Teachers: how much do you get paid?

amother

Raspberry

Wed, May 25 2022, 9:43 am

I left teaching teaching because of the low salary. I’m a great teacher (can’t believe I’m saying this but I’m anonymous so I think it’s ok) and I adore teaching. I would have loved to stay but it makes no sense for me financially. I was offered 20k to stay and when I told the principal I would come for 25, she told me she has teachers teaching for more than twenty years who aren’t making that much.
Either she was lying to me or saying the truth; either way I couldn’t say yes to the salary.
Edit to add: when I began teaching ten years ago, they started me at 12k. For the year.

amother

Wine

Wed, May 25 2022, 9:45 am

amother [ Aubergine ] wrote:

As for how much I make: I started out 17 years ago getting $18/hour. This year I got $40/hour x 3 hours a day. That's $120 per day of 3 hours of teaching in the classroom. (Total 19k for the year) That means I was getting dressed, taking my baby to the babysitter (who charges $7/hour), driving to school (at nearly $5/gallon), standing on my feet for 3 hours minus 10 minutes recess, and coming home 4 hours after I left my house to 2 kids who need me (add another $7 for the second kid who got dropped off at the babysitter while I was still in school). Straight into dinner, homework, baths.
Then once it's quiet at night, I do my marking and prep for the next day.

So yay, I got to make dinner in the morning! My whole day schedule is surrounded by my job, but I'm netting less than $85 for a day's work. At the stage of life where I am with many kids k"ah, that amount of money doesn't compensate for the chaos my job causes in my life and I'd much rather be a SAHM.

Thankfully I'm a very experienced teacher and asked for a significant raise. If it's approved, my principal will be thrilled because she really wants me to stay. Let's see what admin says.

Excuse me? Yes it's hard to work and raise a family? I'm not sure why this means you deserve a raise? Is this some kind of threat? Pay me x or I'm not working what are you going to do about it? Dont have the family if you cant afford to not work. I would also love to be a SAHM or work minimally so as not to disrupt my family. That doesnt exist. I wouldn't dream of asking for a raise for that. As it is I work through the year and do not have the luxury of being off yomim tovim, winter vacation etc. I watch these families have kid after kid without a thought (they're a kollel or rebbe family so tuition is negotiable) and it boggles my mind the entitlement from some of these posts. I'll take the post semester girls as teachers just fine. Honestly, the morah are often too busy and harried with their kids to do a great job anyway.

Honestly can't wait until my kids are out of school and I never have to pay a single cent to that place again. The financial strain it has put on me has literally made me sick.

amother

Aubergine

Wed, May 25 2022, 9:58 am

amother [ Wine ] wrote:

IF my principal would have post semester girls applying, she'd hire them. There are very few. Probably because of people like you who hate teachers and have a disgusting attitude. Since when is asking for a raise a threat??? Wow.

Did I say I am asking a raise because it's hard to work while raising a family? No. I said I'm asking for a raise because it's hard to work while raising a family and earning peanuts for that.

amother

Offwhite

Wed, May 25 2022, 10:02 am

I live in what's considered an oot place, one school in the community. I teach in the middle school abt 3 hrs a day & 1 1/2 hrs on Fridays. I was told I'm one of the highest paid teachers in the school, & my salary is 25,200 plus 30% tuition discount. I do not take home a penny, literally I don't get a paycheck because it all goes to tuition and after school program since I work til 4 & my preschooler gets out at 2. Plus, I pay out of pocket for my youngest in playgroup & for her to be picked up and brought to a babysitter while I teach.
Next year, from what I hear, there will be no more tuition breaks for the teachers, but our salaries will be raised. I have no idea to how much, but I don't think it will be worth it. I know they value me as a teacher and there aren't many other options in my community for ppl to take me over, but I'm really in a pickle. Not to mention, I feel so burned out.
People talk about the fact that everyone brings home work. There's work, like paperwork type, that everyone may bring home, no matter the job, but what about all the bashing from parents that you have to put up with at home, the ones who have no idea what it takes to manage a classroom, the ones who think they know better than you even though they were not there when it happened, the ones who are not open to the idea that their child has serious problems that need to be dealt with, the ones who talk behind your back in a small community and you meet them & their friends in the store all the time and has even been your mikvah lady!! Work comes home with me in more ways than just paper. It takes a huge toll on me, and I'm beginning to realize it's just not worth the stress and emotional exhaustion. Are there rewarding parts to teaching? Yes, but at this point, the other parts outweigh it for me. Can't Believe It

amother

Bronze

Wed, May 25 2022, 10:19 am

amother [ Aubergine ] wrote:

My kids don't go to the school I teach at, so no free tuition.

