States where teachers are protesting have among the largest pay discrepancies when compared with similarly educated private-sector workers.
Teachers in Arizona and Colorado walked out of classrooms and held rallies last week demanding pay raises and additional money for schools they contend are woefully underfunded. The protests were just the latest in a wave of demonstrations that have swept across several states. Educators in Kentucky, Oklahoma and West Virginia have also walked out, calling on lawmakers to raise wages that have remained mostly flat for years.
In most cases, school funding still hasn't recovered from cuts sustained in the aftermath of the Great Recession, and where there have been teacher pay increases, wages haven’t kept up with inflation. Meanwhile, the private-sector economy has gained momentum with stronger growth recently.
Given all the funding debates now underway, it’s worth considering how teacher salaries compare with their state’s private-sector workforce and how the two have or haven’t grown over time.
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7 comments:
Maryland is doing just fine, it seems.
The writer didn't see the Wicomico salaries post a couple years back. WOW!
...but they aren't 10:31. The first chart demonstrates teachers vs. ALL private sector jobs (including hourly convenience store employees). What is really important is the second chart. This shows that when adjusted for private sector employment with equal education (college education), teachers only make 83% of their private sector counterparts in Maryland. Likewise, in the second-to-last paragraph of the article, "An Economic Policy Institute report compared wages of teachers to a narrow group of occupations with similar skill requirements, finding teachers’ wages deteriorated about 15 percent since 1993 relative to similar professions."
I had no idea that people were forced to become public school teachers. I don't think they can find another job that will give them all those holidays off as well as the summer. They should all be fired for not showing up to work. I don't understand how government employees are allowed to unionize.
It is true. All those holidays and Summers off sounds good to me. However it is not worth it. No respect. Lack of interest by students. Did you see the District of Columbia column. Very high yet students have the lowest academic scores. Time to revamp schools.
Teachers make a fair wage in this area - for those teachers that complain, the private sector awaits! Go try and command your current salary around here in any other field you are qualified for and i’ll Bet my lousy paycheck (minus the perks and benefit package, much less the pension ) you’ll be in for a rude awakening. Not that I am slamming teachers - I don’t have the education (or tolerance) to command that sort of salary, and the ones I know earn it, but geesh, stop complaining. To those who slam teachers, go get your degree and run right out there and get that great job!
Lets address nurses salaries, shall we?
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