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90k is excessive but 55k starting is reasonable. Teachers need more otj training and a bit more performance evaluation but until we find a way to measure performance in education, we're stuck with what we have.
Yeah setting an arbitrary sum of 90K would not be smart. But there definitely needs to be more discussion around how can we improve our pre-college education system, and teacher pay should be an important discussion point. Countries like China and India are printing out STEM grads like no other (arguably the most lucrative and critical skill set to the future economy) and we as Americans need to put more kids down that path and lower the entry to college education.
Arne Duncan, Obama's Secretary of Ed, wrote a book about this that answers most of the questions stated as assumptions and opinions on this post. https://www.amazon.com/How-Schools-Work-Longest-Serving-Secretaries/dp/1501173057
Might give this a read, thanks!
I come at this from the standpoint of my wife being a public school teacher of 15 years and probably at least 1/3 of our mutual friends being teachers, as well as 2 of my 3 siblings, my mom, and my MIL.
The issue of the source of public school funding notwithstanding, if a raise to $90k were enacted today, the long term financial outlook for many states would immediately worsen. If pay goes up today, that means downstream pension costs (for states that offer pensions to teachers) would also shoot up. Given how generally horrific states are at managing pension funds (IL, for example), I see no way that works out well in the long run.
On the staff side of things, that kind of pay would absolutely have to be tied to some sort of performance measurement. At a national level, that's a sticky morass, as the unions have fought standardized performance ratings tooth and nail every time the issue comes up.
Beyond lockstep union resistance to performance ratings, we'd have to figure out a way to do accurate and measurable ratings that make sense. For example, my wife got dinged last year on her performance eval because a kid who transferred in to her 5th grade class from Honduras last January without speaking a lick of English and tested at barely a 3rd grade level of proficiency in the end of year standardized testing in June. Or three years ago when she was at a different school, over 30% of her 5th grade class started the year at between a 2nd and 3rd grade proficiency across all subjects and she got dinged at the end of the year because she'd only managed to raise their proficiencies to a 4th grade level across the board. Teacher performance management is currently broken across the country and I frankly don't think *anyone* at the national level knows how to best rate teacher performance.
Disregarding the funding aspect of a $90k base salary, I think we'd have to fundamentally change the structure of the teaching profession here in the States for it to not continue to be a failing proposition as it is now, just with a higher fiscal burden on everyone.
Thanks for the insight. This was very helpful to understand in more detail
Because people see that as a socialist policy and they can’t fathom it
The charter school idea had proven time and time again of being highly corrupt and marginally effective.
The voucher system perpetuates the existing problem of quality teachers following money, technology, etc.
Good teachers want to teach in schools with good leadership, access to resources and strong parental involvement. Unless incentivized, the continual "white flight" of quality teachers to wealthy school districts will continue.
Agree with S1, teacher quality in the US is poor. If you want better teachers, you need to have some sort of up or out with a higher barrier to entry (and obviously better compensation). Unfortunately with the sheer amount of people in the US, this is extremely unrealistic
It would also be hard to evaluate performance. Test scores only tell you how rich student’s parents.
I know that much of education funding comes from local taxes, but is it unrealistic for the fed govenrnent to subsidize the rest?
I think Kamala Harris had an education plan not that far off from this.
Coming from a family full of teachers...they are extremely underpaid
No one wants to have their taxes increased to pay teachers more
Whatever happened to Michelle Rhee?
Who?
Teachers should be paid more but it needs to be adjusted based on cost of living.
Like anything else, level and experience will also have bearing.
Ultimately though this is a local matter given how schools are financed. 9-10 months with 2-3 months off will also have a bearing here.
We don't need to many extra ordinary teachers but teachers who can come up with teaching style that fits the level of students. Lot of kids are not focussing on studies but only care for fb, snapchat and other wasteful garbage online.
Go to route what India has. Private tutors. Best tutors can teach better at affordable costs. Fire all the incompetent teachers.
And they only work 9 mos a year
They work 187 or 195 days a year in many districts. You likely work 215 or 220. Don't use some dumb canard that is knowing wrong. You don't work tremendously more days.
Many districts also require a masters degree, in some states every teacher has to get their master's within a few years if starting.
There are bad teachers, but as long as it is one of the lowest paid occupations, the quality range will be huge.
$90k in some small town is like making $300k in a city. Maybe teachers in high COL areas make 90k, but in small towns like the one I grew up in Illinois $42000 would be more than enough to put you in middle class living
Living in a town of 1000 where $40 in vet fees gives you the same as $400 in DC, a house with 7 bedrooms (what my mom just bought) cost less than $150k, and groceries are exceptionally cheaper, I would say I’m not far off by saying $90k in a small town is like $300k in a high COL area.
Maybe I overstated a little but $90k for a teacher in a small town would be too much for sure
Don’t want to come across the wrong way but I want to let you know that a lot is actually two words not one. It’s a common mistake.
I agree that teachers should be compensated more for their work. We need to pay well in order to keep the most talented resources...and the quality of teachers plays a large role in the success of a child.