Apparently it takes a lot more money to hire advisers for our leaders in Raleigh than to recruit teachers for the children of North Carolina.
My eyes were drawn to an AP story in the morning's Observer about two 24-year-olds who worked in Pat McCrory's campaign for governor and are now making salaries of $85,000 or more in advisory posts with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
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I had just finished talking with a 25-year-old Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools teacher who's bright and energetic enough to help Deputy Superintendent Ann Clark with some of her research. He's making about $37,400 a year -- but only because CMS provides a supplement with county money. The state scale would put him at $30,800.
The state's teacher pay scale starts at $30,800 and tops out at about $65,520, for a teacher with a master's degree, National Board certification and at least 35 years of experience. That made me curious: How do advisers to the people who approve that scale compare?
The state government salary database lists 60 employees of the governor's office. On a quick scan, I counted 22 making more than any teacher can. Eric Guckian, a member of the Charlotte education scene who was recently hired as McCrory's education adviser, came in at $120,000. Three of the six administrative assistants earn more than $50,000, a level teachers crack at 32 years on the bachelor's degree scale.
Only one member of the governor's staff makes less than a starting teacher. Gregory Anthony Steele is listed as press secretary at $28,000. He's listed as a 21-year-old hired in June, which makes me suspect it's a summer job.
What about the legislative staff? I came up dry. Turns out the General Assembly has its own payroll system, which we don't have online.
I've sent a request to our data guy. I think people might want to know.
Posts
63 comments:
While you're at it, please post their benefits, too.
Perhaps we could see the total number of administrators employed at the ed center and their salaries.
Put'em on sub pay and lock the lobbyists out.
CMS is top heavy. The ONLY jobs that really matter are the ones on the front line - teachers and teacher assistants. They are the ones that provide the product to the customer. Enough with all the CMS Bureaucratic bologna, and all the money that goes with it.
Police officers and teachers get ridiculous benefits that no other profession gets.
Look up the HUD Good Neighbor program. It is a federally funded government program so teachers and police officers get discounted mortgages on select foreclosures. There is a house right now on South Blvd that is at least 20K under value that falls within this program.
A teacher starts out making $35,418 a year in Mecklenburg county. That is for 9 months of work. In 2010 I started out making $32,500 for an entry level position at my company. I worked 12 months a year. I have very little sympathy for them.
I have made comments the past few days regarding the number of employees and salaries within the Chief Information Office at CMS and interestingly enough...crickets.
There are 94 employees listed in the department according the posted database (including the janitor) with total salaries of over $5.6 million.
I get the comparison being drawn here between the GA and this 25year old, but it falls on deaf ears for me.
There are 18,665 employee records in the posted CMS database. This 25 year old is at the 8,700 line of salaries.
There are secretaries and even a locksmith making more than he is (that was just a quick glance. I'm sure there are others).
Here's the real kicker. Looking at where this 25 year old ranks against the 94 CIO employees, 87 employees make more than the teacher.
As one other poster said, perhaps looking from within might be more prudent.
The top down approach to education is a fraud! Let Principals administer their schools and let the teachers teach get the bureaucracy out of the way.
This is a glance at next week for Teachers across CMS.
Schedule
Mon AM - Faculty meeting, power school training (I am a trainer and have 1:45 minutes to teach the software to fellow teachers who have not been allowed to actually login to PowerSchool till Monday)
Mon PM - In the classroom (actually preparing for students)
Tues - CMS Required meetings (teachers will be all over Charlotte getting training from the district instead of working to make their classes meaningful.)
Wednesday AM - Department Meetings,
Wednesday PM - Team building activities
Thursday AM - Content Planning
Thursday afternoon - CMS Pep Rally
Thursday Night - Welcome to new students and parents
Friday AM - Faculty Meeting, Work in rooms.
Monday – Start of classes
When are teachers suppose to get ready for the school year and actually plan and create a positive learning environment? I would have posted this in the PEP rally article but I wanted to post anonymously
I retired from CMS after 29 years as Sr. Adm. Sec. making mid 30's for 12 month contract. Teachers work a 10 month contract, not nine months. I can tell you that they also put in more hours and days than you are suggesting. They must attend training and prepare their classrooms and lessons. They also contribute 6% of their salary to their pension. I am very disturbed at the level of hatred directed at teachers.
