men don't enjoy teaching, but rather that they choose higher paying fields, as is evidenced by the fact that more than 3/4 of college professors are male.

So, why do men go after higher paying jobs than women? Because they have to. Unlike women, men know they are valued by society in general, and women in particular, based on their earnings and status. Women, on the other hand, have the "luxury" of choosing lower paying but more satisfying and rewarding fields... such as teaching.

With few exceptions (namely fields that require physical strength) today women can choose virtually whatever fields they want and can be successful in them, just like men. But they flock to certain fields that are particularly rewarding to them in non-monetary ways, like teaching. Why? Because they can. Simply put, women have more freedom in choosing a profession than men do because women know their value is not judged based on their earnings to nearly the extent than men's value is. Most women plan to get married and, whether they admit it of not (to themselves or anyone else), they know the primary breadwinner in the family will be their husbands.

So again, low teachers' salaries is a self-correcting "problem". I put problem in quotes because it's not really a problem at all, because just like men, women can choose whatever career they want, and if they decide to prioritize earnings the same way men do, they can choose to earn just as much as men do by choosing a profession that pays a higher salary. But in the case of teaching, they choose to prioritize other factors ahead of earnings. And that is fine, but they need to be honest about it and go into that decision without blinders on.

I love to fish, and I have worked as a fishing guide in the past. I enjoyed it because it fulfilled so many of my needs as a human being and as a man. It was very rewarding on multiple levels. But sadly I had to leave guiding and get a higher paying job because being a fishing guide doesn't pay enough. As a man, the money I earned as a guide would never support a family and would never attract the kind of woman I want as a wife and the mother of my children. Such is the choice aspiring teachers need to make as well.

So, to answer your original question, yes America does indeed support its teachers, and it pays them exactly what they are worth. That's how the market works, for teachers, fishing guides and every other profession.

NearlyNapping · Accepted Answer

At one time teachers were very low paid. I remember in the early 70s when I was picking a college major. The major I picked was the second lowest paying profession. Teaching was the only one that was lower.

The psyche in the US is that teachers are low paid. It's a carry over from several decades ago when they really were low paid. But it's no longer true. Teachers are very well paid today, yet this idea that they are underpaid still persists.

The person saying they were paid 33K is a classic example of cherry picking. Both the pay and hours worked are cherry picking and not representative.

The truth is that teachers make very good pay, especially if you include benefits which are FAR better than the public sector. The pension alone is worth a heck of a lot. Extremely few people outside of the public sector have a pension.

The average teacher salary in the US is well above the national average for all jobs. Add in the fantastic benefits and they do very well for themselves.

If you want to compare teaching with other professions, you can't cherry pick and compare apples to oranges.

Izumiblu · Accepted Answer

Hmm so a little basic research setting aside the anecdotal I know a chemical engineer that works fewer fours than me stuff

Teachers on average work about 60 days fewer than the average non governmental worker.

Teachers who have work 35plus years as a teacher get a pension that on average pays $75k per year. (Note that this specifically excludes teachers with pensions that have worked fewer years and retired because it makes the pension benefit cost appear much lower)

So you can literally retire at the age of 57 and get a 75k/ yr pension coli adjusted In future worth that’s about $1.2M dollars.

Further, public school teachers have a job stability that almost no one in non governmental jobs can enjoy. Protected by unions and the government both with a never dying necessity for teaching it’s just a fabulously stable environment when compared to say... trades like machinist or construction

So I’d say that teachers take lower pay in exchange for a set of benefits that you simply won’t see in other industries.

I’d be more than happy to support a much better pay package in exchange for killing pension and requirements for individual performance. I think it’s better for the kids and the community but I’m betting that that’ll never happen because that pension is a killer benefit unlike what most of America sees.

DeeDeeDeVour · Accepted Answer

This is a country wherein there's always somebody complaining about something.
Teachers are complaining.
Somebody's complaining for or on behalf of the Teachers.
There are people complaining for or on behalf of the Teachers who are not complaining.
There are people complaining about the Teachers.
There are people complaining about the people who are complaining on behalf of the Teachers.
There are people complaining about the people who are complaining about Teachers.

