In response to my recent paper on public school teacher pay—in which Jason Richwine and I concluded that overall teacher compensation, including salaries, benefits, and job security, was roughly 50 percent above market levels—the Washington Post cites a recent comment from former Washington, DC schools chancellor Michelle Rhee:
“The average teacher salary in the United States is estimated to be around $55,000. Surely your favorite teacher is worth more than that.”
But here’s the problem: average total compensation including benefits is around $110,000, significantly more than teachers’ skills would merit in private sector jobs. And that amount isn’t simply paid to my favorite teacher; it goes to my least favorite teacher as well, since good and bad teachers are paid essentially the same. So we could just as accurately say:
“The average not-so-great teacher in the United States receives total compensation of around $110,000 per year.”
Is that too much to pay? Yes.
http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2011/11/03/study-concluding-teachers-are-overpaid-designed-to-denigrate-teachers-and-chastise-their-unions/
For what it’s worth, the points made in the blog you reference are almost all either mistaken or already accounted for by our paper.
I can’t believe someone with such a terribly flawed research design, so clearly muddled by ideology, is making $140K a year. Yes, that would be you. Shameful and an embarrassment to competent researchers everywhere whose work is much more rigorous and meaningful.
Our paper follows standard approaches that have been used by researchers for decades and published in peer-reviewed journals.
Standard research used for decades is outdated and easily manipulated to bamboozle the average person. Teachers don’t get 60K worth of compensation. Partial insurance premiums are paid by the school district. It covers as much as if you don’t have insurance. Guess who gets that insurance premium? The insurance companies that charge 500$ a month with a 5000 deductible and covers 70% after that. It would be nice if teachers got the insurance premium money in a savings account. Sick leave means you can miss 10 days a year with pay and a retired MBA gets sub pay. Our 403b’s are not matched. All the big 100 bux teachers can set aside is out of their own pocket and a broker gets commission from that and you get a devaluing stock. This compensation package you’re referring to is not a company car, paid flight tickets, dry cleaning stipends or 2 hour lunches on the company credit card. If the teaching profession were male dominated, teachers would make 500K and student failure would just be collateral damage, assumed risk or a complication. Ever heard the phrase, “you put the Con in Consultation”?
$110,000 in total annual compensation? And, just how many years has that teacher been working and what level of education has she/he attained and are they certified in any specialities?
Since teachers are so “overpaid” as per the writer of this piece, why are so many of them leaving the profession within the first five years, for “greener pastures”?
I’m not sure about “good” teachers vs “bad teachers” receiving the same amount of pay; but if evaluations are being done, then that can be kept to a minimum. Teachers are not being overpaid, they are overworked, under-appreciated, bad-mouthed something aweful by politicans; especially when they stand up for themselves against abuse and mistreatment. The research on this specific topic is nothing more than a sham and should be ignored by all concerned and intelligent people.
The average salary is around $55,000; average benefits (both current benefits and future pension and retiree health benefits) are worth about another $55,000. Really, teacher retirement benefits are a LOT more generous than private sector plans.
Second, while many teachers leave the profession, many more try to get in. Teacher colleges graduate more students than can possibly find teaching jobs, and most teaching jobs — even before the recession — generated multiple qualified applicants.
This introduces a pelsaginly rational point of view.