<p>To clarify…I’m not suggesting that most teachers are underpaid (though some certainly are) and overworked; I agree that everyone works hard. But even if it were true that they only worked 180 days a year, 8 hours a day, teachers are not overpaid. According to this source, Weatherby’s teachers (who are certainly not affluent by the standard of, say, prep schools) amount to 2% of the total teachers in N.J. Maybe not the fairest number to hurl at the profession…</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/05/nj_teachers_pay_freeze_salarie.html[/url]”>N.J. teacher salaries debate continues amid Gov. Christie's school aid cuts - nj.com;
<p>Here’s a picture of our high school teachers. Salaries top out at around $70,000, with a masters degree, but average at $50,000. There’s no getting paid extra to tutor students after school, though teachers do get paid extra to coach sports teams. Teachers must be in school from 7:30 to 3:30. Meetings are after school. Secondary school teachers teach five classes (never more than two of the same–school’s too small) with one prep period, teaching 7th to 12th graders; while I often wish they’d write more on my kids’ work, I’m pretty sure they’re not getting everything done in one 45-minute period. I’ve taught secondary school in two other states with similar stats. </p>
<p>Neato: Really suggesting that prep school teachers have the monopoly on summer prep, with nary a Sunday or weeknight off during the school year?</p>