OlderAndWiser · Answer

I would be more inclined to take teachers seriously if public schools were not indoctrination centers.

Massageman · Answer

You've got several questions posed in your post.

Yes, overall they make enough. Our school district is very high with beginners getting $60K for 180 day years or $86,667 for a full year (260 day; 5x52 year). Even teachers that get "only" $35K are getting the equivalent of $50,556 per year, plus perks. Plus a pension which is typically 80%. (I got about 14% pension after 19 years and a forced retirement at a blue chip corporation). A friend of ours is a teacher and she gets a pension of about $62,000/year, more than I ever made in a year WORKING full time plus part-time to boot ! Enough on that.

Are the teachers supported? Not in the right way. The government (regardless of who is elected) is too busy with mandated this, and mandated that, and trying to force us to respect this group or that. Politics, you see, requires INactivity to succeed. Politicians have to give the IMPRESSION that something is happening when very little really IS. This allows them to run AGAIN to "continue our changes", and on and on. (Senator Durbin in the state of Illinois is an example of this again and again BS. ) Local politicians continue to throw (OUR) bad money after good and accomplish nothing with it except line their own pockets. Local school "administrators" get 6 figures and accomplish very little other than keep a chair warm for 1260 hours a year. "Common Core" is a total farce"- why reinvent the wheel? The school bus is bouncing enough! Teachers spend more time administering government programs than actually imparting knowledge and critical thinking skills for the students.

Is it any wonder why homeschooling continues to grow more popular each year?

AynonOMouse · Answer

I live in CA and teachers tend to start at $50,000 to $55,000 in most places around me. They had to complain for many years to get it up to that point.
The problem now isn't that they don't get paid enough, the problem is that the schools waste money by replacing technology that is still good/usable with new equipment too often but don't spend money on regular, more useful classroom supplies. Teachers very often do have to buy their own supplies which adds up to a lot when it is for 25 to 30 students for each thing. I've seen them even having to buy class sets of books too with their own money which is ridiculous.
Instead of buying the right supplies that are necessary, schools often spend money on computers to replace other computers than are perfectly fine already. They have computers in the classrooms and more of them in a computer lab room. And they continually replace them every few years, plus they keep replacing class sets of Chromebooks too. It is very wasteful and unnecessary.

talloak · Answer

I was a teacher until very recently and there are many perks but overall it is not a well-paid or glamorous position by any stretch. It’s pretty thankless overall. Yes there are lower paying jobs but these are not professions. Professional positions other than teaching pay much more and give more prestige. Why is it that of all the professions that pay much more than teaching, no one is saying they are over-paid? The reason is that teachers are paid out of taxes and people hate taxes. The high pay of other professionals also comes out of their pockets as high prices for goods and services. But since they don’t see the connection they care less.

When someone whines that teachers have it so good, ask them why they don’t become teachers. Really press them on changing careers to this “easy, high-paid” position. You will find they are horrified at the idea. They know that it’s a thankless profession and that would not be strong enough to endure the many demands

lacaras · Answer

Sure we can pay teachers more, but only if we cut the unnecessary jobs at school districts, the majority of jobs at schools are office and administration jobs that didn't exist decades ago. I would have a couple questions for the responder in the above post: How does the cost of living compare between where you live and where your friends you're comparing your salary to live? How do your benefits compare to them, not just vacation, which it still seems you have more of? How did you calculate the number of hours a week you work compared to the nurse (frankly I don't believe her, I know a lot of nurses and they work ridiculous hours)? Did you account for on call hours and nights/weekends?
Teachers complain a lot about having to do lesson plans so they work more hours than what they are being paid for, but from what I've experienced at school, teachers only write these lesson plans once and then do minor updates each semester/year based on the students and keeping things up to date, so I really don't think it's as much as they say it is (I TA'd for a class in college for 4 semesters and it was literally the same lessons and homework, etc every semester).
In my opinion what teachers lose in salary, they gain from benefits and job security, I think they make enough, but if it means we could cut the outrageous spending on education by getting rid of a lot of unnecessary administration and pay teachers a little more then let's do it.

