Are Teachers Underpaid

photo by: teachermisery.com

Are teachers underpaid? This is one of the most divisive questions during 2012. Across the country we saw teacher strikes and state legislatures high-jacking teacher collective bargaining rights. Across the country we heard teachers revered and  reviled. We heard people say they "made too much" and they "didn't make enough." And at the conclusion of the year, it seems that we are back where we started.

As I searched for articles about the topic of teachers' being underpaid or overpaid, I came across an article that puts a humorous twist to the teacher salary debate. The article generated over 140 comments. This speaks volume to the explosiveness of the issue. The article is from www.addictinginfo.org. Enjoy!

Are You Sick of 'Highly Paid Teachers'? 

Teachers’ hefty salaries are driving up taxes, and they only work 9 or10 months a year! It’s time we put things in perspective and pay them for what they do – babysit!

We can get that for less than minimum wage.

That’s right. Let’s give them $3.00 an hour and only the hours they worked; not any of that silly planning time, or any time they spend before or after school. That would be $19.50 a day (7:45 to 3:00 PM with 45 min. off for lunch and plan– that equals 6 1/2 hours).

Each parent should pay $19.50 a day for these teachers to baby-sit their children. Now how many students do they teach in a day…maybe 30? So that’s $19.50 x 30 = $585.00 a day.

However, remember they only work 180 days a year!!!

I am not going to pay them for any vacations.

LET’S SEE….

That’s $585 X 180= $105,300 per year. (Hold on! My calculator needs new batteries).

What about those special education teachers and the ones with Master’s degrees? Well, we could pay them minimum wage ($7.75), and just to be fair, round it off to $8.00 an hour. That would be $8 X 6 1/2 hours X 30 children X 180 days = $280,800 per year.

Wait a minute — there’s something wrong here! There sure is!

The average teacher’s salary (nation wide) is $50,000. $50,000/180 days = $277.77/per day/30 students=$9.25/6.5 hours = $1.42 per hour per student–a very inexpensive baby-sitter and they even EDUCATE your kids!) 

WHAT A DEAL!!!!

How much do you think a teacher should make? Are teachers underpaid?