Why are teachers paid so little, yet so much is expected of them?

Question

Seems like you get what you pay for. If you want the best it cost little more.

My wife is a teacher and works 50-60 hours a week, and at school functions and has to take classes to keep her liscense. And a lot of her holidays are spent grading tests or preparing for class. It is not as easy as somepeople think, but she does it because she loves helping the kids.

Answer 1

We don't do it for the money. We do it because when you are explaining a difficult concept or program to someone and their eyes gleam and their faces glow and you know they get it. That you've given them something that no-one can take away...knowledge. The benefits aren't bad after you reach tenure...my mother had BCBS insurance as part of her retirement package and at the end with Cancer it helped a lot. The government also gives us low intrest loans.

Answer 2

It's true that teachers are expected to do a great job in teaching the future generation of the world. They mold and teach us to be a better being heck, they are our second parents. But if you think about it, they are paid little amount of money in exchange for teaching children how to write, read and even differentiate good and bad.
In my opinion teachers are paid little because the government sees them differently. For them, soldiers and policemen do more help in protecting the peace. Doctors, surgeons and cosmeticians earn more for they have high standards in prolonging life. They take teachers for granted or maybe the national budget can't really cut out the department of education. In the politicians view more things are more important than preparing the future. They think of the present situations of the country. They likely increase the budget of community security or public health.

Answer 3

If you enter teaching it is definitely NOT for the money! "Outsiders" see the "perks" (summers off, contractual work day of 9-3:30, long breaks during the year) not realizing how complex and demanding the job is. Our pay is dependent on tax dollars. All of these factors combined make it very difficult to have compensation that is comparable to the open market.

Answer 4

It is because "teaching" was considered a "service industry"
like hairdressing, cooking historically. For example, even in the 30's in England, if a te4acher wanted to visit a student's home to see the parent, he/she was TOLD to used the "servant's entrance" at the back of the house and NOT the front door.

The sad fact is that teaching "looked easy" and the general public did not consider it a "prestige" job.

Recently, of course things have changed and even elementary teachers earn $40,000 a year.

Luckily, in Canada, beginning in the 40's, te4achers formed "PENSION PLANS" and invested well so that, in Ontario, for example the plan is now worth TWO BILLION DFOLLARS, ensuring retiring teachers adequate pensions.

Teacher's unions have helped teachers earn a fair salary and when not met have evn gone on strike for more pay and better working coinditions.

Answer 5

1) Teachers do usually get a lot of paid holidays. I know this answer will annoy some teachers out there, but it is true. Having worked a regular office job, and as a teacher, I found the holidays were great.
2) Are they really paid so little? Look at the hourly rates, compare it to jobs held by people with similar qualifications and experience (or lack of) and you might have a slight re-think. Also, factor in the long paid holidays and the overall benefits do not look so bad (think of salary for actual hours worked, not just per annum).
3) Sadly, I don't think much is expected of many teachers, and increasingly it seems to me that many people become teachers because they cannot think of anything else they are qualified to do. When that is the case, workers cannot realistically expect to get top dollar salary.