dropkicknj13 · Answer

If you do the actually math to account for how much the average teacher makes vs how much they actually work, they're basically getting paid a 6 figure salary but taking 3 months off every year. Plus they get a ridiculous amount of benefits. Does anyone outside of the government get a pension anymore? The answer is no.
Let's also not forget the ridiculous benefits of their union. Like tenure, a system that makes it impossible for you to get fired if you've worked at a school for more than 4 years.

Sure schools could use more funding for materials and programs, but not for teacher salaries.

EnglishArtsteacher · Answer

Even as a high school teacher, I think most people here in the United States of America support teachers. I don't care about the isolated comments you posted, because I realize those are exceptions, and not the rule.

While I could argue we should get paid more, that's actually one of the last reasons my teaching job makes me feel resentment. The lack of support from administration, and the obscure expectations for my job make me want to look for a new career. While my wage isn't great, it's still not too bad compared to other jobs which require a Bachelor's Degree.

Twalli · Answer

The situation in Oklshoma is so bad for teachers they are offering huge incentives for teachers to come there. Currently teachers only get paid ift they work, no pay any other time. They can't go on strike, because they can't afford it. All of them need summer jobs. There is so little money in education there, school is only 4 days a week because there's not enough money to keep the electricity on for 5 days. To get teachers they offer to pay off all student debt, but teachers in school aren't stupid. My sister went to OU for teaching and wants to teach in Texas.

winterfox10 · Answer

Everyone talks about the dollar wage, but that's not where the teachers' compensation actually comes from. The real way teachers are paid comes in the form of unbelievably sweet benefit packages. Shit... give me $35,000/year, retirement compensation and pension, job security, health insurance, summer vacation (should I even decide that I need/want it), easily met student performance standards; and I'll be happy. That's not even mentioning the other perks of being in the union, which often cover things like cheaper car/home insurance, discounted cellphone costs (assuming they don't give you a phone, which I am sure that some schools do)

Anonymous · Answer

This is a multi level problem, and it really starts with the parents, many of whom send troublemakers and thugs to school and then defend them when they disrupt the school.

Then you have the administration and school board who won't discipline or expel those students, which means everyone else suffers.

Understandably, many of the best teachers quit, either taking better jobs or choosing a different career. The ones who remain are often not great teachers, but are the ones willing to put up with the crap for an easy paycheck.

I don't know that more money would solve the problem - being willing to hold problem kids accountable and standing up to the parents whose kids get thrown out is what would make a real difference.

Public schools are a joke, and wealthy people send their kids to private schools for good reason.

ShortCircuit · Answer

They are paid just fine--quite well, even--for the work that they actually do. The problem is that they work roughly 75% of the year, and are thus only going to make roughly 75% of what people with comparable qualifications make in other professions--and they don't have the option to work more than 75% of the year in order to get paid more, even if they want to.

If education were fully privatized, teachers would get paid more because A) the industry as a whole would be more efficient and generate more revenue, and B) it would be less standardized, and teachers would have the option to work at some private schools that had more than 9 month calendars.

markscott · Answer

You have a very odd understanding of what teachers do. Most do not have sabbaticals, most have a much longer day than 7 hours. They take work home every night. And schools in Florida are so poorly funded, that many teachers use their personal money to pay for school supplies for the kids. I don't know where you get your statistics from, but teachers in Florida are paid very poorly in most places.

MissDawn7961 · Answer

Americas teachers ( and I know a few ) do not get paid enough and their biggest problem is the fact that parents are to lazy and do not discipline their own children ! the teacher has to discipline these brats while other children have to wait for the teacher to do the parents job which takes the teacher away from teacher other children

colbycolbear · Answer

Teachers are not respected in American Society. It is obvious by the privatization of the school system through charter schools and white religious parents bringing their kids to religious schools to avoid science class. My Best friend had to move to Kwigillingok Alaska from Ohio just to make a decent salary.

