[NOTE: I find these "scare" threads entertaining because they frequently are populated by (a) sheeple repeating what they are told, (b) people that don't understand the numbers, and (c) let's be honest people that think the grass is greener and are jealous. I work in HR in a school system and one aspect of my job is data analytics on a wide range of subjects including compensation, benefits, and turnover within the profession.]
"According to Just Facts, in the 2020–21 school year, the average school teacher in the U.S. made $65,090 in salary, and received another $33,048 in benefits (such as health insurance, paid leave, and pensions) for $98,138 in total compensation."
These are scare number and based on absolute crap. The numbers represent a national average which when it comes to teacher compensation is pretty meaningless. Why? It ignores cost of living differences between a small school system in rural American with large school systems in Major City USA. Of course national averages are going to look high when the cost of living in major cities is well above rural cost of living.
The more accurate representation is to look at regional and like area compensation profiles.
"...Also, importantly, full-time public school teachers work an average of 1,490 hours per year, including time spent on lesson preparation, test construction, and grading, providing extra help to students, coaching, and other activities,..."
This set of numbers is also pretty meaningless as (a) it is in accurate, and (b) borders on outright lies as to the work profile of a teacher.
In our elementary schools core teachers are lucky to get a 30-minute lunch break, most actually having to eat lunch with and supervise their students. They don't get planning time, test construction, grading, etc. Because they are with their students pretty much the entire day.
In our secondary schools were students change classes the teachers do get a 30 minutes scheduled lunch and possibly a planning period (usually about 45 minutes) for preparation work. 45 Minutes a day to plan out 5-6 HOURS of instruction for the next day (which of course is totally inadequate), let alone test construction and grading.
The falsehood about the above implies those are all hours that a teacher works, which is incorrect. Those normally represent the contract hours during which students are present and some teacher work days when students aren't present. Teachers, as salaried employees, are expected to put in a lot of time over and above the normal "school hours" when students are present.
"...while their counterparts in private industry work an average of 2,045 hours per year, or about 37 percent more than public school teachers."
Almost one quarter don't receive any paid time off at all.
www.cnbc.com
These number are also suspect because a standard 40 hour week for 52 weeks a year is 2080 hours. This indicates that non-teacher, full time employees work 2045 hours per year. That is less than 1 week per year off. No vacation, no holidays. That is incorrect.
In fact full time employees with 1 year average 2-weeks per year (that's 80 hours right there). After 10 years it's more like 3 weeks (120 hours) and 20 years 4 weeks (160 hours). On average and this doesn't include additional holidays.
BTW - Anecdotal "well I know a guy that doesn't get that" is not indicative of populations within a group.
"...$65,090 in salary, and received another $33,048 in benefits (such as health insurance, paid leave, and pensions) for $98,138 in total compensation."
While the numbers are inaccurate for regional compensation planning, I will say that the ratio's are about right. We use, based on history, about 34% non-salary compensation for planning and this works out to be about 33%.
However it is again misleading making it sound like all this non-salary compensation is going to the employee, it's not as it leaves out other required compensation such as employer required FICA and workers compensation insurance. Something that if you dig into the data is ALWAYS included in total compensation profiles but which the author leaves out. Hmmm? Wonder why.
"...All in all, with various perks included, a teacher makes on average $68.85 an hour, whereas a private sector worker makes about $36 per hour."
Again a lousy comparison as it's not comparing apples to apples it's comparing apples to oranges.
The "private sector worker" includes large numbers of low paying low skilled workers while teaching requires a minimum of a Bachelors (and in many cases a Masters) degree in addition to completing and holding a state professional license in the subject area to be taught.
You want to compare teachers to "private sector" workers then show regional number comparing teachers with other licensed professionals requiring University degrees at the Bachelors or Masters level.
For a true comparison exclude minimum and low wage workers in non-professional careers.
"...when healthcare and pension packages are included, teachers are paid more than other workers."
Of course a teacher is going to be paid more based on education and requirements for the job. Duh.
WW
