I had some wonderful teachers in our local school district. More good than otherwise.
The teachers who are teaching my children in the same district, I do not hold the same high regard for. And I was a student amongst a few of them.

I didn't read all of the responses, but I cannot believe the number of people who think that teachers should work for next to nothing. Do any of you people who are writing responses actually know what they are striking for, or even have kids yourselves? Our teachers are the 5th lowest paid teachers in the country. Would you go deal with all of the kids whose parents could care less what they are doing in school as long as they don't have to deal with them on a $35,000/yr salary in the first place? Now, the initial contract that they walked out on was only going to give them a 1% raise, and a 500% increase in their health insurance which was going to equal out to a $6000/year pay cut. I make double what they do, and I am in a union, and also just got done negotiating a contract. If they would have tried to give me a $6000/yr pay cut, I would have been standing on the sidewalk also. Now, for all of the ignorant ones who like to post without actually knowing what is going on, the problem is that they can't afford a raise for our teachers, but our representatives are the 5th HIGHEST paid in the country, and our teachers are the 5th LOWEST? They vote themselves a raise every year, but can't afford a fair contract for the teachers who are educating the leaders of tomorrow? Also, the teachers cannot trust anything the governor tells them. The senate gave them a contract, the teachers voted on it, and then after it was voted on, the senate backed out and said they couldn't afford the contract that THEY proposed themselves. It's not the teachers fault the government says one thing and then changes their mind. They cannot trust anything the legislators say until it is in writing. It's not OUR tax dollars paying their wages while they strike, it comes out of their union pension. If you are in a union, you would know this. I hope they all stand out there until they get a fair deal. I have kids myself, and they stood out on the picket line WITH their teachers instead of sitting at home all day every day. If I could afford it, I would cook them lunch every day and take it to them to show them how much I appreciate what they do for our kids. You guys want to complain about kids who shoot up their schools, but you don't want to pay the teachers a fair salary to teach the kids, or deal with the danger associated with kids whose parents just simply don't give a crap? Maybe people should just quit going to school to be teachers and you all can just try to figure out how to hold down jobs, pay your bills, and homeschool your kids too. That would fix your measly $700/year you pay for the levy, but would cost you 5x that amount in expenses associated with homeschooling.

The problem here in KS is the way the money is spent. More than enough being collected to pay teachers a good salary but most of it spent frivolously. That isn't the teachers fault. Friend of mine was on the school board here for several years. The feds tell them how much is to be spent on what and leaves the board to figure out details. State does the same thing. They are not just handed a check for whatever the amount per student is.

An inordinate of corruption seems common also. Here for example in the county seat all of a sudden the jr high was closed because the building was unsafe. Built a new school. I'm sure lots of money was passed around. The old school was to be demolished. somehow it didn't happen. Now its a business with assisted living apartments.

Start by looking at something simple like bus maintenance contracts

People at mc donalds want $15 hr

been a while since you set foot in a classroom hasn't it?

Tremendous stupidity. I agree.

Our local school district has a median salary of about $48,000 per year. Based on a 52 week work year that is a little of $23 dollars per hour. Based on a 180 day school year, 8 hours a day it is a little over $33 dollars per hour. Based on 200 working days, 8 hours per day, to allow for preparation and planning it is $30 dollars per hour. In our area this is a very good "living wage" and far from minimum wage. This does not factor in any benefits such as insurance and retirement.

Do some teachers deserve more than this? Sure. Do some teachers deserve less than this? You bet.

They all knew what teachers got paid when they went to school to be a teacher! Don't like your pay, benefits, or job? Get a new one. 3 months off!! Sheesh who doesn't like that? Especially someone who wants to earn more money. My mother retired a lil early and comfortably from public school system....she had a summer job every summer.

Nobody is saying teachers should make less, most of them make twice what their neighbors do, they get nurse wages now, the increase will put them at almost RN level. Eventually that will have to reckoned with as the public won't stand for having their pay checks raided for someone making more money than they do.

I always wonder why the ones that think teacher get so much easy money, don't go suck that teat them selves? Seems they got it all figured out how it's a good deal..


Mac

The blanket statement calling people stupid or ignorant because we decry a bloated school system is showing the ignorance, if you had read some of the detailed posts in this thread you would see that not every area is the same, and we know that there are good teachers. It all depends on your district and state and how much money is in that district.

I know 2 accountants in our school district, what they have told me is astounding, really, but I know that other districts in other states are not the same and there are plenty of teachers that are underpaid because of their districts being poor and with a high volume of different issues related to the poor communities. There is no one blanket answer for these discrepancies and I do not pretend to know any solutions for them.

So before you call us stupid or throw up your breakfast while reading this thread, look at the locations under the posters name and realize they don't live in your area and things are different everywhere.

Out of curiosity, how much do some of you think is a reasonable STARTING SALARY for a public school teacher?

No cost is too much to bear, if it's "for the kids". If one days the system needs no more money they are said to hate children and would like to see children be idiots.
I read somewhere a blurb or quote that I will paraphrase; If infants of 6 months of age were sent to public schools, in one generation people would believe that humans are incapable of walking unless they attend the school. People, on the whole, arent very clever. Mo' Money!

Location varies and benefit package varies so hard question to answer.

Each individual school districts have a budget on what they can afford. In the private job market for other professions it goes the same way on what the business can afford.

Everyone wants more pay. Everyone.

All I can say is if you feel you need more and if the business can't afford more than look elsewhere for a living. I think most people will have a awakening after they look around that they are not that bad.

Low wage and benefit packages suck everywhere due to inflation and insurance and medical cost.

Here's for all the Trapperman teacher haters who wouldn't last a day in front of 8th graders, much less 3rd graders.

Got to get the tune in your head first . . .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIEVqFB4WUo

Got it? Now here ya go haters, now whip 'em good!

Unless you whip 'em,
No teacher gets away
Until they whip 'em
I say whip 'em
Whip 'em good
I say whip 'em
Whip 'em good
Crack that whip
Give those teachers the pink slip
Step on a crack
Break your teacher's back
When a problem comes along
You must whip 'em!

That is a loaded question, again it is geographically dependent. A teacher in NYC cannot pay the bills on the same salary as a teacher in Alabama. I would say that a teacher's salary should be enough that they can pay all their bills including a newer car, without having to worry. But again the individual person is responsible for managing their own money, one person may be more responsible than another and some will always have problems paying their bills due to poor management practices.

Catchy jingle. Are Lotta teachers into being whipped? Like 50 shades of gray.

....We're gonna do this song for useless
Oh I was into whips and things she was into pain
And I would beat her black and blue when she called me names
Chained her to the basement wall where she went insane
And I was into whips and things she was into pain

Nailed it RB.

Average teaching salary in WV is around $44k. If your spouse is making close to that, thats around 70-80k. Now a bad income for WV. Even 44k for an individual isn't bad.

Muskrat nice jingo.

I don't believe we are saying we hate teachers. We are talking salaries and like every profession we don't get what we feel we deserve. But I would never walk off my job and leave the business hanging.

Some teachers got the attitude they should be the highest paid profession in the community and I don't agree with that. Yes they are important but they choose thier occupation.

They receive a annual pay for 9 months worth of work and compared to most people their benefit package is great. They also above thier salary get paid for extra activities like sports coaching etc.

Plus even if they suck at thier job they can't be done away with under thier tenured status.

They don't have it that bad. It's nothing personal on them its just comparing them to other professions. They make better than law enforcement in my area working 12 months of the year.