AuroraRoseat · Answer

No. No they don’t and they really need to be paid more. Ignorant and prejudiced people don’t want to help do it though. Oklahoma has the lowest paid salary of teachers and they went on strike last year, I heard.

The teacher is right but I feel it’s purposely.” Being done. The more uneducated people there are, the more control is consolidated to the hands of a few.

Anonymous · Answer

the Democrats bring this up every single election. Then when they win, they don't do the things they promised. Still waiting for my increased teacher salary from the Obama years. They're just blowing smoke in another desperate attempt to get votes. Yes, I think America supports their teachers well enough. They don't hold them in the same regard as national heroes, but they also don't have the same requirements for them as other countries do. Here, you can get paid for being a teacher by being a grumpy bitch and whining about the president. Your job is not at risk for failing to teach your students. Other countries, that pay teachers far more, hold them to higher performance standards.

slatyb · Answer

Teachers are hugely underpaid in many states compared to other professions. This makes it very difficult to attract bright students to teaching. Recent tax-cutting measures by Republican governments in many states made it even worse. Teachers in Oklahoma and Arizona went on a state-wide strike for higher pay.

Celtero · Answer

My next door neighbor is a divorced gym teacher living in a house worth up to ~$500,000 and is constantly upgrading his house and yard. He retired in his forties.

He was a glorified babysitter for 20 years and now he gets to chill for the rest of his life.

Stoner710 · Answer

Nope, They have one of the most important jobs in the world we wouldn’t have the technology we have to day if it wasn’t for teachers Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos would never had be able to do what they did had it not been for teacher who taught them how to read write and perform math problems all teachers should be getting paired 100,000 a year because there job is so important to society

Agape93 · Answer

Some do. But nothing truly meaningful. They get shitty pay, a stressful job from students/parents/violence, they pay for their own supplies, are usually under funded in general and get attacked by politicians when they ask for a small raise. We pay such lip service to the ones who educate our kids, but then we nickle and dime them.

Jersey2 · Answer

The US needs a voucher system so parents can select their child’s school just like they select everything else in life. Then teachers, the good and valuable teachers, would be paid market value and the bad teachers would have a very hard time getting employed.

ZeussLightningBolt · Answer

Teachers are like gays and Mexicans. People supported them until they started demanding more and more. EVERY year they bitch about how they don't get paid enough. They get a raise, then go on strike again the next year. Like you said, they can't get paid $60000 a year, when they have 2 months off, even more in college/university.

Also, I think many Americans have lost respect for teachers because they are brainwashing students with their Leftist propaganda instead of teaching facts.

okeydoke · Answer

Your husband is definitely incorrect. Many teachers I know work second jobs because they can barely support themselves. Besides the fact that many schools make teachers use their own money to buy classroom supplies.
Teachers in other western countries are paid far more and treated with far more respect.

Howard5069 · Answer

I think that teachers are not treated the way they should be. They are underpaid and not appreciated. I know I could never even think about doing their job. Parents have problems trying to make two children listen. Can you imagine how hard it would be trying to teach 20 or more children. They have my respect.

Avicenna · Answer

Seven hour work days? That's someone that doesn't know what they're talking about.  Where we need to support teachers on more is on classroom discipline. A lot more.

Anonymous · Answer

I don't know about America, but where I am from teachers have one of the worst paid professions (many teachers can't afford to pay their bills if they do not have a rich husband/wife). And they usually have to work very long hours as they have to prepare their lessons and mark tests during evenings (until 9pm on many days), so they don't have much time to spend with their family.

ElijahTheMan · Answer

Of course teachers are not paid fairly but instead of protest for higher pay so that services to poor people have to be cut, please support a restructuring of our economy to TAX THE RICH. That is only impractical and impossible if we the people roll over and play dead.

