Why are teachers so underpaid?

Question

I am currently a first year teacher and I owe more in student loans than I make in a year.

Why is a profession that makes everyother profession possible so underpaid?

Answer 1

It's because tax payers don't like paying a lot I guess. Our salaries are largely controlled by what comes out of the taxes, and with our area, there's a tax freeze for how much goes towards the school district and so therefore the taxpayers get all mad when there's a referendum asking for more. However, if you take into account the nice medical insurance and the three month's vacation, it's not too bad. Teachers don't go into the profession for the money. They do it because they feel that's where they should be. As you get more experience and perhaps more education, your pay does go up. But, yes, overall... for how much education is required out of teachers, it does seem to be less, doesn't it.

P.S. Male and female teachers make the same ammount. . . duh. (Our school district even posts how much starting teachers make and what the highest ammount is online.)

Answer 2

I am in education also, 20 years and this a complicated question. First, teaching has been a job for women and we know they are paid less than men in most every field.

Second, most people have no idea the amount of work a teacher does. All they see is the teacher working only 6 hours a day and for only 9 months of the year. There is no work going on in school unless the students are present.

Statements like "I'd like to have a three month vacation" demonstrates this attitude.

Finally, most people only remember two types of teachers, the very best and the very poor. The hard working teachers are often forgotten. The best teachers become the standard we are judged by, even by the politicians who pay us.

Now couple these facts with the militant teachers who unionize and we have to settle for a lower salary. We can't compensate the poor teacher for what he/she is worth, nor can we compensate the great teachers for their value.

It is the nature of the beast. Your paid day comes often when the light in the eyes go on and the student says, " Oh, I get it now." That is the gold that has remarkable value.

Answer 3

As a former teacher, (female), I can tell you that yes we are underpaid! It really sucks that's why I got out of it. I gave it a shot for ten years, then we got the No Child Left Behind Bill. That was it. I was a highly qualified teacher without a high pay check. The best you can do is care. That's actually our job to teach and care about those kids, but when it comes to not being able to afford a house because of your pay and expensive living costs then sorry, not worth it! Some advice, do not do overtime because you will not get paid for it, do not get involved in anything you don't have to unless it is part of your contract, go to a multi track school because you get more vacation (the draw back to this is you might have to move every two months), fight for your rights, if you have to strike then do it! Start putting your money in a seperate retirement plan, since teachers don't get social security and depending on the district it is not enough. If you feel yourself burn out, get support. Really consider if this is the carreer for you. Try to get up to administration as soon as you can if you like it. Take classes so you can get those pay raises, which are not enough! If you have been teaching all year long, no vacation and are 60, then maybe you will be paid $60,000. If you consider all the schooling we took, it's actually the equivalent of doctors. If you start complaining like me, get out while you can. I am out and I've never been happier! Computers are the way to go, you get paid tons of money and you can easily start your own business. It's awsome. Oh and if you do get out don't let people give you a guilt trip, it's your life. Don't buy into this do it for the kids crap, because that doesn't pay the bills! GOOD LUCK!

Answer 4

For those of you who justify the pay based on the amount of "time off" we get, think about it this way. For the sake of the example, I will be using first person pronoun, but I know that I'm not alone.

I get to school 1 hour BEFORE my duty day begins. I leave 1.5-2 hours AFTER my duty day ends. So far, that is about 3 hours a day in which I don't technically get paid, which equates 15 hours a week. Normally, the time after school is used to help students, answer emails, call parents, put standards on the board for the next day, and any other housekeeping issues that need to be handled.

My planning and grading (keep in mind, I'm an English teacher) doesn't happen until after I get home. Planning and grading average about 2 extra hours (sometime less, most of the time more) everyday, which equates eight hours (I ALWAYS take Fridays off) a week.

So far that is an extra 23 hours, in addition to the 40 hours I am paid.

But that's not all, because I'm a writing teacher and because I have, on an average, 165 students (YIKES!), I spend a good 6-8 hours on the weekend grading essays.

Grand total for an average work week=70 hours.

Still think we are underpaid?

Answer 5

I think a few reasons:

1- Market Forces, they pay less, becuase they can get away with it. Even though there is a shortage in some areas, there are still enough willing to get paid that much (or less)

2- For some reason, it's not considered prestigious, as in some other countries (Japan)

3- Though they work very hard, there aren't many jobs you get 3-4 months off per year, that's admittedly huge!

