Teachers: how much do you get paid?

amother

↑ Burlywood ↓

Wed, May 25 2022, 8:10 am

amother [ Grape ] wrote:

So ppl who would like to make normal wages won’t teach.
We agree
The hours are shorter then typical jobs.
It’s only 10 months
They can’t earn a normal income for one person within those parameters.
They might as well get a diff job. Work slightly longer. Get paid normally.
Most ppl who would be amazing teachers just don’t want to work within those limitations.

Most of the teachers who have responded here seem to be making decent salaries.

I don't understand how your definition of a normal salary is a single salary equivalent to two salaries. That's not normal.

There are pros and cons to being a teacher. It seems like many are making decent money. Every family should make their own choice about whether it's the right vocation for them.

amother

↑ Burlywood ↓

Wed, May 25 2022, 8:15 am

amother [ Scarlet ] wrote:

I teach three elementary grades the following subjects: math, social studies, writing, vocab, and literature. I am at school every day for just under 5 hours, and actually teaching for 4 and a quarter of those hours. I spend at least two hours every single night grading and prepping (and I've been teaching for several decades, but I still prepare daily and weekly, because students change and times change and using the same worksheet every year really doesn't cut it). I spend at least 3-4 hours on weekends grading, prepping, and talking to parents. This does not count meeting time, when I am required to meet with my superior or with parents/special ed staff.
Summers I spend eight out of the ten weeks working on my subjects; I completely overhaul at least one subject a year and usually two. I make changes on all of them to reflect how they went in the past year. I usually spend a couple of hours each week in the summer communicating with other teachers or my superiors about plans for the coming year. I also create materials for other teachers in the school and its other branches, and this is part of my job description.
I have years and years of experience, and I believe that I am considered a good teacher.
OH! I also have a side job, no connection to the school at all, doing computer work from home for 20 hours a week. That's because my teaching job pays roughly $50,000 yearly, and I do not get free tuition or a tuition break. I get 7 days off a year, but no one wants to sub for me, which means if I don't go in, my students do nothing. Consequently, I take off as little time as possible. When my son got married, I took off a grand total of two days. I've gone into work after illnesses when I probably should have stayed in bed.
I've repeatedly asked for raises that would make it possible to give up my other job, but I've quite literally been laughed at. Teaching is incredibly rewarding, but it is physically and emotionally exhausting. So I am calling it quits and leaving after this year.
So here is my conclusion:
You can either pay relatively low, affordable tuition, OR you can have amazing experienced dedicated teachers that will give 100% to your children and make sure they reach every student in the room. Because there are a lot of options out there for women who are bright, talented, and can stand in front of a room and inspire learning, and they are no longer going to work their tails off for peanuts if they can do better.

Why do you overhaul the subjects every year? It's not like your are teaching the same thing to the same kids every year. Yes, make adjustments. But the fact that you spend a whole 2 months every year sounds like you are wasting time. You can be an amazing teacher without doing that, especially when it is emotionally exhausting for you.

amother

↑ Scarlet

Wed, May 25 2022, 8:22 am

amother [ Burlywood ] wrote:

Actually, I can't. Things change! Students change! The worst thing a teacher can do is leave things as they are and just plod through the same year again and again and again. I've been teaching for ages and it just doesn't work to leave things the same even with small adjustments. I don't overhaul every subject every year, I take it in turn after assessing what worked and what didn't.
Things have changed so much, and change is happening so much faster nowadays -- what kids do and don't have access to, willingness of parents to take their kids to the library, knowledge about the world....

amother

↑ Khaki ↓

Wed, May 25 2022, 8:30 am

amother [ Phlox ] wrote:

Wow. I'm a speech therapist, so I have a master's degree that cost approx 50k in student loans (plus hundreds of dollars every year to maintain license, certification and insurance). I thought a degree meant that I would make more $....
I make 65 an hour. I work a lot more than 4 hours 15 minutes a day and do not make 65k (or even close to it) during a school year.
I'm not jealous and I'm glad teachers are making so much. But for the love of gd can we PLEASE stop all this fake rhetoric that teachers are underpaid!! Because now the schools are coming after all us poor struggling parents to pay more!! And there is only so much of a discount they are willing to give!!

Uh, you’re aware that the poster you quoted is the exception, not the rule?

I don’t know one IRL teacher who makes the much. The principal in our BY HS makes a little less than that and she works full time plus. No teacher in the school ny us tops $40k for full time work.

amother

Aubergine ↓

Wed, May 25 2022, 8:34 am

Some of you really don't get it. Yes, teaching has many off days and only 10 months a year and few hours (in the classroom), but you cannot support a family on that small amount of money. Most girls would rather work longer hours (in an office) and come home with more money (even though it's less per hour), hoping that eventually when their family is larger, they have been promoted enough that they can cut their hours and still come home with a decent amount because of their experience.

As a woman's family grows, the lack of flexibility of a teaching job makes it harder. After school daycare for her little ones is a huge expense which doesn't get offset by the amount of money she's making for those few hours. So yes, per hour it might be a decent salary, but still nobody wants to do it because it doesn't make financially sense.

amother

↑ Aubergine ↓

Wed, May 25 2022, 8:46 am

As for how much I make: I started out 17 years ago getting $18/hour. This year I got $40/hour x 3 hours a day. That's $120 per day of 3 hours of teaching in the classroom. (Total 19k for the year) That means I was getting dressed, taking my baby to the babysitter (who charges $7/hour), driving to school (at nearly $5/gallon), standing on my feet for 3 hours minus 10 minutes recess, and coming home 4 hours after I left my house to 2 kids who need me (add another $7 for the second kid who got dropped off at the babysitter while I was still in school). Straight into dinner, homework, baths.
Then once it's quiet at night, I do my marking and prep for the next day.

