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odoyelrules wrote:I'd like to see an apples to apples comparison of local PA teacher wages and benefits received per hour worked along with similar ratios for other professions like nurses, journalists and accountants. A wages only comparison skews things by ignoring significant differences in hours worked and benefits received by professions.

Research indicates that as a whole teachers plateau/slowly decline in effectiveness after 10 years as teachers, yet the pay structure and (at least for now) job security are based on years of service. I find the current process where teacher competency is ignored, or at is best an afterthought to be very frustrating.

Research also shows that teachers that have a masters degree are no more effective than teachers without those degrees. Heck it even shows no significant differences in teacher quality based on where the bachelor degree was earned.

Somerset county median household per capita income was just under $38,000 in 2008, fwiw.

I'm all for privatizing the Turnpike & PennDot maintenance operations and eliminating those politically filled positions, I'd guess that would save the state $ and the deer carcasses would be scraped up quicker.

Don't think we're going to drink the koolaid just becuase you say "research shows". What research? What company completed the research? What research do you have to support the comment that teachers become less effective after 10 years or that advanced education has no bearing on a teacher's effectiveness. If you want to compare hours worked I hope you don't just look at a teacher's hours that their physically in the school building. Most teachers spend plenty of extra hours in the evening/on weekends doing paperwork, communication, lesson planning. I don't think many nurses are taking their work home with them.

So the statistics on Somerset county, why should teachers make less? My guess is that most of Somerset county residents have not advanced their education to recieve a degree or certificate. That is just a guess though I don't have any research to back that statement up like other people.

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Don't think we're going to drink the koolaid just becuase you say "research shows". What research? What company completed the research? What research do you have to support the comment that teachers become less effective after 10 years or that advanced education has no bearing on a teacher's effectiveness. If you want to compare hours worked I hope you don't just look at a teacher's hours that their physically in the school building. Most teachers spend plenty of extra hours in the evening/on weekends doing paperwork, communication, lesson planning. I don't think many nurses are taking their work home with them.

So the statistics on Somerset county, why should teachers make less? My guess is that most of Somerset county residents have not advanced their education to recieve a degree or certificate. That is just a guess though I don't have any research to back that statement up like other people.[/quote]

I've seen a few studies on the topic before, a quick google search brought up this Harvard 1 that covers most of the points mentioned earlier.

http://www.districtadministration.com/v ... cleid=2477

As far as teachers/hours, I wonder how many hours this amounts to when compared to the regular overtime and summer hours put in by nurses.

As far as Somerset County, that was household per Capita income, not individual.

Who is bashing what others do for a living? I have been working for over twenty years, ten in my current position. My starting wage was less than the current minimum wage.

Interesting discussion here from school consolodation to teacher pay. As with any profession the talent follows the money and its no different with teaching. What should change in teaching is ALL teachers getting paid the same salary based of years taught. There should be a different scales based on the supply and demand of the subject area taught. It is a well known fact there is a glut of elementary teachers out there and a shortage of science/math teachers. Who the heck wants to get a physics degree and become a teacher and make the same money as a home ec teacher? Physics and Chem teachers should be the highest paid teachers in the district to attract enough qualified candidates.

Hey it is good to see southpaw back on here. How are things with you and your family???

southpaw wrote:Interesting discussion here from school consolodation to teacher pay. As with any profession the talent follows the money and its no different with teaching. What should change in teaching is ALL teachers getting paid the same salary based of years taught. There should be a different scales based on the supply and demand of the subject area taught. It is a well known fact there is a glut of elementary teachers out there and a shortage of science/math teachers. Who the heck wants to get a physics degree and become a teacher and make the same money as a home ec teacher? Physics and Chem teachers should be the highest paid teachers in the district to attract enough qualified candidates.

GREAT INPUT SOUTHPAW!

Physics? Is that even taught anymore? Dynes, ergs, vectors, ohms, concave and convex lenses, focal points. Those were the days.

I thought a "physic" was an outdated term for something someone took that was constipated.

Not to be confused with physeek, which I no longer have.

footballfan1 wrote:Hey it is good to see southpaw back on here. How are things with you and your family???

We are doing fine with a new "normal. Living with 3 kids in an apartment is an adjustment. Plus I've always lived on the "right" side of the Ridge and now I'm on the "wrong" side in St. Clairsville.