And then there are really “wealthy” where the wealth comes from tourists and second homes, but the locals are just getting by. They tend to have low pay, but extraordinarily high rent due to Air BnBs, even in the surrounding towns. They really struggle to find teachers
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But this is true, too, for the English or Sociology major or Journalist, etc. All jobs are different - but people move to sell cars or manage a restaurant. Some move to teach. We all make choices. And some engineers might make $100K and others $70K - so you even have variation within one field.
The concept is no different.
It’s as if to say being a teacher puts you in a special class.
Now, it does in what most of us think about teachers - that they are helping to change the world.
But the economics and supply/demand are still the same as other fields.
Some choose to move. Others don’t.
It’s like going to college.
Some choose to move. Some want to stay near home.
I don’t really see the difference.
There are a million careers - and yes, they come with varying pay and levels. People move to NYC to work in an ad agency for $40K - because they want to work in an ad agency and it pays squat.
Teaching is just another profession - and people can choose to go to an open job…or not. Mine will make $65K her 2nd year, in a city that isn’t cheap (but isn’t the most expensive).
She’s made a choice to go there - and she has to live with that choice…no different than anyone else in any profession, no matter the major.
But I see “experienced” jobs in NYC - places like Paramount, listed on another thread, and they are 5 years experience with ranges of $70-90K, etc. so there are many “less than adequate” pay jobs - but that’s what’s out there and inevitably, regardless of someone’s living situation, they’ll find someone to take it because it’s entertainment.
One of the benefits of teaching when I started 35 years ago was the “teachers could work anywhere”. I was married to a guy climbing the corporate ladder. We moved every 12-24 months and I was in a very niche specialty that was very needed but almost no one had the training. I landed a job instantly any time we moved with just a phone call and was always able to get all of my experience factored into the step/lane salary chart.
It is not like that anymore more! At least where I am, if you want to change districts, you better do it in the first 4 years or so. Districts are not hiring teachers with more than that because they are too expensive, and if you do get hired, many won’t give you more than a Step 4 on the chart. While I have many friends that experienced this, I didn’t know how strict it was until I was on our town’s school committee and principals would come to beg to be allowed to offer a superior candidate more. Our superintendent always said no. I made a move 8 years ago and was able to do some negotiation on step, but I did not come in on the top step which is where I belonged.
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sorry, tried to delete before posting as it was veering off topic, but hit post too quickly.
Well I guess I would argue they are. Or should be. You’re talking as though public education is like any for-profit business. Personally I don’t care if company xyz can hire another engineer. But I do care if my kid’s high school can’t hire a physics teacher. Company xyz can pay whatever they want and get people or not. They make a profit or they don’t, makes me no nevermind. But public services don’t work that way. Unfortunately the local tax base and the will to raise that determines what kind of education your kids get. There’s not necessarily market forces for teachers - no one is looking to make a profit - and the kinds of people who think the schools are getting too much money (in some rural areas northwards of 60% of municipal budgets go to the schools) can keep those salaries low while not caring about the repercussions. The market forces just aren’t there for public education - the repercussions and impacts of underspending are completely different than they are for private companies.
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But this is why I brought up other lower paying jobs - and people fall over themselves to get.
When I worked at a prominent sports network, I got the job a year after I interviewed. There was 800 applicants for every job. It was a 6 month contract, paid 40 hours at $7.50 per and I worked more than double so really made $3 an hour. People fall over themselves for these - just like as ad agencies or entertainment jobs and more. They move to NY and Chicago for a pittance.
The economics are different but not the overall hiring methodology. Some will move to teach like mine did just like some will move to manage a restaurant or hotel. Others won’t. And if they won’t, just like a company, a role will get a temp/contractor or go unfulfilled.
They (teachers)are doing great things for society. But they aren’t different. It’s a job - and there’s a choice they can make. Some will take less pay - to work in a richer district. Others go for more money in a poor district. And those not flexible in their choices may not work. Lots of people in any role are the same.
