TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Hernando Today

Well-Paid Teachers Need To Quit Whining

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 5, 2008

Jim Gries had written of the life and times of our poor unappreciated teachers. He described their day thusly: A teacher will have breakfast and prepare for the upcoming day around 6:30 a.m. Arrive at work 7:40 to begin preparing for class. After working through lunch, the day concludes around 3:45 p.m. Before going home they are expected to meet with parents, make copies and enter grades and a few other chores. A dedicated teacher will work from home grading papers and making lesson plans late into the night.

He pointed out that Hernando County teachers are contracted for 197 days (plus or minus), putting in 10 to 12 hours every contracted day (no overtime). Throw in out-of-pocket classroom expenses that can easily exceed $500 annually, and summer educational courses, and you have a dedicated teacher. Sounds Spartan does it not? Hold on a minute; let us look just a little deeper.

The salary for a beginning teacher in Hernando County is $35,000, up from $30,000 in 2006, while experienced teachers can earn up to the $53,189. Add in benefit packages, and teachers cost taxpayers anywhere from $47,000 to $71,000 annually. Most teachers actually work 190 days, 10 teacher work days (half days) and 180 class days with about 10 of those being half days as well. Sick and personal days not included.

Even if we assume that all teachers are dedicated to their profession and put in 190, 12-hour days, a starting teacher earns $15.35 an hour. Add benefits and teachers cost the average Joe anywhere from $20.61 to $31.14 per hour.

While the average Joe actually works 250 days annually, his starting salary is only $14,000. Add in no benefits and you're talking $6.73 an hour. For that, just getting up and bothering to show up for work, proves that Joe is dedicated to his profession or really dedicated to survival!

Oh yeah, I've almost forgotten that the Florida minimum wage is set to increase as of Jan 1 to $7.21 an hour, that will mean Old Joe's starting salary will be $15,000, up from the $14,000 in 2008.

So teachers, please don't bother coming to me and sniveling about how horribly under paid you are, quit your whining and shut up already!

Lorne DeWitt

Brooksville

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT