Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

SnooRevelations9889 t1_jbubfw6 wrote

Reply to comment by redditmbathrowaway in How can we attract more people into the teaching profession? by jekomo

Many, maybe most, teachers don't get 4 months off.

They get 4 months to work another job.

Many of the ones who take the summer off have other sources of money, inheritance or a well-off spouse.

9

redditmbathrowaway t1_jbuewb7 wrote

At $60,000 in a low cost of living city (basically any city in PA), teachers should be comfortable. And that's the average teaching salary in Philadelphia.

If someone lives outside of their means and wants to subsidize their income with another job, that's on them.

But there's no reason for taxpayers to subsidize what otherwise would constitute 4-months of PTO and allow teachers to double dip.

Again, if you want to attract the next generation of educators - the original point of this post - the answer isn't more money (because it's unjustified). It's instead more of a marketing issue, where teaching should be framed/sold more in terms of freedom and impact.

−10

SnooRevelations9889 t1_jbuk5pg wrote

Actually, the marketing for the field already over-performs. Lots of people think they want to be teachers, and go into debt to become them.

A dose of reality leads many to switch careers. I've worked with a lot of them over the years.

Many, many people have a side hustle or second job these days. It's not double-dipping when you use your scheduled time off to make ends meet or try to get ahead a little. That's still your time to sell. You weren't aware?

10

redditmbathrowaway t1_jbuorko wrote

Well if it's your time to sell then salaries don't need to be raised to compensate for that time.

With that argument you're saying that the $60,000 teachers are making working 8 months a year isn't enough? Seems like a stretch.

−3

SnooRevelations9889 t1_jbv5q6s wrote

It's not for me to decide how much people should be paid. Or for you, sorry to let you know.

There's a labor market. The time off teachers get is just one small part of it.

As it stands, competent people who have a desire to be teachers are instead opting for more pragmatic choices. That's what happens in a free society.

The solution is the same as any hiring/retention problem…to pay them competitively. Sorry you don't like it, but that's just the free market answer to this problem.

4

Advanced-Guard-4468 t1_jbv8k9f wrote

You see, when teachers pay comes directly from taxes they should have a say.

The big problem with raising teachers income is that it also raises local property taxes. This makes it difficult for local teachers to ever catch up. The more they make, the more expensive it is to live in the communities.

−4