Teachers Aren't Paid Too Much and Aren't Evil -- Really

COMMENTARY | There is little to be happy about today in America. Pessimism permeates our society that seems unshakable. The government is paralyzed, the recession lingers, and who is to blame changes with every election cycle. No issue is of greater importance than the underachievement of our public schools. The 2009 PISA scores, which compared the achievement of 15 year olds internationally, had America 17^th overall, trailing countries such as Estonia in reading and math. Who is to blame? The verdict: teachers. Mention teachers to Americans, and you get everything from admiration to pure disgust. Teachers are accused of being overpaid, underworked, union fat-cats, who refuse to sacrifice for America's children. With our future at stake, literally; I am here to say that teachers aren't evil, and most get into the profession to, well, teach.

Teachers are Overpaid

The most serious accusation levied against educators is they are overpaid and receive too many benefits. Today's fiscal disarray requires a debate over public worker salaries. However, let's put something in perspective. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, the household median income in America is $49,445. According to the New York Times, the average starting salary for a teacher in the United States is $39,000, while the highest paid teachers average $67,000. And that is often after 25 years of service. These statistics put the rest those who cite outliers making $100,000 as the norm in American classrooms. There should be a discussion whether teaching merits high pay, but is $ 67,000 too much for a whole career? In addition, these salaries still take in to account the baby boom generation who enjoy the highest benefits and salaries in schools. Younger teachers' salaries have been eroded from years of cutbacks and contract negotiations, even though the profession's expectations have increased.

Teachers Barely Work

Many will argue that a low salary is justified because of a teacher's work day. Again, you hear the comments that teachers work few hours and have time off. My day is split up into nine 40 minute periods. Here is my schedule for all to see:

Period 1: Class

Period 2: Team Meetings/Parent Meetings

Period 3 - 5: Class

Period 6: Study Hall Duty

Period 7: Lunch

Period 8: Plan Period

Period 9: Class

Taken together, my school allows one free period during the day. In that period, I am to plan, make copies, modify curriculum for special education, grade, respond to correspondence, and do the million other things that pop up from day to day. Of course that can't be accomplished, so work comes home. That is not a complaint, but a fact. My day by contract goes from 7:40 - 3:10. That is a seven and a half hour workday. Are there Americans who work more than that? Of course! But let's not act like the whole country is committed to involuntary servitude. Many in the private sector leave the workplace for hour lunches, take golf outings for "networking," attend events for "networking," use the company credit card for trips, have multiple week vacations. Those are the perks of working in the private sector, and I don't disparage those who utilize them. In addition, 62% of teachers have another job outside of teaching.

The Union Won't Give

Teachers' unions protect the wrong individuals at times. A conversation about getting rid of "bad teachers" is warranted. However, if your profession was attacked every day, would you want to give up protections? Americans cheer the laying off of educators and the erosion of their wealth. Class sizes are exploding at the expense of the "average" student who will be left to languish because so many resources are devoted to low achievers. Teachers are to be held more accountable with fewer resources. Notice what I said there, "teachers." We often make the whole school system and teachers interchangeable. The truth: there aren't enough teachers. That is not a ploy for more money, but an assessment that can be made from walking into any school.

Teaching is unlike other professions. Parents today are too willing to call for a teacher's head rather than hold their own child accountable. Should the protections like tenure be retracted, perhaps. But the "you work for me" mentality needs to go. America is a nation where tax dollars are used for everyone's benefit. I don't own a house, yet my tax dollars subsidize those who deduct their mortgage interest on their taxes. I don't claim to own your house. I don't have children, but my tax dollars go to those who do have children and claim them as dependents. I don't claim to be a guardian of your children. I'm not a banker. Yet, my tax dollars went to bail out banks. I don't own the banks. There are thousands of public workers in America, and that's who they work for, America, not individuals. Unions may need to be weakened, but they are trying to protect a profession in peril.

Perhaps the highest paid teachers need to take a pay cut, so pensions can be reduced. A system needs to implemented that allows the firing of ineffective teachers. These discussions are good ones. But let's take the venom and hate out of them. Constantly being beaten down by the society you are trying to help weighs heavily on educators. The overwhelming majority of teachers I know don't live the life of Riley. No statistic is more telling than the following: According to the Washington Post, 50% of teachers leave within the first five years. It's easy to take cheap shots at the reason why, but ask yourself; who will teach my child?