Corrections:
1. Teachers work ten months ( usually) and get paid for ten months - not twelve.
2. "Ridiculous" benefits? Teachers PAY into their retirement plan. Their health insurance is often below par with many industries.
If you hate teachers, just say so - but stop spreading an inaccurate perception of the " cushy" job. Come do it for one week - I DARE you!
I wonder how many recent graduates would consider a teachers salary and benefits so bad.
The economy is particularly rough right for recent college graduates who are often underemployed in the "service" sector working at jobs which do not require their skills at all.
I wonder how many people working in customer service jobs or call centers would swap jobs with teachers.
Probably quite a few.
This economy is hurting a lot of people, including those who chose college majors with "careers" in mind, such as Business degrees.
I wonder what the same analysis would have shown under Gov Bev and Gov Mike?
The media loves the double standard.
Perhaps you should address your question to local politicians rather than the State. The State only provides a portion of the $$'s for teachers salaries. Local communities are supposed to kick in their share. NC state ranks 11th in State funding -- so it's your local governments that need to be addressing the "shortfall."
Remember, it is the General Assembly that is screwing the teachers right now. CMS has its issues but I believe this blog is examining how the legislators value their 'advisers' versus teachers.
BTW, Anon @10:59, you've already been corrected on a couple things but I wonder how your salary has changed since your entry level job? A teacher's salary is unchanged for 5 years. A teacher's skill increases exponentially those first few years and the reward is?
Anon at 12:42... TEachers work for the State and they provide the salary for teachers. Counties offer a 'supplement' if they choose to. It is not a requirement.
Anon 12:54.
Most people probably don't have the same jobs they had at "entry" level.
The idea of working 30 years in the same profession are a bit outmoded today.
And even if they did, I don't think teachers should be surprised at their pay and benefits.
I don't think anyone tricked them by saying they'd make a lot.
TOP HEAVY IS RIGHT
Ann
Check into the 50 new Professional Developement positions being created by Morrison / Truesdale. These positions will stay at each K-8 school to provide what during how many meetings during the year. This is on top of the countless facilitators, instructional coordinators and on and on. All of wich contribute little to none in the day to day operations of the majority of frontline teachers.
THIS IS NOTHING BUT MORE SALARY BLOAT
There is no bang for the buck with all of these sudo administrative positions. Try putting these people into the classroom. Make these "stealing paychecks" positions teach at LEAST one class somewhere per day.
No one is forcing a young person to earn an education degree and a career path that pays so little. I earned an engineering degree and 3 years later as a 25 year old was making over 100K. Capatalism at it's finest. You want better pay, benefits, etc. Go get it.
Listen the CMS teachers gets a Pep Rally Party once a year. You cannot put a value on that so maybe he/she is ovepaid? In my job I dont get a Pep Rally every year. Boy I miss those. How does the song go "welcome to the real world" I wish Heath would join us. Keith W. Hurley
12:41--I'm wondering the same thing--did Ann scrutinize salaries under Governors Bev and Mike and compare them to teacher's salaries? I'm pretty sure the word has gone out at the Observer for all employees to attack this administration in any way they can.
Pay the Teachers and bring back their benefits !
THE ONLY RALLY NEEDED
COMMON GOAL for a COMMON CORE
Sounds like the Observer is against qualified & capable young people filling jobs in state government. Did Bev, Jim or Mike have these same positions? What did they pay them? These are positions that state gov't has/needs & Obama has/needs and it's unfortunately "apples to oranges" to compare to teachers' salaries.
1:16 I like your comment. CMS is absurdly top heavy. They could cut 50% of the Central office, etc... today and the teachers would carry on and teach the children. I've always wondered why my child's elem school has several literacy facilitators and math facilitators - Very expensive and with teachers today being able to access any info on their own, unnecessary.
Can anyone provide a reason why Bovis Lend lease, a company that use to manage the construction projects for CMS, but has a much smaller role now, and Verizon, a company who receives over a million dollars a year in cellular services payments, is sponsoring this? isnt that a conflict of interest?how can this be legal if they are active contractors?????? Sorry i would havve posted this in that story but i need toremain anonymous....
