Public school teachers make more than private sector workers

[Fieldmouse]

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Public school teachers make more than private sector workers
By: Examiner Editorial | 10/31/11 8:05 PM

We can already hear the anguished, angry protests of the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers. But our headline captures the essence of an important new study being released today by Jason Richwine of the Heritage Foundation's Center for Data Analysis and American Enterprise Institute's Andrew Biggs. Richwine and Biggs found that when public school teachers and private sector workers are compared objectively on the basis of cognitive skills -- rather than years of service or educational attainment -- the educators enjoy higher compensation -- contrary to the claims of union officials in public debate and in negotiations with school boards.

This is seen most dramatically when workers switch from non-teaching jobs to teaching jobs. Such a move typically results in a wage increase of approximately nine percent. "Teachers who change to non-teaching jobs, on the other hand, see their wages decrease by roughly 3 percent. This is the opposite of what one would expect if teachers were underpaid," Richwine and Biggs said.

The biggest factor in the compensation advantage enjoyed by public school teachers is not wages, however, but rather fringe benefits, which typically are substantially more generous than those paid to private sector workers in cognitively comparable positions. Public school teacher pension programs routinely offer higher benefits, thanks to the traditional calculation that lower salaries would be partially offset by more generous retirement packages. Also significant here is the provision by public school pension programs of paid or low-cost health insurance programs for retirees. Richwine and Biggs found the presence of retiree health benefits adds about 10 percent to the total value of public teacher compensation. As much as another 8.6 percent is added when the value of public school teacher job security is added to the comparison.

Nationally, this disparity in compensation means that, while comparisons based solely on salary often do find a disadvantageous wage-gap for public school teachers, the bottom-line changes dramatically when benefits are considered. "More generous fringe benefits for public-school teachers, including greater job security, make total compensation 52 percent greater than fair market levels, equivalent to more than $120 billion overcharged to taxpayers each year. Teacher compensation could therefore be reduced with only minor effects on recruitment and retention," Richwine and Biggs conclude.

No doubt trying to anticipate the objections from critics in the public education community, Richwine and Biggs argue that "no one doubts the significance of high-quality teachers to the school system and to the economy in general, but even the most important public workers should be paid at a level commensurate with their skills -- no more, no less." That's an entirely reasonable position to take, but don't be surprised in the weeks ahead to hear teachers union advocates rejecting it absolutely, even as they direct a hail of bitter and uncompromising assaults on the scholarship and motivations of Messers Richwine and Biggs.



Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinio...#ixzz1cUQIJSMq

[sachiko]

I'm not going to object to anyone making as much as possible, but teachers are well paid for what is, essentially, a part-time job.

[newton29]

Teachers are well paid, at first glance, where I live. But their insurance premium is horrible. Now for all who don't have health insurance-save your gripes, I'm just saying. But "part-time job"? Really? Put up with kids, or worse-teens-for 9 months and going home and grading papers/preparing lesson plans. Out-of-pocket expenses for supplies for which the school district refuses/can't afford to budget? Not to mention parents who refuse to realize their kid is a turd. I realize they get summers off, but I would not have the job. My hat is off to them, as they earn their pay. I don't have anyone in my family who is a teacher, and in fact I am a cop who makes less than a teacher, but I would not trade places with one of them.

[sconnyhunter]

Teaching is a profession that I could never do. I would hit one of the little bastiges, for having no sense of respect for their elders.
However, I would also very much like the opportunity to work 9 months out of 12, but get paid for all 12.
In other words, make 30+k per year including benefits, for 9 months of work, heck yeah!

[CalHunter]

I think there's some truth and some misunderstanding on this issue. Teachers get paid for 9 months of the year. If they choose, they can take smaller checks and get paid 12 months out of the year. They have continuing education requirements (i.e. classes in some college, etc.) that they don't get paid to attend. If they are doing their jobs, they spend time after school (either at school or at home) grading papers, test, devising new teaching material, etc. They are not allowed to participate in Social Security and cannot collect if their spouse had SSI and pre-deceases them. Different school districts pay differently so it's hard to say whether they are overpaid or not--kind of depends on the area, prevailing wages for such jobs and cost of living, etc.