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.)

amother

Khaki

Wed, May 25 2022, 10:22 am

icedcoffee wrote:

Not sure if you're looking for the public school perspective but I make about 90k, next year will be about 100k. I work 9:15 - 3:50, five periods of 47 min each. Great healthcare benefits too. Genuinely can't complain about the compensation.

It’s really hard for me to hear this as a teacher, because I chose to work in Jewish schools even though I do have a masters in education. I make less than a third of your salary, and I do not get tuition discounts any differently than any other family who is struggling. I felt that it would be much more meaningful and I’d make a big difference in our community. But now that I think about it, my family comes first. Perhaps I should look into working for the public school system.

amother

Green

Wed, May 25 2022, 10:22 am

amother [ Clematis ] wrote:

My job gives zero perks. Again, no benefits, raises, bonuses.... I work way more hours than the teachers do but per hour we make similar salaries. I have take home work too. I have costs associated with my work. And no Medicaid for even just my kids, no wic etc.
But remember teachers dont work full time so cant expect full time "liveable salary" . And you cant expect to live off one salary with kids. Teachers can get another job in the summer or even A second teaching job. My pay is for 2000 hours a year. No other job will take me.
1500 cash bonus a year without taxes, any tuition discount automatic without having to open yourself up to investigation and begging sounds amazing. The process for applying is torturous. Imagine someone seeing all your expenses, copays etc. Havjng to justify everything. And where I live people who teach get other random perks for being chinuch. Discounts etc. And it isnt salary based but if it was based on my salary I should get it.

No one is campaigning for me to get a raise. And dont tell me that I should just switch jobs. Because I work in a specific mental health field and yeah, when someone needs us they need us. And no one is getting rich off of it. (And people complain we have limited capacity, arent "doing enough".) And it is a literal life or death situation for many of these people, including frum kids... I cant be more specific as my job is quite unique. But still doesnt pay well. Teaching would be so much less stressful than my job...

So go teach! Noone is stopping you and there is a serious shortage!
I think we ALL need to separate the issues. One issue is working mothers (not teachers) who are massively struggling to make ends meet to pay the massive tuition bills.
And the second issue is that our schools need to up their game because our children need an amazing education given by qualified teachers.
Facts on the ground:
-as mothers, it is our job and responsibility to educate our kids.
-We give this job over to the school.
-all the people complaining how schools don't cater to working mothers are kissing the point. Schools aren't babysitters. They are sources for education.
-we want them to do a good job and are very quick to blame the school/teachers when our children are having issues (academic/emotional/social etc).
-the schools can only do as good of a job with the teachers they have.
-arguing how teachers are overpaid makes no difference to our bottom line.
-quality education needs quality teachers who need quality salaries to take the job noone else wants.

Now a separate discussion has to be had about the emotional and physical cost to working mothers trying to pay crazy tuitions.
Maybe we need more organizations to fundraise to fund schools along with the ones that fund weddings/cancer/special needs.
And this has to be a priority.

But stop guilting and shaming teachers! You can take responsibility for your childs education and homeschool your children if you wish, or hire a private tutor...if you aren't, then realize and appreciate that teachers are doing YOUR job for you...

amother

Bronze

Wed, May 25 2022, 10:26 am

amother [ Khaki ] wrote:

Be aware that is not the norm for most public school jobs. That's a shorter duty day than average, and outside of NY/NJ you won't be making $90k without a PhD.

amother

Wine

Wed, May 25 2022, 10:35 am

amother [ Offwhite ] wrote:

It makes sense to raise salaries vs give reduced tuition. This way the salary is set. Reduced tuition means one teacher who has 10 kids is getting a much better deal than the teacher with 2.

