Teachers Underpaid?

Every year the likes of WEAC, NEA, WFA, all Teachers and Educators Unions claim that our Teachers are underpaid. I agree 100%.

The question really should not be whether our Teachers are underpaid or not, but more of how to reward our Good Teachers.

According to a report from NEA in 2004-2005 the average salary for a Wisconsin Teacher was $43,466. Compared to the National Average of $47,750. Several things that we need to take into consideration, benefits packages, days worked.

When you take into account that the average school teacher works an estimated 21% fewer days than the average worker in the workforce. When you take into account that standard practice is the workforce is 2-3 weeks vacation a year for average non-teacher jobs the wage comparison would be much higher. If you consider that a the average work year for a non-teacher employee is 250 days (2 weeks vacation) and the average Teacher work year is 205 days, you have to adjust the wage accordingly. At $43,466, the average teacher makes $212.03 per day. If I made $43,466 a year, I would make $173.86 per a day. Now reverse the figure for Teachers and if they worked 250 days at the same rate of $212.03, the annual salary would then be $53,007.50. According to the Federal Government, the average wage in 2006 was $38,651.41. Teachers in comparison are paid 12% above the national average wage for all workers. Adjusted based on work days, Teachers are paid 28% above the national average.

A vast majority of Teachers do an outstanding job. Working day in and day out to help mold our children into great adults. It would be nice to allow the administrators of our schools to hold annual reviews and reward the good teachers, and terminate the bad teachers. Unfortunately that is not the way it works. The Union wants to make sure everyone is adjusted to what they feel is adequate, and get rid of anyone, NO WAY!!!

As for the Union, they spends millions of dollars in politics to assist their candidates. Spending almost $2,000,000 to help re-elect Governor Jim Doyle.

We haven't even taken into account the benefits that come with the job.