Kenny made some really great points! I agree with kenny that top celebrities (athletes, actors, singers etc) are paid disproportionately high amounts of money, hands-down. It scares me what this says about our society, actually. Sure, I like entertainment as much as the next guy, but am I really agreeing that what they do is worth 100x (+) what a good educator does? Do we want our children to go to adulthood with entertainment as the priority, or education? A good education teaches someone to think outside the box, to be a creator rather than a consumer. Entertainment, on the other hand, has created a society of consumers. It has its place, to be certain, but do we as a society really want consumerism to be its top priority? No wonder other countries are producing more innovative technology. The consumption of entertainment should be an extra to our daily lives, not the main point.
I put a lot of money into my own education, and Iʻm still paying it off. My salary certainly isnʻt helping me much in that regard. In fact, in the state in which I began my education, teachers get paid a whole (wait for it) $10 more per month for a masters over a bachelorʻs. Seeing as the teachers will have to put out the money to get the masters, do you think thatʻs good incentive? At $120 extra a year, how long will it take to pay off the extra degree?
Teacher burnout rate for good teachers is high, many teachers leave the field because of stress- students, parents, administrative, and community. At least
one list had teaching listed as the #1 most stressful job. Many athletes go on to lucrative careers in the athletic world (commentator, trainer, coach) after their initial careers are over, if they are smart and play their cards right. I canʻt tell you how many gifted teachers Iʻve seen leave the field because of financial reasons, stress, or lack of respect/support. Good teachers are often given the most challenging classes year after year because they "can handle," while less effective teachers are given the easier classes. Yes, they can handle, but their sanity truly cannot. Somethingʻs going to give. Parents these days are sometimes the hardest part of the job. Why are we fighting against parents to get the kids to come to school and put effort into learning? Shouldnʻt we be on the same side?
I actually think a "free public education" works against us. People donʻt always value whatʻs freely given. In my experience, there are many parents who will pay big bucks for their kids to go to sporting events, movies, and spend money on clothing and music, but wonʻt buy the simplest of school supplies for their children. Teachers, who already are pretty low on the salary totem pole considering the education they have put the money into procuring, often put in the extra bucks to buy school supplies for the students who canʻt. I donʻt know of a lot of other occupations where people put in so much of their own money and extra time to benefit others, when reality is that a lot of teachers are scraping to make ends meet.
There are, without a doubt, some really sucky teachers out there. Iʻve worked with a few. I have resented the fact that they pull the same salary as me when my heart and soul is in my career and they are obviously there for a job and summers off. However, there are a lot of really awesome and life-changing teachers out there as well. Current economic times are seeing a lot of education monies being cut, and a lot of teachers being released from service. Youʻd think then the cream would rise to the top. But tenure practices and corruption at all levels impede that process. If education were more valued and higher paid (especially with regards to the amount of education and skill a teacher has), it may become a more desirable career path and attract even more quality teachers. The pay disparity as compared to cost of living amongst the various states is tremendous as well. I donʻt agree in a national pay scale that is equivalent, but one that is equivalent with regards to cost of living, perhaps.
Some of the current ideas of merit pay are ridiculous. Tying pay to test scores? I donʻt want my own child taught to the test! I want my child exposed to things that couldnʻt possibly be assessed on a multiple-choice test. I want my child to learn to love learning, to know how to find answers to questions, to think outside may actually encourage unscrupulous teachers to cheat on the test administration (Iʻve seen that happen, actually). Test scores and income level/level of parent education are inextricably tired together. Who is going to want to work in low-income areas, areas which often need the most gifted of teachers, if there is a fear they will be let go, or if they wonʻt be paid fairly for the work they put in?
Certainly education needs serious reform. Monies are not always used effectively, systems are sometimes in place that may prevent effective educators from moving up and less effective educators from getting support to improve. I shudder, though, when I read of educational reform that consists of getting rid of everyone and starting over. Really? Donʻt throw the baby out with the bathwater. There are some fantastic things being done by teachers with little support, money, and recognition. We donʻt get into this field for money or recognition, obviously, but would respect and support be too much to ask?
Obviously this is a huge soapbox issue for me. I could go on, but I wonʻt. Not in this post, at least.