Honestly no job is easy at all once you are juggling raising a family. Working in the public school system is extremely taxing. I quit my teaching job to work in a professional non Frum environment and I'm not sure it was the best decision. Financially I make more but not more per hour I just work more hours. I lost the social life and camaraderie of the teachers room. The fulfillment of being a great teacher and being appreciated in the community. The atmosphere I work in people are swearing and gossiping all day. They do not understand my yomim tovim, large family, modest dress. Since we make more the school asks us to pay full tuition and we are just over the cap for recieving the child tax credit. Financially it does not feel much different than when I was teaching. I am a lot more burnt out now.

amother

Crocus

Wed, May 25 2022, 11:05 am

amother [ Wine ] wrote:

It’s what you signed up for when you had those children. Financial strains. Otherwise you could work for yourself and go on as many vacations as you like without feeding them, clothing them, and educating them.

I don’t know why the school is to blame for your own choices of having children either. People are allowed to make a livable wage.

Btw, my 18 year old son is excited to be your sons Rebbe next year.

amother

Wine

Wed, May 25 2022, 11:21 am

amother [ Crocus ] wrote:

Exactly. This is why I have 4 children unlike many in my community. I take my responsibility to pay for them seriously. The school is not at all taking responsibility for my family they could care less. It is me and my husband who work ourselves to the bone and then beg for a 1k tuition break (and pay ONLY 27k in tuition). I'm just wondering why the teachers expect me to foot their 10 kid family bills. As the teacher above said shes asking for a raise or shes leaving since making 19k for working roughly 12 hours a week 8.5 months a year is too chaotic for her family. If you think you can get an easier more fulfilling, better paying job elsewhere, quit! There are no shortage of teachers where I live besides for in the boys elementary and that has nothing to do with compensation but rather with our communities attitude towards secular education.

My sons rebbeim are all 50+ years old I would love some fresh energy honestly!

icedcoffee

Wed, May 25 2022, 11:25 am

amother [ Khaki ] wrote:

Honestly, I had the same thoughts, and I'm so glad with the choice I made. It would be very nice to work in a Jewish environment but my career is a means to support my family. My administration is extremely understanding with chagim and shabbat. No regrets! (To the person who said this isn't the norm, obviously I'm only referring to where this is the norm -- NYC in this case. If your public school hours would be long and grueling and you won't make much more money, then obviously there's different considerations to be made)

amother

Fern

Wed, May 25 2022, 12:36 pm

Re the shortage of teachers

As a former teacher I wouldn’t encourage my children to go into teaching for the following reasons

True per hour teachers may be pulling in a decent salary per hour but the demands and expectations of parents (rightfully so as parents are paying out of their nose tuition ) is very very demanding and the job becomes darn if you do and darn if you don’t, there is no pleasing everyone- schools don’t have enough support staff to please everyone .
The culture nowadays is that many students view themselves as “victims” and they or their parents throw all blame on the school … all this outside stress and guilt that perhaps you are ruining a child by setting expectations .
Something has to change , it is not just a financial change

amother

Apple

Wed, May 25 2022, 12:44 pm

It's quite known that Lakewood teachers get paid a lot more than Brooklyn teachers. Of course there are other schools but for the sake of this conversation I'm referring to Brooklyn and Lakewood. I'm also referring to schools that don't require a degree. The Brooklyn schools I'm affiliated with take gross advantage of their teachers. And I can tell you that my family members that teach put in more hours at home than they do in school. Every day, every week, during vacation, and over weekends.
There are principals that will tell you the the amount of applicants hey have drop each year. It's clearly a financial decision the would be teachers are making. They see their friends and relatives who leave the teaching field after 1 or 2 years because they simply cannot cover their basic expenses while living in expensive Brooklyn and not being paid accordingly. I don't believe in all the negative publicity regarding teacher salaries but I also don't agree with the lack of financial transparency on the schools' end. Privately owned schools in Brooklyn don't pay well because it's run as a business and whatever they don't spend they get to pocket. Since COVID there have been many programs and opportunities for schools to fill their coffers. Where did that money go? Definitely not to the teachers.
Rant over.
Anonymous because whoever knows me has heard me say this countless times.

amother

Geranium

Wed, May 25 2022, 1:31 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?

Leaving the frum system to go to ps will be a big adjustment. Yes salary and benefits are great. But the workday is typically 8-3 usually with some later days. Fridays, erev Yom tov, day after Yom tov....no flexibility in the hours. Not having off when your kids are off. Ending the school year later. Working sukkot chol hamoed. Missing plays, parties etc...there is really no flexibility within the workday. You get 10 sick days but there are limits on when you can take them. So if you like traveling for pesach or going away Yom tov/shabbos it's hard. And the entire environment is not as pleasant as a frum school.