Anon 1:36.
If you look at the typical teacher's standardized test results you will KNOW why they don't become highly paid engineers.
Most of them lack the math skills.
Given that, they probably are doing fairly well in today's economy in which even educators admit that STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) skills are in high demand.
I think that if they compare their salaries (honestly) to today's typical "liberal arts" graduates in History, English, Music, Art, etc., etc., they will see that they are fairly well compensated.
At least they HAVE jobs somewhat related to their chosen profession and training.
Which is better than most college graduates outside engineering can say today.
That's not saying that I think this is the ideal way to set up an educational system.
But it is what it is. And it draws the folks it does. Who get paid what they get paid. And it's all pretty much above board.
A bit outdated, perhaps, but not a big secret that the big bucks are elsewhere.
So, perhaps, for the people who can and do qualify, it isn't such a bad gig.
As to why society doesn't value teachers as much as engineers, well, we'll just have to keep wondering about that.
And for those who say that it's the teachers who "teach" the engineers...
Yeah, that's probably true through the sixth grade for the typical "teacher" with an Education degree.
After that, it's pretty much a specialty.
When will the data under the Easley and Perdue administrations be released? I would love to see the comparison.
I laugh every day at how many anti-McCrory stories there are in this newspaper. Where were all your "investigative" stories and incessant whining when Sticky Fingers Easley and Do Nothing Perdue were running the show? Not to mention all the positive spin being given to these inane "Moral Monday" protestors, much like the MSM gave the Occupy extremists. Typical Observer, some things never change. No wonder you're losing subscribers by the day.
As far as the salary issue, if you're making over 100K, more power to you. The average salary is still way below that, and if I'm not mistaken, the average teacher salary is at least on par with the average worker's salary, if not more. Look at all the DC staffers that just got their little Obamacare exemption to keep them on board...because according to Nancy Pelosi, they could be making SO much more in the private sector LOL. Sound familiar?
Don't forget Mary Easley and her "tenure" at NC State. I can't remember this blog discussing how her salary compared to a teachers salary.
2:18- I like your thinking , but absolutely not. If the Chamber called to get Verizon and Bovis to pony up some cash well then thats whats going to happen. Do you think Bovis will get some new business from CMS down the road? Why of course thats what the Chamber promised. Verizon might even expand their services by helping with technology needs down the road why of course. That dirty business has gone on for a long time in CMS and is part of the reason they have budget issues. Most of the fat contractors get fatter while the teachers get told NO. The staff and kids suffer , but some company gets a inflated vendor contract. I dont know how some of them sleep at night , but I imagine the vendor negotiators send their kids to private schools. Keith W. Hurley
Wait ...Seriously. You people think that teachers ***ONLY*** work 9 or 10 months out of a year? You people are crazy. Hey Anonymous at August 16, 2013 at 1:36 PM - WHERE WOULD YOU BE WITHOUT THOSE TEACHERS?!?! I am not a teacher. I could not deal with the issues that they have to deal with. My sister and brother are both teachers, and THEY WORK 12 months of the year. And put in more hours (And weekends) than most people that I know. Since parenting today is so lackadaisical, they are the ones who hand out discipline, and usually get into trouble for it. They are the ones who are threatened by violence, they are the ones who are giving the next generation a voice. They are the ones who hold the future in their hands. Where would any of us be without our teachers? The fact that they knowingly STILL choose this profession given the salaries and issues and problems that go along with it, makes them saints in my book. Instead of putting them down and saying they made their bed, let them lie in it, give them a raise. Give them benefits (my sister had to “bank” her vacation days to have a child and get maternity leave). Give them anything they want. They deserve it. They should be one of the highest paid professions rather than the lowest.
Are. You. Serious.
Like what if Doctors or Lawyers, like totally were paid like the same amount as teachers, you know, like then totally fair. Where would those Doctors or Lawyers be without a teachers, you know?
Totally.
Nice Reporting, Ann. Really bringing it with this article, totally up with the power struggle and fighting for the masses.
Pathetic.
How about a list of the county office employees and their bloated salaries!!!