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Again, please stay on topic and take the side bar conversations to PM or to a new thread. TIA!
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For those who are thinking about becoming a teacher:
Some districts offer very competitive salaries; others do not. Some districts may seem like more attractive locales to live in than others. But, wherever you teach, there are definite benefits:
- Helping a kid to understand a topic/subject and realize that they’re intellectually capable,
- Teaching kids the skills they need to be successful at the next level, including the soft skills like kindness, respect, and responsibility,
- Helping a kid to feel more comfortable with who they are (whether they’re dealing with the common feelings of adolescence or really do march to the beat of a different drummer),
- Noticing when a situation is seriously off and getting that kid help to get out of that situation, even if you never end up seeing the kid again,
- Having kids (and their parents) know that there are people outside of their family who really care about them as individuals and will do their darndest to help them out,
- Students who come back years down the road and talk about what a difference you made in their lives,
- And so many more.
Since much of this thread has focused on some of the difficulties of the education profession, I want to make sure that some of the benefits are mentioned as well.
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Both my parents were teachers. There is nothing like the pride of a teacher when a former student name-checks you in an interview, cites your work in a published paper or book, mentions your name in a speech at a professional conference, etc.
I had three teachers whose investment in me changed my life.
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Hopefully this is considered related to/on topic. Where I live, if you work for the county’s department of education and work at least 60% of a full-time employee, you are eligible for full health benefits and a pension. So there can be more to a career in education than just salary.
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Quoting myself regarding my aspiring teacher.
She got the long term sub job!!
And this will be an incredible experience for her as the principal and staff seem so innovative with their vision and programs. My daughter will be a great asset as well, full of energy and knowledge and with a natural gift of understanding kids who are unique and learn differently.
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Long term subbing is a great way to get a foot in the door. If they love you and can’t keep you due to lack of openings, they will usually go above and beyond with their references to help get you a position in another district.
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I came here to say this exact thing. I work in healthcare, and a number of my coworkers have teaching degrees. Former teachers make great clinic managers, patient navigators, coders/billers and other similar clinic support staff. And yes, they say the pay is better and the expectations are more humane-- including the ability to take a bathroom break when you need to.
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I know some education majors and they are either teaching or doing substitute teaching to get their foot in the door. We even have two alumni who just graduated from college who just started teaching at the school I work at, it’s nice when alumni come back to work for us.
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An anecdote from one elementary school in a university town that is generally considered a desirable place to live: the school received 50 applicants for a single teaching position that unexpectedly opened shortly after the school year began.
The district that school is part of just announced that it will close eight elementary schools and one junior high and consolidate two others. Normal staff attrition will not be enough to absorb the resulting reductions, so many teachers will be laid off.
In a nearby university town, the school district has announced plans to close four schools and consolidate twelve others. And farther away, I recently saw news that Minneapolis is closing more than a dozen schools.
While teaching jobs may still be relatively easy to find in some places today, that won’t be the case everywhere.
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This is happening all over the state I work in. Layoffs of teachers, schools closing etc. The districts cannot keep up with the rising costs of health insurance, supplies, electricity, etc.
And in some cases, the declining enrollments, or too many school buildings to maintain.
So…correct…if you are a teacher, look at the school board minutes to get a sense of the town and where budget cuts have taken place or are planned to take place.
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There is also a lot of affordable housing being built here. While I support the housing, the tax dollars are not following. Enrollment is way up without the funding to support it.
Here it’s the politics. Our school board now has a Moms of Liberty head, has run off the Super and while there’s a well qualified one waiting in the wings, they want to hire someone who shares their values - ie Christian values. And they want voucher expansion.
There’s only so much money.
That’s not meant to be political - just stating what is happening.
People pay a big premium to buy homes. Last time this happened, people realized and ran them off. But now our school board elections are partisan so people just vote their party without looking deeper.
Public education is under attack.
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