So yay, I got to make dinner in the morning! My whole day schedule is surrounded by my job, but I'm netting less than $85 for a day's work. At the stage of life where I am with many kids k"ah, that amount of money doesn't compensate for the chaos my job causes in my life and I'd much rather be a SAHM.

Thankfully I'm a very experienced teacher and asked for a significant raise. If it's approved, my principal will be thrilled because she really wants me to stay. Let's see what admin says.

amother

Bergamot

Wed, May 25 2022, 8:50 am

amother [ Khaki ] wrote:

We've had threads on teachers salaries before... there a few very well paid teachers on imamother. Apparently not many teachers total either because the last thread asking salaries didn't get very long. So the imamother community has a skewed view of teachers salaries.

amother

↑ Grape ↓

Wed, May 25 2022, 9:04 am

amother [ Burlywood ] wrote:

Yea it is their choice to go into teaching.
So let’s take the ppl who are willing to work and teach our kids for a joke of a salary. It’s not a livable wage for one person salary.
They can never make more bec hours are set.

Per hour some teaching jobs aren’t bad.
But bec the hours are so short it’s horrible.

It’s a choice. Not too many decent ppl are making that choice right now.

In our society we think a makeup artist deserves 100 -250 an hour. But teachers how dare they ask for anything.
Just shows were our priorities are.

amother

↑ Grape ↓

Wed, May 25 2022, 9:05 am

amother [ Sunflower ] wrote:

Many morahs can only work part time because we are mothers first. Pregnancy and postpartum, raising a family, are not exactly ideal conditions for working full time.
The Rebbis need to answer this poll, they have full time salaries.

They only work part time bec that is how long school is. There is no option for more. That is what makes teaching such a limiting option.
A teacher above says she works 9:25-3. For 28k. Those are decent hours. At a crazy salary.
A secretary at the same hours is making 60k minimum.

amother

Hyssop

Wed, May 25 2022, 9:21 am

amother [ Grape ] wrote:

My daughter's teacher teaches Hebrew and English

My son's rebbi teaches Hebrew and English.

Those teachers have all the right in the world to complain that they're not making enough after working a full day job.

But I haven't heard any complaints from them.

amother

Cyclamen ↓

Wed, May 25 2022, 9:26 am

amother [ Hyssop ] wrote:

I have. I've spoken to teachers in my kids school who are doing such incredible work. And they tell me they discourage their own talented kids from going into chinuch because it's just impossible to support a family on a full time school salary. It's such a shame. Our future teachers should be the cream of the crop, not people who don't want to bother getting a more difficult but lucrative degree.

taketwo

Wed, May 25 2022, 9:27 am

In my neighborhood, in the tristate area, there is a shortage of teachers.
That means my kids are getting poor quality education, some classes are out of control, and some kids find this very difficult to be around.

If teachers are so well paid, why do we have a shortage?Yes, teaching is difficult, but if it was a well paid job I'm sure more would be motivated to stay in teaching.

What are we in this world for? For our kids! After 120 when we leave this world the only thing left will be our kids, and their kids. Is this not the most important part of our life to invest in?

Last edited by taketwo on Wed, May 25 2022, 9:28 am; edited 1 time in total

amother

↑ Clematis ↓

Wed, May 25 2022, 9:32 am

amother [ Tomato ] wrote:

What are all these perks ppl speak of? All together 1,500 between chanuka and purim if I'm lucky - so now my salary is 40k. Teachers don't get chasdei lev. Every office gives bonuses and persk as well. Have you tried living these days? 40k is a joke.

My job gives zero perks. Again, no benefits, raises, bonuses.... I work way more hours than the teachers do but per hour we make similar salaries. I have take home work too. I have costs associated with my work. And no Medicaid for even just my kids, no wic etc.
But remember teachers dont work full time so cant expect full time "liveable salary" . And you cant expect to live off one salary with kids. Teachers can get another job in the summer or even A second teaching job. My pay is for 2000 hours a year. No other job will take me.
1500 cash bonus a year without taxes, any tuition discount automatic without having to open yourself up to investigation and begging sounds amazing. The process for applying is torturous. Imagine someone seeing all your expenses, copays etc. Havjng to justify everything. And where I live people who teach get other random perks for being chinuch. Discounts etc. And it isnt salary based but if it was based on my salary I should get it.

No one is campaigning for me to get a raise. And dont tell me that I should just switch jobs. Because I work in a specific mental health field and yeah, when someone needs us they need us. And no one is getting rich off of it. (And people complain we have limited capacity, arent "doing enough".) And it is a literal life or death situation for many of these people, including frum kids... I cant be more specific as my job is quite unique. But still doesnt pay well. Teaching would be so much less stressful than my job...

amother

↑ Aubergine ↓

Wed, May 25 2022, 9:33 am

amother [ Hyssop ] wrote:

If I would work full day that's from 9-4 PLUS time at home, I would make 38k/year.

In which world is that a normal salary for a full days work which requires being fully "on" mentally and physically for every minute of that time and still includes a minimum of 2 hours of work at home daily???

There's a reason girls/women don't want to teach. It's hard and it doesn't pay well enough. If everyone would think teaching is where it's at, we wouldn't be having the teacher scarcity we have now. I told my principal ten years that we're headed this direction, what with easy degrees more accessible to many girls, office jobs being way less stigmatized than in my days, and elementary teachers' salaries at one point being less than cleaning ladies... but as long as she was filling her slots, she didn't care. Last year plenty schools and chadorim started the school year with classes not having teachers/rebbes. So this year is when the admin realized that a major overhaul is needed.