6:04
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/04/23/94563/mecklenburg-county-salary-database.html
Okay Ann, sanity check. Just in today's story about CMS adding 31 teacher positions, the total payroll for CMS is increased by 90 jobs!
Don't you see a little, even a little ridiculousness in CMS's ivory tower?
On top of that, Washington DC federal government has had the largest increase ever, ever in jobs paying over 100k under this administration!
And if you want to talk about the increase in federal government under Bush, you have to remember most of that was federalizing TSA employees already in airports who were only private contractors prior to that time.
Oh yes, the HUD good neighbors program...we want to move people with jobs into crap-tastic neighborhoods to do what? Lend them an air of respectability? Give teachers and cops "good deals"... such an AWESOME benefit...we can buy houses at a discounted rated in the neighborhoods that most people don't want to live in...AWESOME!
You people really have no clue.
All this rhetoric about teacher pay is disheartening. As a teacher for 16 years I have never thought I would make piles of money. I never looked at education from the bottom of the ladder and hoped to climb to the top aspiring to make money and hold titles. Unfortunately, that is not the case for those who are in education BUT NOT IN THE CLASSROOMS.
I work very very hard mentally for 10 months and work very very hard physically in construction for 2 months. I don't have summers off, although I am not teaching I am still working.
What CHAFES me is the wasted money on high paying positions like admin., principals, and downtown folk. I think you will find the majority of teachers who teach to teach would agree. There is a very DISTINCT line in our field ( teachers that is because I am tired of being swept into the same closet as overpaid clowns who do nothing more than check boxes and act as compliance officers and collect fat checks) that gets blurred when one or two teachers start complaining about pay.
I think the biggest concern for us teachers lies in the fact that we are constantly being portrayed as paupers with our hands out like lepers in Ben Hur. I work at a school where the administrative staff makes 645,000.00. Seriously read that sentence again... Nearly 3/4 of a million dollars..... 5 people.... In teachers terms that is 16 teachers at 40,000.00. THAT IS THE CONCERN teachers continue to have.
I don't think the pot of money needs to be bigger, I just don't think some people should get 10 plates full of food while others only get one.
Teachers are paid on a 10 month contract. That means we get a paycheck for 10 months of the year. We get 2 months off WITHOUT PAY!!!!!Most of the teachers I know have additional summer jobs to pay the bills. Please stop thinking that teachers make the same pay for 10 months as someone at 12 months. Teachers also put in more than 40 hours of week and buy a lot of their classroom supplies. Teachers pay into retirement, pay for health insurance which is crappy, pay for dental and vision. So really the benefits are not that great.
12:15...... See this kind of comment implies that the audience is ignorant and does not understand. As a teacher I get aggravated by your post. We do only get paid for 10 months ( not sure if I have ever seen a contract in 16 years) but don't go on saying we pay into retirement, health insurance etc......EVERYONE DOES.... You make us sound like bafoons.
Potential teachers coming to North Carolina take note: "DO NOT COME TO THIS STATE!" It has undereducated people who work in business and pretend to know something about public education because they slept at a Holiday Inn Express. Move to another state, remember there are 46 other states that pay much higher that this state.
Do you know that if a principal or downtown staffer didn't show up to work, teachers could still do their job? If CMS wants to get serious about education, just look at the front line where it's all happening. Get rid of all that fat cream on top.
Anon 1:22
To say 46 other states as paying "much higher salaries", you need to define what much higher is.
The median teacher salary in 2011/2012 according to the NEA was $55,418 and North Carolina's was $45,947 for a difference of $9,471.
Let's put that difference into perspective. The 15th state up the list from NC which ranks 31st is Arizona. The difference in salary is only #2,744 per year. Yes, it is more but not MUCH more.
Also, the higher up the list you go, many of those states have higher costs of living. California ranks #5 in teacher pay. The difference between California and NC is $22,584. Yes, that is a much bigger difference, but that difference will be eaten up by what it costs to live in California.
According to Payscale.com, the overall cost of living in NYC versus Charlotte is -58% lower in Charlotte.
In Los Angeles it is -28% lower.
To follow up on the salary issue and cost of living, here is a story from Money Watch.
So put the cost of living into perspective when ranting about what you do or do not make.