I'm not a teacher but I do have some teachers in the family. IMHO, the really good teachers are underpaid, the average teachers are overpaid and the bad ones should get fired.

[Champlain Islander]

I agree with Cal. I have 2 daughters who are teachers and part time worker isn't the proper term for their profession. Both attended college and received a diploma in education with one already getting her Masters. There is a lot of extra work involved with grading papers at night and on weekends and preparing lesson plans. Continuing education often takes place in the summer which can cause conflicts since both are married with small children. IMO good teachers can't be paid enough since the health and welfare of the next generation is often affected by them.

[Knightia]

Originally Posted by Champlain Islander

I agree with Cal. I have 2 daughters who are teachers and part time worker isn't the proper term for their profession. Both attended college and received a diploma in education with one already getting her Masters. There is a lot of extra work involved with grading papers at night and on weekends and preparing lesson plans. Continuing education often takes place in the summer which can cause conflicts since both are married with small children. IMO good teachers can't be paid enough since the health and welfare of the next generation is often affected by them.

IMHO, the really good teachers are underpaid, the average teachers are overpaid and the bad ones should get fired.

Sounds like a great way of doing things.

Pay the good ones more, fire the bad.

Saying that for Wy anyways all education costs are to high imo here ( including pay scales bennnies) .

I know no one whos a teacher( i do know a lot more ppl in prof heath care services etc( dr, nurses etc)Healthcare providers..

I do know that i pay a lot of"school" taxes( for here) & its also very well funded with mineral wealth.

I have no son, daughter in public schools- i already payed for there education Many yrs ago- my 12 grandkids have parents who pay for them.

I dont mind giving up some moneys- but costs should be contained & moneys wisely spent.

[Knightia]

I have no son, daughter in public schools- i already payed for there education Many yrs ago- my 12 grandkids have parents who pay for them

My sons kids(6 of them) in Indy are home schooled- but i bet he pays plenty of school taxes(moreso).I think he should get a school tax break( and me to)


( was mostly refuring to state school taxes above- i feel the same way about fed school taxes & education cost etc tho)

[Bob H in NH]

Part Time? Can't agree, but see how it can be argued.

Teachers work (at least in my wifes case), from end of August through the end of June. That's 10 months. They get 3 1 week breaks (Christmas, Feb and April vacations), of which in my wifes case a large chunk of that is spent grading and planning up coming lessons.

July and August are "off" but not 100%. Teachers are required to take "x" hours of training to renew thier license. This may vary state to state, but in NH it's a 2 year cycle. Much of this training is done during the summer. Other summer "tasks" include getting ready for the next year. So while summer is absolutely a VERY light time for a teacher, it's not a vacation.

During the school year, my wife is in school by 7 getting ready for the day, conducting meetings with parents, making copies needed for the day, working with students who come in early for extra help, IEP meetings and IEP paperwork. Then there's the "special case" students who's parents insist/force the school to get written updates (arguing "it's one kid" well not if multiple parents argue it). After school, more extra help sessions, grading, planning, paperwork on IEPs, parent meetings, staff meetings, math department meetings etc. Home around 4:30 - 5:00.

After dinner, she is typically grading papers for several hours.

Weekends more grading, more planning, usually occupies at least most of one weekend day.

She easily puts in more hours a week than I do and my normal work week is around 45 hours.

In her case, she took a HUGE pay cut to become a teacher as she was an engineer before this. Could easily hang up the teaching (which she's close to doing due to parents and kids who just don't care) and get a 75-100% pay increase.

Over paid: hardly
Part Time: yes and no

The "cognitive" comparison, like someone to actually explain that one!

Good teaches are priceless, crap teachers should get fired, but good luck getting that done. It's the only industry I know where you don't get more for being better.

[Knightia]

Over all best - pay & bennys my mate got was while working as a R.n was in Ny( 27 yrs i believe) at a county hospital run by the state(NYS nurses union)

Ppl would get fired - but not so much & i think that directly effected lives & heath( you can kill only so many ppl or mess up so many times in some jobs)-and promoted lower quality heath care delivered.

That Nys also had speical nursing education programs to push( help) those on welfare threw( to clear the welfare rolls & take care of any nursing shortages( sounds like a win ,win?).
Dosnt make for highy motivated prof persons & prob didnt help much either.