JamesRandiDebates · Answer

Teachers are overpaid for what they do. They constantly compare their salaries to private sector engineers, and others who have to produce a profit for their employer or get fired. The teachers with the best student results work for private schools and earn less than half of what public school teachers rake in. In my area, public school teachers START at over 70K.

Dirtyoldman73 · Answer

Teachers are very VERY under appreciated and under paid.
Americans should not be asked to entrust the very future their children to the lowest paid least appreciated.

If you cannot support our teachers your saying you are unwilling to provide the best for our own children.

SHAME

Girther10 · Answer

Yes but not bc the Democrats are for it, in fact, everything the Dems are for is contrary to most Americans values. Their debates continue to be a clown show, it’s hilarious

SirRexington · Answer

Educators in this country are not respected as they should and have to form protests with students just to get the attention necessary to get shit done about it. Sad.

TonyBologna25 · Answer

I feel like teachers get paid a fair amount. Are we forgetting they get off at 3PM and have summers off? My moms a teacher and gets paid well, and was always home when we were as kids.

GuidoThePizzaMaker · Answer

The whole education system is fucked It's like a giant daycare  We are more uneducated than ever.  I am already starting to build a curriculum for my potential future children.

Anonymous · Answer

I think it varies somewant by district. In some they appear underpaid relative to market.

I’m in Ontario Canada and teachers here are paid above market (as demonstrated by the huge wait list and competition to get teaching jobs here).

skeetskeetskeet · Answer

Fuck no it doesn't... they get paid like shit and they work a fuck ton of hours and have to go to college to get treated like a walmart worker... at least at walmart you only have to have a pulse to get shit on by them

Anonymous · Answer

The amount teachers are paid should be paid should be based on job performance. Like a teacher in a failing inner city school should not be paid the same as say a school in the suburbs with high academic achievements.

MementoMori_ · Answer

Democrats love teachers. But only if they are brainwashing kids with their radical socialist agenda.

JKingOff · Answer

No... If you want a quality education, join a church and send your kids to a private school. or, get a college degree in homeschool.

OddBeMe · Answer

No, if we did we’d start blaming parents for their awful kids instead of the teachers. School is only a few hours a day. Kids get the majority of the educ from parents. Or lack there of, mostly.

Anonymous · Answer

It depends on the individual.  A whole country can't be judged because it is made up of so many people.

25highlife · Answer

No. America doesn't give. Teachers the respect and wages they deserve. Which is typical. Even though teachers can influence a kid for their lifetime. in my opinion, teachers should be recognized over sports figures!

Liam_Hayden · Answer

At least in California, teachers are paid a lot and get great retirement that most private sector employees can not even dream of getting.

Whitewolf24 · Answer

The only thing America supports is big companies and the 1%.

Thatsamazing · Answer

Lol as a whole aggregate? No, not at all. Source: I live here.

AshleyMadison00 · Answer

America is rigged PERIOD on whatever the government wants

COMMODOREII · Answer

America's society currently support corporations and making the rich richer.

RUSTYNAlL · Answer

Paid more for what though? They basically indoctrinate kids which keeps them down as adults. Really wtf does any of that matter in our adult lives?

utterlyconfusedXD · Answer

not as much as we should. they need to get paid more. they literally hold the future in their hands

Iron_Man · Answer

I got screwed over by an American teacher in my high school

Anonymous · Answer

The United States spends far more per prisoner than we do per student.  That's fucking stupid.

stuntbrain · Answer

The United States spends more on education than the total GDP of many countries, yet trails them in results. Throwing more money at a flawed system obviously isn't the solution

Anonymous · Answer

With school shootings, they should be paid more thasn the president, or a young ceo

Holy_Ghost_Fire · Answer

Some of them do and some of them don't.

Anonymous · Answer

It does. When will people stop being greedy?

mermaidia_lol · Answer

No..

Jackjohnson89 · Answer

Lol he'll no

Do you think America supports its teachers?

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