Also, CMS has 43 schools listed on the Great Schools website with a ranking of 8, 9 or 10.
(MoneyWatch) Where are the hottest places to live if you have a child in elementary school?
Parents are flocking to 10 small towns around the country, all located on the outer rings of larger cities, to raise their children. But it's not the low crime rates, big backyards and white picket fences that bring them here, it's the schools.
Parents want to raise their children in these school districts, as evidenced by the high proportion of school-age kids to pre-school age kids.
Trulia found that the places on this list coincidentally have nearly perfect ratings at GreatSchools.org, which rates schools by how well their students perform on standardized tests. Hoboken's schools, on the other hand, average only a 2 or 3 on the site.
In addition to all of these places having high-quality schools, they shared other attributes, Kolko said.
"People look for more spread-out, not-as-dense areas," Kolko said. "People also look for more affordable neighborhoods, where they can get their own yard and their kids can have their own bedroom."
That's not to say these places are cheap, but they are places where your dollar stretches farther.
"Generally speaking, more attractive districts are more expensive; less expensive ones involve a longer commute," Kolko said. "For some parents, in a bigger city, it boils down to a choice between their kids' school and their commute."
The parents in these communities seem to be picking schools over commute--the suburbs average 40 miles outside the closest urban center.
Here are the Top 10. I took the price per square foot for each of these areas and multiplied it by 2,000 sqft house:
Rank, Housing Cost, State, Great Schools Rating
10 - $520,000 NJ - 9
09 - $408,000 CT - 10
08 - $504,000 NJ - 8
07 - $1,298,000 CA - 10
06 - $516,000 CT - 10
05 - $1,072,000 CA - 10
04 - $554,000 IL - 10
03 - $644,000 NY - 9
02 - $184,000 TX - 10
01 - $1,206,000 CA - 10
Ann, It was a great read! Despite the usual anonymous trolls complaining about anything associated with education, government or helping anyone but themselves, it was an astute point you raised and many of us appreciated the research that went into it. Rather than viewing this post as a partisan shot, you did a wonderful job of highlighting the inequities of the system, regardless of the party in power. When short term secretaries working for a political leader make more than some of our state's best teachers, it confirms the inequities of the system. It is a sad valuation of our priorities... Having grown up in the Deep South, I was always impressed with North Carolina's reputation for high quality education, at least on a regional and collegiate level. It is sad to see it squandered for such narrow partisan aims. Equally disturbing is the tendency for Wiley and others to spew vitriolic anti-government hatred as they willingly ignore the governor's wasteful use of tax dollars. It's almost as if regardless of your post, their answer will fit into the same preset categories: 1) CMS is bloated, 2)teachers are lazy because they work 10 months or inner city kids are all thugs.
No offense meant to y'all but as a Republican who voted for Pat, I am not pleased with the way things have gone and welcome the perspective you brought. This is not what I signed up for.
Did you read the article. They start at $30,800. County supplements move up that number...thankfully. We work 10 months a year...not 9. You may think that's too much but that doesn't account for the time spent at night and weekends working.
Wiley, I like the comparison number you presented. I would say in Charlotte unless you pay close to $600,000 you won't get in a great home school area. In some areas it's a matter of 1 or 2 streets away their could be a $300,000 drop in home values due to redistributing. I guess I am just lucky that my 6 year old neighborhood is still not in a district. I am between 3 different zones. You should see the number of buses over lapping when school is in session. The wasted fuel in my area could give the teachers a raise or enough money for a real big party at Bank Of America Stadium. I am talking year end bash for all the teachers in the state big time. I am talking about bringing in the Rolling Stones with Heath doing a solo . Keith W. Hurley
1:39
There are secretaries within CMS that make more than teachers.
Keith,
Why live in Charlotte? If you work here, do like thousands and move to Ft. Mill or Union County.
Ft. Mill can't build schools fast enough.
