Podcast: Surviving on a Teacher's Salary

Bachelors Degree, 30,000 atleast. Masters Degree 15,000 atleast. How many retail, Secretarial or Manual Unskilled labor have that kind of debt in order to achieve their profession. People want their kids to have these high levele professionals teaching their children but want to pay them like a low level associate degree graduate. It's amazing that only in America are Teachers looked upon as coddled in every other country in the world teaching is considered the most noble and professonally respected profession out their. It's really too bad that many of in this country don't share the same attitude. Plus I'd like to see how many more days an unskilled and secretarial positions work each year. Take 2 days off per week thats 104 days off so already were at 261, take your vacation/ sick days lets go low and say ten your down to 151. Teachers work a minimum of 180 days a year. So at tops you work maybe a month or two more.That's not even including holidays such as christmas, Thanksgiving and any other holidays that those employees mentioned get off too. Also our districts give us no fringe benefits like paid cell phones, or a work car, or the ability to work from home, or just a nice relaxed day where were switching jobs. I know I am very lucky to be a teacher but for people like Jenn of Fl to trash the profession and have the idea to say teachers salaries are very generous had better look at the real facts. No other profession in the world with this level of education gets paid as low a rate as teaching and that is a fact. Are we Poor no but do times get tough on this salary for sure..... Have a little common sense

Ed Orman of NY 11:25AM March 05, 2009