Do teachers really have it that bad that they need to strike so often?

Question

Given that I am contemplating becoming a teacher, I am curious as to why strikes always seem to come up, and especially why it always happens just before school starts.
I would think it would rile up the parents because for so many if their kid isn't in school they are losing a day from work. So that forces parents to push for 'whatever it takes' to get the teachers back in the classrooms.

Answer 1

Teachers strike right before school because that is often when a new contract is being negotiated. Teachers can not randomly strike. They have to have a valid reason. Our contract was just settled but we did not know the details until the day before school started. We then had to vote on it. If we did not agree then we would strike.
I must say that I am also a teacher in Ohio and I have a master's degree and I do not make $60,000. That figure is from a particular school district. All districts are different. I make significantly less than $60,000 and I do spend quite a bit on my students and on supplies for my classroom.
If a teacher works only 5 hours in a day then there is probably more that they can be doing for their class. I spend a lot of time thinking up new activities and creating them. I like for my students to be engaged.
I personally would not like to strike. I have 4 kids and I need a paycheck. I believe that my pay is reasonable based on the current cutbacks from the state, etc. I certainly work hard though and if I had to strike to get a fair contract then I would. We just got off of an 18 month pay freeze. That hurts when things are rising in cost. Most people would not settle for no raise in 18 months.

Answer 2

As a teachers child, teachers do not get paid enough. There is an obvious problem with today's schools. The best and brightest teachers are leaving because of poor pay, inability to control their students, etc. With constant cut-backs in public funding, the schools are left with increasing numbers of students with fewer teachers. Teachers are facing increasing class sizes which don't allow them time to do individual work... at the same time dealing with angry parents who can't understand why johnny isn't doing well in school. Add to that, the kids cannot be punished in any way for poor behavior...and you have a recipe for disaster. Not all teachers are good teachers but when the garbage collector without an education makes more money, the pool of teachers goes down. As for the strikes, they typically happen when the teachers union is losing another benefit.
Having said all this, not all teachers want to strike and most do their best to help the children. I hold the profession in my highest respect.

Answer 3

I am a teacher. Many days I spent willingly working on teaching stuff for up to 12 hours and on weekends. This doesn't count for the times I had to participate in school activities after school. Teachers don't get paid much and they know that going into the occupation. But they have families too. Many good teachers have been lost to other occupations just for the money. Gotta pay the bills! Sometimes the powers that be forget how much work goes into teaching and do not fund schools adequately to pay decent wages...even if the government sets the wage guidelines. Then teachers get laid off due to budget cuts. Believe me teachers never want to go on strike and try every other possible avenue to resolve salary issues. Some states actually have developed laws making it illegal for teachers, nurses, policemen, etc. to go on strike.

Answer 4

Its all a matter of opinion. I'm in Ohio and know that high school teachers with a master degree are paid a minimum of $60,000 a year. One of my good friends is a teacher. He went back for his masters after getting fed up with "the real world" his words not mine.

He teaches at a city school makes over $60,000 a year. He says its nothing like the work he did before. He doesn't even consider it real work, again his words not mine. He gets 3 months off in the summer a week off for christmas and spring break. If he decides to work during the summer teaching summer school he get $50 an hour. His day starts at 7am and he's home by 2:30. During his day he gets a lunch period and 1 free period. In total he estimates he works about 5 hours a day. He laughs at the teachers union for wanting to go on strikes. We have friends who have engineering degrees who don't make as much as he does.

His feeling is that its one of the most fulfilling job there is. But he also feels that the work itself is not as demanding as your typical office job. He often makes the point that while I'm at my office being harrassed by my boss to stay late and finish a report, his principal never bugs him about grading papers, etc. He says so many of the teachers out there don't know about anything but school. They never worked in a job outside of education. They go to grade school, middle school, college then back to high school as a teacher.

Again these are not my words this is from a TEACHER. Knowing what I know now I wish I would have gotten my education degree. The pay, benefits, and time off are better than for any other profession I know.

Answer 5

It happens before school starts because that's when they'll get the most attention and when they can get the most out of the strike.

Maybe crappy conditions (my old school was even in the news for having the filthiest bathrooms in the city), or low pay, or maybe lack of materials for the classroom. Who knows. But I doubt people strike just for the hell of it. I want to be a teacher too but I plan to do it because I think I'll enjoy it, not because I want to get rich or whatever.

Answer 6

This is happening at my stepsisters school and the teachers are being greedy. They are mad because the district got a new superintendent from out of state and they passed new levees to add on to the schools and the teachers want the money. This is messing up her senior year. They have to make up all of the days that the teachers strike.

Answer 7

Unfortunately, in lots of countries teachers are undervalued as a profession compared to similarly trained professionals. They may be esteemed by society but frequently they are not rewarded as well as similar professions such as law and medicine or business.

In the past Governments have relied on teachers unwillingness to harm their pupils' progress to let them get away without paying the going rate for the job. Unfortunately, with the current pace of education reform in most countries and the slow erosion of adequate funding to schools and educational establishments to push through these reforms, teachers' workloads have increased dramatically and their pay has fallen behind significantly. If anyone doesn't believe this, they can at any time train to become a teacher and become one- it's not a 9-4 job (or whatever your school pupils hours are) nor is it long holidays in the way is appears to outsiders. In the UK a recent report found that despite the appearance of short hours, teachers were the second profession in terms of working hours (I can't remember which came first).

In the UK, teachers are leaving the profession in droves and new teachers are either not entering or are leaving very quickly.

Also, if wages are low it will mean you will either get dedicated teachers applying or only second rate teachers who can't do anything else. The first type are fine and should be applauded, but do you really want your children to be taught by the second kind? Even the first kind can become demotivated by the current workload problems and the constant changes due to government and new technology and get worn down by the never ending reform and increasing pace of change.

As you've possibly guessed, I am a teacher now, but I only entered teaching about age 35. Previously to my actual real experience of teaching, I would have said it was an easy job. Now I realise it's not, it's just made to look that way by good teachers and I now realise that the classroom is only the tip of a significantly hidden iceberg of a teacher's real workload.

However, it's still a great and personally satisfying job, but it certainly isn't as financially rewarding as others.

In response to DiggerFloyd, the reference states that the average teacher salary in 2004 was $46,752, with Ohio on $47,482. Even allowing for a couple of pay rises this is far short of the $60k quoted even though individuals may obviously get more, this is usually due to increased responsibility.

I leave you with the $47k average figure in mind with these quotes from the second source concerning new graduate salaries at the same point in time (not average career salaries like the above) for you to form your own conclusions:
"The average starting salary offer for accounting degree graduates is up 5.4% over last spring, to $46,188, while salary offers for computer-engineering graduates are up 5.3%, to $54,200."
" Stronger starting salaries. The tug of war between employers for newly minted graduates means many college graduates are getting higher starting salaries. Nearly nine out of 10 employers say competition for college hires has increased, and more than 20% have raised, or plan to raise, their starting salaries, according to NACE."
"Corporate recruiters plan to hire 18% more MBAs this year than in 2004, according to a survey by the Graduate Management Admission Council. Total compensation, with benefits and bonuses, is $99,737, up from $77,066 in 2004. One out of two MBAs is getting a signing bonus."

Is it any wonder teachers are getting bothered? We have usually got a first degree in our main teaching subject and in the UK may also have a second postgraduate teaching qualification on top and yet find new graduates are getting paid as much or more than their own teachers. It's a good job some of us are dedicated.

Answer 8

Yes. Not being a teacher myself, know that they do so much and get paid very little.

Answer 9

Teachers work hard and put up with a lot, and often they aren't paid what they deserve.