Keith, your point about the buses is a valid one. Did you know that most of the morning buses for all of the south charlotte high schools are practically empty, yet they run them all (30 each school)because they have students assigned to the seats. These students will never step foot on the bus and will ride with fellow students or parents will drive them. Some of the buses get to the hs parking lots at 6:30am and sit there (running) til 6:45am when they can let the kids out. Most parents for ES, MS and HS, at least in the south charlotte area, drive their kids in the mornings to school anyway so why doesn't CMS cut all the schools fleet by 25-50% in the mornings and run the remaining buses to a few more stops. They will get to school in plenty of time, and save MILLIONS of dollars doing so. Just common sense.
When our son was in high school his bus came at 6:25 for a 3 mile drive to school. School started at 7:30 when he was there. Very few rode that bus because of the early pick up time. Most (below driving age) kids rode the bus home unless they were involved in after school activities. Overall I think it is incorrect to say that most "south Charlotte parents drive their kids to school"--most elementary and middle are on the bus, unless the bus schedule is totally ridiculous. True, a lot of parents do drive their kids on any given day for various reasons, but the majority, at least around our area, are on the bus.
What is your job, I'm curious. It's it comparable in responsibility, education and the amount of time after hours top a teacher? And it is 10 months, not 9.
Good for you and I hope you love your job. How did you learn by the way? Oh, teachers taught you? We need more teachers than engineers.
7:14 Tamara , CMS has no clue of the waste in transportation area. They have to provide transportation so I get that part. Having 6 buses overlap while they are all 20 percent full is my issue. With the cameras on the buses they have all the documentation in front of them. They simply are not really interested in doing anything about it. I don't blame our county leaders for not giving them more budget dollars. VOTE NO BONDS !!!!!!!!!! Keith W. Hurley
Watching Heath on NBC's Flashpoint. He questions priorities, yet seems oblivious to the fact he could demonstrate teachers are a priority by reallocating funds from his bloated admintration bureaucracy. Not only would it create more dollars for teachers, it would streamline the decision making process and generate other benefits.
Wiley, I live in Charlotte for my job and my short commute. I do know hundreds of folks who have moved to Ft. Mill and love the benefits the great state of SC provides. When I get closer to retirement age I would certainly consider moving to the great state. If our county leaders had a clue they would push the state of NC for a work tax as millions flee the border daily at night. Why just look at the big banana Chiquita that we gave a huge tax incentive too. Most of their employees were put on buses to buy homes in Fort Mill by their Chamber Partner Allen Tate. How much sense does that make for a mecklenburg county tax payer? They just use our infrastructure while buying their food, home,gas and booze in another state. Other states have controlled this for decades with a work tax our leaders done seem to have the spine to do it. Keith W. Hurley
One thing I haven't seen (or maybe missed) was how long does a teacher have to teach to reach that $46000 average salary. From the pay scales, it's any where between 9 to 15 years experience. Would you work for 9 to 15 years to make "not that bad of money"? What does a private sector job make with the same level of education and the same number of years of service? Something to think about.
Do you work with 20 plus students each day? Do you have a 20 minute lunch break? What is your education level compared to teachers? Volunteer at any regular school for one day and then make that comment without sounding like an idiot. Do you know how much it cost to repair these HUD homes that are being offered to teachers and police through this program? These repairs cost almost as much as the house is being sold for. I have 12 yrs of experience and a master's degree, my monthly take home pay is not even $2,600.Sympathy or not, we are worth so much more!!!
STRIKE
MAKE IT WORK
or
MOVE ON !
Teachers quit your pitty party. Deal with the salary and class sizes or go find another job!
8:32 Over 50% of our elem and middle school (and HS for that matter) students in the the far south charlotte area are driven to school by Moms and dads in the mornings. The schools have done counts, it's hundreds of cars and hundreds of students. I believe it is because it makes morning routines so much easier and parents can drop kids off on their way to work, or let their kids get an extra 40 minutes of sleep and some breakfast in the morning. Makes sense to me.
Debbie Leonard...
You can be certain that engineers with engineering degrees teach engineering, not "teachers" with "education" degrees.
Don't get too full of yourself.
