10 Comments

This site has helped me immensely. My wife live and teach in Hawaii, which ranks all the way at the bottom in the pathetic 50th slot. That's why there's a teacher shortage here - it's so expensive that teachers just can't make it. The teachers that thrive here over time are locals who have inherited home equity and so don't have to worry about buying a home, and teachers who marry doctors, lawyers, etc. The general pattern is for recent college grads eager to try life in Paradise, who stay a couple of years but quickly figure out it's not worth it in the long-term. To be sure, it's a great place to live and work for a couple of years. But my wife and I are now planning to move to #3 - Georgia, where median single-family homes run for a quarter of what they do here ($600,000 - and believe me that doesn't buy you much out here). So, thanks to your wonderfully useful site which has led my family to Georgia. I think the next step would be to rank the states according to job opportunity. For instance, my home state is Pennsylvania, and I wouldn't mind returning there, but I would be at a serious disadvantage as an English teacher without a Master's degree and five years of experience. I know that this is probably far more complicated than ranking teacher salaries, but it would be extremely helpful for teachers considering relocation.

Are there any teachers who teach in or near Lake Charles? B

Unfortunately, many states start their teachers out well below what is listed here as "starting salary." Texas is one of those states. Our 2008-2009 starting salary is $27,000. I understand that's minimum, but most of our teachers actually do start at that. In fact, to attract more potentials, I saw a school advertising that they paid $2200 over the state minimum. Some incentive! 8-( Here's the link, FMI http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/school.finance/salary/

I taught for many years and I must say that it was the best and easiest life ever. I don't know why I moved on to practice law. Consider the number of hours per year that a teacher works. In NYS, teachers work 180 days a year and their benefit package is worth 35%-40% of their salaries. The retirement plan and medical insurance are first class. In addition, sick leave, personal leave, teachers' aides etc., etc., etc. make their lives a dream - even though you would never know it from talking to them. All they do is complain, complain, complain. They should get with it and be grateful for the generosity of taxpaying citizens who support them and their families.

To the former teacher,now lawyer, who says it is the easiest job and that current teachers should not complain is ignorant of the current realities in the teaching profession. I am proud to say that I taught in two different states NY ( the city) and for 20 Yrs in MD a total of 30 yrs not counting two years of college teaching. Teaching , in and of itself, is a joyful and rewarding experience. You have to love kids and love your teaching area of expertise. When I retired 3 yrs ago I was called "teacher coordinator/ dept chair. I enjoyed the position but found the adminsitrative responsibilities a negative impact on my teaching to what had been my optinum level. The administration weighed heavily on demanding too much in too little time. I was called at night, I was pulled from my class room to cover for an absent teacher, I was forced to prepare lessons for absentee teachers, I was forced to coach inept teachers that the system was not or had not dismiissed for incompetence. How I managed I'm not sure. Some days I was working on pure spirit. By the time I retired, I was burnt out and terribly exhausted by the adminsitrative demands directed from administrators some of whom never taught a day in their lives. Teachers are not respected, they are underpaid, unappreciated and are obviously not valued. Most teachers would say " just let me teach" and leave all the beauracratic mess to the administration. Teaching is an art and the delivery of information is a skill ,not all are equipped to perform. I would recommend that anyone walk in a teacher's shoes for a few years before commenting on how we complain. It is an arduous job and it is only through loving children and wanting to bring about knowledge and helping others to become mindful adults that we do this job. For all those who are professionals .ask yourself,"where would I be without a teacher/" Teachers need encouragement, respect, support and time to reflect and regenerate and reinvent. Yes ,we have for the most part excellent retirement benefits and Lord knows we deserve it and we do pay for those benefits. School years have been extended, workshops and extra training is essential and when teachers leave the school house there work is never over. Their evenings are nights of correcting papers,, lesson planning and bearing up for one more day which can be hell. Respect and appreciate those who teach as it is a profession laden with love and dedication. Amen

Oh by the way , when I retired my salary was $77, 000.00 plus bonuses that yielded me closer to $88,000. That was of course due to longevity and education I had a masters plus 30 credit hours toward another masters.

@jafv: so...if a teacher's life is so easy (a "dream" as you state): 1. Why did you leave? 2. Why don't you go back? We all know you WERE NOT in fact a teacher and are simply yet another person who complains about teachers but knows nothing about the profession. I just love the clueless anti-teacher comments by people who just don't understand, nor take the time to try to understand. You my friend are probably one of those parents who can't control his kids and you send them to spend more time with me in school than with you at home. Oh by the way, why don't you go ahead and thank a teacher, or two, for helping you get your law degree.

I’m a 26 year old Latino woman interested in getting my Bachelors on Secondary Education (Spanish teacher). I been working in the Corporate America world for about 7 years (currently in finance dept) making close to 45K and have seen all the corruption, favoritism and unfairness that goes on in this world. Teaching was always something that interested me, but was always discouraged by negative people who stated that teacher’s are underpaid and can hardly survive with their income. I want a profession, I want to teach high school kids but I also want to make sure I will be able to survive with my income. Right now I can manage with my income, I’m single and no kids but I want to be able to support a family (of course hopefully along with a husband). I always ask all my teacher friends about their experience teaching, the pros and cons. I need advice from teachers who have experience this profession. One thing to keep in mind is that I live in Chicago IL and would start with a Bachelors. Can any of you help me out? Would this profession be for me and would I be happy with the income?

For rosie. Teaching is very rewarding, once you figure out how to manage your classroom. The first year is hell. Don't give up, learn from your mistakes, and ask for help from your teaching peers. I worked professionally for over twenty years, as a drafter, drafting supervisor, project engineer, and technical illustrator. Now I am teaching art and gifted art. I am not even teaching an academic, and I spend 2-4 hours everyday working at home, and another 4-8 hours every weekend, grading and preparing curriculum. After figuring my actual working hours, I am only making $12.35 per hour. Illinois pays better than my state, though. Good Luck!

Deliver me from the ignorant masses who think that teachers work "180 days" a year. And of course, we only work 71/2 hours a day. BULL. I teach kindergarten, and I love it, or I would not be doing it. It is work. It is consuming if you do it right, If it were only about teaching, that would be a piece of cake, sure. But it's not. It's about making sure the principle is satisfied with my work; meeting the demands of all the new programs the county thinks are the next great thing; catering to parents who think their child is the only one I have in my classroom and he/she is a perfect genius. It's also about finding time to teach 24-5 year olds how to read and write, do math, and understand science and social studies with minimal assistance while differentiating for multi-leveled learners AND assessing all these students individually in all the above mentioned areas. Oh, yea, those benefits. Yea, they're great. But if i have to take one of those "Paid' sick days, I have - while sick - to make plans for the one who will take care of my class while I'm gone, making sure they have everything they need to take care of those 24-5 year olds for the day and get them home safely. I can't just say, "put it on my desk, and I'll see about it tomorrow." Believe me when I say, I am not complaining. It is just the reality of teaching. I've also done other jobs outside the classroom, and nothing is as satifying as teaching for me. I just find it insulting for people to say, it's just. . . . It's not! That's like saying a surgeon's job is easy because he/she schedules surgeries at his/her convenience and only does a few each week. But, man, he sure makes more money than me. Teaching is the most important job ever. Who taught the surgeon how to do his job? If you don't want to do it, fine; but don't degrade the profession based on your limited and, obviously ineffective, experience.