NJ_Bowhntr

Actually, that 79K is near the top of the scale...most of our teachers have been here a while. The Adminsmake $125,000.00 and up...but the sick part is, we have one small school, grades K-6, with 346 students total. For that "school system" there is a Superintendant, Asst. Superintendant, Principal and Vice Principal (all at 125K and up)??? Plus, there are no more than 11 kids in any one class, and a teachers aide in each class...can you saytremendous waste! If it were to be run right, they should have a Principal only, get rid of the other 3 administrators, and put 20 kids in a class andaxe about half the teachers. The mob is not the most feared organization in NJ...it's the NJEA (New Jersey Education Association)...no Politician dare cross the teachers union, that means certain political death.

swampstander

I teach in Texas also. Teacher salaries are a joke. Teachers knew this when they entered the profession. Most are dedicated to their job and take a real interest in their kids. As mentioned before a teacher does not only work the hours of the school day. Your child may go from 8 to 3:30 but the teachers are there before the day begins and after it is over. We are required to be there from 7:45 till 4:00. But this is only the start. Teachers routinely arrive early and stay hours late to help their students. Then there is the hrs spent at home every night grading students work and planning for the next lesson. All of these hrs which in some cases double the time "on the clock" are without additional compensation. Not to mention inservice (which was mentioned) which are salaried days and conferences or workshops which are often in the summer or on weekends. I cannot think of another profession that routinely gives up a week of personal time oftentimes in another city away from family without compensation. And all of this is done with a non-competitive salary with below average insurance and retirement benefits. I won't even get started on the quality of students we get these days. Bottom line is Yes, teachers deserve better than the country is giving them.

Here are a couple of salary links:

Actual Average Teacher salaries for 2003 by state
http://www.aft.org/salary/2003/download/2003Table1.pdf

Actual Starting Teacher Salaries for 2003 by state
http://www.aft.org/salary/2003/download/2003Table1.pdf

gibblet

i had to go back to school after an injury. i'm going to be a middle school math and science teacher. i have a 4.0 gpa, which includes calc2, calc based physics, chem, biol, discrete math, etc. i am by far and away the smartest person in the education department at the university i attend. the starting pay in NC is $24,000. i can make more than that making strings and cables, by a long shot. that may be more than you make, but i'll tell you this, it is not good money, and anyone who is smart and works hard during college can end up making much more than that, and that's what they do. i would say that 85% of the people in the education department aren't smart enough to teach your kids. they may care, but caring doesn't get it. student success is directly related to how competent a teacher is in their subject area. if you want better schools, you need better, and by that i really mean smarter, teachers, and without more $, you won't get better teachers. the smart people are going for the $ - except for a few of us.

oh, and by the way, in NC, in the rural school districts around here, our classroom budget for supplies is $100 per year. that's why you have to buy your kids stuff and why there is fund raisers. wish some of you had a clue.

Might Mite

I need to weigh in on this one. I am an avid bowhunter and a teacher as well. I went into teaching because I thought it to be a respectable profession and an opportunity to help the world. Most teachers in the state start at under 30,000 a year, and it takes them many years to make more than that. For the raise many times they must spend their summers taking courses. Most jobs allow a person to leave at 3 and not think about their jobs until the next morning. Most nights I leave school at three only to take 3 hours work of correcting and planning home with me. Kids and parents today are unrespectful, and the job can be tuff. Most people I know, without a college degree make more money than I. I make enough to pay for my house, car, and put food on the table for my family...and a new bow every now and then. Teachers don't work for money or anything else besides the kids...in most cases when a strike occurs, they are just asking for a little more to help their families. If you don't think they deserve it, go substitute in a public school for a week.

Lx lungbuster

Any one else have any thing else to say about this tomorrow they will start the stike and the next meeting wont be till sept 26 wich is three weeks added to the original last day of school. But on the bright side archery starts5days after that.

TerryM

Gibblet !!!!!!!!
Buddy you really need to seriously think about moving up here. You would make way more money and likely be a principal in no time ( 100k ). Right now they are bringing retired vice principals back on contract to fill in due to lack of supply. They get full pension and a VP salary. You could literally choose where you want to live and have a great carreer in teaching. I recommend the Thunder Bay area of Ontario, moose, bear, huge whitetails. Besides we need a good string maker up here

hawgman7

hey wes, you need to do some research before you comment! florida is no where close to the bottom of the teachers salaries!!! i know for a fact that ok, miss, the dakotas, and louisiana are below florida! there are some very misinformed peoplecommenting on this forum! i am a high school teacher in his 12th year and a head 6a basketball coach, and i make about $45,000 gross!!!!! get a clue before you begin to say public teachers are overpayed!! when you see the children we deal with, you would say we are the most underpaid people on earth! unless one of these "misunderstood" children is yours!!!