You can also be certain that every Doctor, lawyer, engineer, etc had a teacher with an education degree at some point. You don't get to college without a teacher. I don't care if you were home schooled. At some point, someone who taught you something was a teacher. Be it the actual teachers who got you to college, or the parents who went to school and taught you at home. You may have gone to engineering school, but I bet they didn't take you without a high school diploma. Where do you plan for your children to get those from? The North Carolina General Assembly? Let's talk about STEM for a minute. I'm an NCSSM alumni - but I still had to take English. STEM is important, but without question the most important thing is this world is the ability to communicate. It doesn't matter how well we can do science, and math if we can't communicate those discoveries. I honestly dare every teacher to walk out the door, and stop working and see what happens then. Maybe then they will finally get the respect they deserve. They watch our children, teach our children, and in way too many cases, raise our children. And we squabble over whether or not they deserve money?????????? There is NO job that doesn't require a teacher. I don't care what you do. Every job has a learning curve. And as technology gets more and more advanced, even the computer at the McDonald's will require a child get through middle school. Even construction requires learning. I'm not bashing any profession requiring hard work, but no job is done without learning. And teachers teach children not only information, but HOW to learn. Yet we begrudge them a paycheck.
Today I heard a couple of retired teachers make the statement that the teachers should all not show up for the first day of school to protest the “failure” of the State and local Governments to succumb to their demands of more money and the return of higher pay for a Master’s Degree. When I asked about the reality of the real world versus the public employee mentality they gave me nothing but the talking points that all the media repeat, never asking the teachers or their leaders where the money is supposed to come from! Some facts from the NEA, the North Carolina ranked 46th with an average teacher salary is $45,933 (2012), and from the US Census North Carolina is ranked 45th in average family income with $45,206. Even tonight on your news at 10 you did 2 things I find incredibly stupid. You played a sound byte of a “New” teacher and the reporter said “the one thing he would not get was a pay raise.” How many new employees get a pay raise? Showing a littler bias for the teachers? The second thing was the new Superintendent of Schools saying he was disappointed that the teachers were only ranked 48th in pay. Again do any of you do any research into what you report or just let your selves be led by the teachers and their self-centered wants? The teachers keep complaining about not getting any raises in 5 years, please do a little research in the private sector, my wife has not had a raise in 5 years and our health insurance has gone up every year as well, as have all our costs of living. She makes less money than the teachers and works 52 weeks a year, not 9 months like the teachers do.
The next thing is the false idea that if teachers get a Master’s degree they should get higher pay for doing the same job. Ask any private employer if they will pay a higher wage for doing the same job if a higher Degree is not required? Example: a Project Manager at a large company got his Masters and wanted to move to a Plant Manager position that was open to get a higher salary but did not get that position and then quit to find a job where the pay was equal to his education.
The teachers and the NCAE need to study the math of the state family income vs. their greed. If they want to make what a NJ teacher makes they should move to NJ and be prepared to pay the New Jersey Median Real Estate Taxes which are $6,828 per year. NC’s are $1,223 per year. As well as all the other higher costs of living.
Everyone is hurting and the economy is not getting better except in the minds of those in the White House. Now is not the time for teachers to insist that they are deserving of raises when the tax base will not support it. The private sector is not getting any raises at this time, and higher taxes would be a severe burden on too many people.
Teachers in nc make a lot more than I thought they did,so why are they complaining. most people here make a lot less half or less than they do. they still want raises ,and are protesting the horrible republicans. we tax payers are broke ,suck it up,40k up to 60k or more is very good for here.the amounts below are starting pay most make a lot more than that.The Bureau of Labor Statistics regularly gathers data related to the annual wages of teachers in North Carolina and other states. According to the BLS, as of 2010, the average kindergarten teacher in North Carolina had an annual salary of $41,760. Elementary teachers earn slightly more with an annual take home pay of $43,200, while middle school teachers earn an average salary of $42,670. Secondary school teachers or high school teachers earn an average salary of $44,730. The statistics for teachers at all four types of schools exclude special education teachers
NC has had one of the fastest growing populations. Thus it has hired many more new teachers. States with decreasing populations are laying off newest teachers. I would hope the CMS teachers understand this "mix" of newer vs older teachers skew the averages. It is not as bad as it appears - if you look at what is behind the numbers. Of course this would not fit moveon.org's agenda against GOP. Don't get used.
Heath does not care about teachers. If he did he would not have hired 60 staff personel & only 30 teachers. He would have hired 90 teachers.
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