I think teachers should get paid more to attract better candidates, the best and the brightest. But at the same time, it's pointless to pay teachers who are not good and don't care, there needs to be some checks and balances.....

Answer 6

In response to the many individuals who have posted here who think teachers have a lot of time off and therefore make great pay for when they work. Teaching is a stressful job which does take long hours when prepwork and grading are factored in. Depending upon the week, I work 8-20 hours more than I am 'paid' for. The summer break is often necessary in order to come back prepared (mentally) for the fall. I know that when I teach summer school it seems like the year never stopped and it's very difficult to maintain the level of patience and enthusiasm necessary every day.

Answer 7

I know several teachers that make $60,000+ in their 2nd or 3rd years of teaching. Need to make more, research school districts. Someone I know made $10,000 more per year by switching to a school a few miles down the road from where she was. Private vs. Public.

Also, that's $60,000 for 9 months. Find a Summer job and make money for the other 3 months. Add it all up and not underpaid at all.

Also, teachers don't work more hours than everyone else like they all claim. I understand lesson plans and grading quizzes and tests. Still doesn't compare. I work from 7-6 almost everyday, don't get summers off, don't get 2 weeks at christmas and make less than the numbers I'm throwing up here.

Answer 8

I read the answers to your question. I have no explanation for why teachers are underpaid. I am a teacher in Georgia. I teach high school English and literature, and I make 40K a year (actually $39,978.79). I have been teaching for 10 years in public schools. I have a master's degree.

I don't know where some of these people in this post are getting their information. I sure don't earn 60K a year. I only make about $23.38 an hour.

As for the holidays and weeks off....let me tell you about my summer vacation. I will spend two weeks of it either in post planning or preplanning. I will spend another two weeks teaching summer classes. For those of you who think I get paid for that...think again. I earn a $100 for my summer classes. Also during spring break I taught a class for another $100. ( I figured all of that into my above salary). I don't get off as many days as some of these posters think. My salary for 190 days is paid to me over the course of 12 months NOT 9.

Since I teach English, I put in more hours than the paid for 8 hours a day. I get to school an hour earlier and leave 1.5 or 2 hours after the students do. Then I take home papers daily to grade and record from home. I create tests at home because of the poor quality of the school computers.

As for supplies, my school does supply some of them. However, I spend approx $2000.00 a year of my money for supplies, equipment, and books for my students. If I need a pen, paper, or notebook, I go buy it. There's no supply closet to supply me with these.

My attendance is required or expected at sporting events, academic meets, graduation, prom, and other school functions. I have so many additional responsibilites that I never receive a dime for. All of these occur outside of the 8 hours work day.

And unlike most professions, if one of my subordinates (students) doesn't do his share of the work, I don't have the option of firing him (and sending someone to the office isn't a fix for the problem. That student will eventually return to my classroom). It is my JOB to figure out how to help him, whether he wants help or not.

For those of you thinking, "You don't have to do that stuff," think again. It's part of my life. Teaching isn't my career. It's my life. I choose this career knowing its salary limitations. I am not in this profession for the money. I am in this profession to help educate my students. Therefore, I rarely complain about my salary.

It does upset me that some people still believe that teachers only work 8 hours a day for 9 or 10 months and are paid huge salaries -- that just doesn't happen. That isn't the case. For those of you who think, "If you were smart, you would have choosen a better career," someone taught you everything you know about your profession. That person is called a teacher.

Answer 9

most state and city workers are underpaid. You supposedly have better benefits: health care, pension and time off; to make up for your low starting salary.
If you continue with teaching at 10 years in you can be making around 70k which isn't bad. Although you need to go back to school to obtain this, get a masters or just the standard continuing education credits to maintain your license.
Keep telling yourself that you are doing a good thing for society, sure you might make more right now in an office, but 10 years in an office doesn't necessarily get you a 70k salary.

Answer 10

Because nobody will increase their profits if a teacher does a great job.

With pro sports and entertainment, the better you perform, the more the boss rakes in and so they are extremely well compensated.

The better a teacher performs, the wiser and better prepared their students are to deal with society, which is exactly what big business does NOT want. That would eat into their profits.

As long as our schools pump out barely functional students, then business and industry don't have to have more high paying jobs for them.

While personally rewarding, yours is a dismal career choice with respect to money.