Teachers: how much do you get paid?

amother

Khaki

Wed, May 25 2022, 1:31 pm

Scratch that, I found it online. Wow, wow, wow.

When I looked into it years ago I was sure it was more like 50K and benefits. I figured I can scrape together a little less than that by working full time in a frum school without benefits but YT off, a meaningful and pleasant experience, and possibly tuition discounts.

Now I see that you literally cannot compare the difference financially…

amother

Phlox

Wed, May 25 2022, 1:39 pm

amother [ Khaki ] wrote:

Wow. That and benefits. My mind is blown.

I feel like this is going to be a real dilemma. That’s an amazing salary.

I’m sad to leave the frum system. But wow.

And at least there I fully expect to deal with difficult and ungrateful parents. In our circles I’m finding it shocking and traumatizing.

Time for a DMC with DH…

Ty for your input. Where can I access the salary schedule?

You should really research it well before you switch. I know someone who just left public school and walked away from all the benefits because she could not take it anymore

The hours are brutal. There is no flexibility or understanding. I know people who have worked the day of their child's wedding and the day after. You won't be able to go to your kids school events. You will not be able to leave early to pick up a sick kid. You will not be able to schedule any appointments during school hours.
The pressure from the administration is enormous. There is a huge amount of paperwork required (way more than any Jewish school).
You will have to pay extra for childcare for all the days when jewish schools have off and you do not (such as the week before pesach, last 2 weeks of june etc).
Your dh needs to be really on board with this because he will be picking up the slack. All the women I know in PS have dh's with super flexible schedules

amother

Geranium

Wed, May 25 2022, 1:45 pm

amother [ Phlox ] wrote:

This exactly. If your dh does not have a flexible job, or you don't have full time help, this job isn't for you if you have young kids. There is no running in 5 minutes late, or leaving a bit early. Nobody cares that it's erev Yom tov or shabbos starts 4:10. It's tough in many ways. You are earning every cent of that check and then some.

amother

Aubergine

Wed, May 25 2022, 2:18 pm

amother [ Bronze ] wrote:

It's still pretty good. I teach full time (duty day is 7:30-4:00) at an MO day school and make just under $60k. If I worked part time, that would be halved. It's comparable to public school pay here. NY especially and NJ have what is probably the highest salary scale for public school teachers, most states do not pay anything near that. In my state, only teachers at the very top of the pay scale would get anything close to $90k, and that's with a PhD and 20+ years teaching experience.
At the end of the day, if you teach half days and make $30-40k yearly that's comparable to the average public school salary scale. And for those that do get a tuition break that ups it even more.

(Tuition discounts here are 50% off, but I don't have kids enrolled here. But if I did that would mean I'd be paying $15k a year instead of $30k.)

Reading comprehension, much? I teach half days and make 19k with zero free tuition. Oh, I forgot, I get 10% off in the hosiery store after Purim but only if I buy for minimum $100 and pay in cash and also only if the purchase is made before Rosh Chodesh Nissan.

amother

Bronze

Wed, May 25 2022, 2:28 pm

amother [ Aubergine ] wrote:

I don't get the middle school mean attitude on this site. And really unprofessional as a teacher, if you see yourself as a role model for students.

Plus the original quote & amount I was referring to was a different one, in your rush to give me a smackdown I guess you didn't notice.

amother

Bronze

Wed, May 25 2022, 2:40 pm

amother [ Phlox ] wrote:

Agree with this. Another thing to know is that the evaluation system is way tougher than that of a Jewish school. Very very subjective and a lot of hoops to jump through. Principals are pressured not to give too many high ratings out, so they will often look to mark you down. I also know people who left or are looking to leave the public school system because of the stress and pressure.

icedcoffee

Wed, May 25 2022, 2:46 pm

Fwiw about the public schools, I've never encountered "no flexibility or understanding." Both schools I've worked at constantly had parents taking off for kid-related reasons, and trust me, these were not places with extremely impressive admins. My coworker is taking off on Friday for her son's field day, and another took off for her toddler's mother's day school event the other week, and this stuff happens constantly. We have about 30 teachers and on any given day, at least 1-3 are out for various appointments family obligations. I have a ton of DOE friends and this is much more the norm than never being able to schedule appts or leave for a sick kid. No, you shouldn't expect to take off every chol hamoed, but there are tons of frum DOE teachers and everyone manages to get accommodations. There's no such thing as "nobody cares shabbat starts 4:10" because they're legally required to work with you on that, even if they may not be thrilled about it.

amother

Geranium

Wed, May 25 2022, 2:51 pm

icedcoffee wrote:

You have been very fortunate. I have not had this experience and neither have most of my friends. Leaving early for shabbat is not so simple...many people, myself included need to make the time up.

amother

Bronze

Wed, May 25 2022, 2:52 pm

icedcoffee wrote:

I had a friend who had to get in touch with Agudath Israel to pull government strings because her principal was giving her a hard time with leaving on Fridays in time to get home (not super early, think walking in right before candlelighting time).

amother

Aubergine

Wed, May 25 2022, 3:12 pm

amother [ Bronze ] wrote:

I am not a teacher now. I am a worker who is being told that my work doesn't have value in your eyes. Plus if you were quoting me, I assumed that you were responding to me. Since we're having a conversation with multiple amothers, yeah, quoting me to tell me (I assume) that if I'm earning as much as a previous poster, it's enough when I'm earning 1/3 of that without free tuition will get sharp reply.

amother

Phlox

Wed, May 25 2022, 3:12 pm

banana123 wrote:

I love how every thread on teachers' salaries turns into a bash-fest about how teachers don't deserve even the salary they are earning and certainly don't deserve to be paid more.

I actually said a million times on this thread and others that I DO NOT CARE if they raise teachers' salaries. It just CANNOT come from raising tuition on parents who are already struggling and penny pinching. They need to fundraise from other sources. Many of us have incomes that are just as modest as the teachers and not getting raises. We cannot absorb the cost of their raises.

amother

Tomato

Wed, May 25 2022, 3:13 pm

banana123 wrote:

I love how every thread on teachers' salaries turns into a bash-fest about how teachers don't deserve even the salary they are earning and certainly don't deserve to be paid more.

Same! Let's all start yelling about shaitel machers or better instagrammers!

icedcoffee

Wed, May 25 2022, 3:19 pm

amother [ Geranium ] wrote:

You have been very fortunate. I have not had this experience and neither have most of my friends. Leaving early for shabbat is not so simple...many people, myself included need to make the time up.

Yes, you are supposed to make the time up but I mean, I don't think that's unreasonable. The system is structured and bureaucratic. If everyone is on the same salary schedule for working the same 6 hour 50 minute days, then it makes sense one person can't frequently leave 2 hours early. It's not like an office job where you can work extra hard on Friday and get all your work done - you have classes that need to be covered. So the fact that there is a system in place to be allowed to leave early is fair, imo, even if we don't live in a perfect world where no principals are begrudging about it.

I've worked with extremely toxic/abusive admins so I am not naive about the bad parts of the DOE. But overall, I think it's pretty darn reasonable, especially considering the benefits we get for it. I don't want to derail into a public vs private teaching thing though. Happy to chat over DM if people are interested in making the switch!

amother

Bronze

Wed, May 25 2022, 4:02 pm

amother [ Aubergine ] wrote:

As a teacher I'd never make a crack at someone's expense by putting down their reading comprehension. 'Nuff said.
Also there's a difference between a sharp reply and a mean putdown.
I have no idea what job you do and frankly I thought we were participating in a rational discussion about teacher salaries. Not putting others down, their jobs, or life choices. Not participating in a pity fest of who has it harder and who gets paid the least.

banana123

Wed, May 25 2022, 4:13 pm

amother [ Phlox ] wrote:

It's very rare to find someone who will donate enough money to cover a consistent and substantial raise in salary that will not disappear in a few years.

People like to donate to one-time causes and get their names on plaques. They don't like to promise to give the same amount next year and the year after. And no school can guarantee that they will find another donor, or donors, who will provide the necessary sum next year or the year after that or in three years from now.

So any salary raise that is not a one-time bonus or lead to a future drop in teachers' salaries is going to have to come from the school's monthly income, I.e. tuition.

banana123

Wed, May 25 2022, 4:15 pm

amother [ Tomato ] wrote:

Same! Let's all start yelling about shaitel machers or better instagrammers!

Except I don't care how much other people make. They make more than me, great, they should enjoy it in good health and use it well.

amother

Aubergine

Wed, May 25 2022, 4:27 pm

amother [ Bronze ] wrote:

You told me (go back and reread your post that quoted me on page 5) that the amount that I earn with zero tuition "is still good enough." As someone earning 60k, you don't get to make that kind of judgment of my work.

amother

Chambray

Wed, May 25 2022, 4:56 pm

The boys know it too. Years ago an office job was questionable for a girl who wanted a real yeshivish shidduch. Teacher was perfect. Today the same boys mothers won’t look at a teacher; they want girls with office jobs and degrees who can actually support a family.