Teacher's Pay and Benefits

I would rather be concerned about the paltry amounts of money good teachers are making and the lack of standards some school districts have in selecting the teachers than what a person in political office makes.

Some governors are pretty much political figureheads or a person to funnel bribes and industry glad-handing through, like the Texas governor. The lieutenant governor here has all the true power... the Gov. offing retards and minorities in Huntsville ain't squat compared to what corruption a Lieut. Gov can accomplish in the Lege.

The best way to get rid of a governor elected by the fools in your state is to get him elected president by the rest of the fools in the nation.

[poseidon]

I would rather be concerned about the paltry amounts of money good teachers are making and the lack of standards some school districts have in selecting the teachers than what a person in political office makes.

I disagree that good teachers are paid paltry amounts of money. Most of them work 9-month years, have plenty of vacation time that you and I wouldn't get, have tremendous government-subsidized benefits packages and belong to very powerful unions to keep those benefits good. On top of that, bad teachers rarely get fired, so you have to keep them on the dole, teaching kids when they aren't capable of teaching in the first place. When you annuitize a teacher's salary and figure out the huge discount on benefits they get that most private-sector people aren't allowed to buy into, their salary isn't paltry at all.

[laura10801]

Originally posted by poseidon


I disagree that good teachers are paid paltry amounts of money. Most of them work 9-month years, have plenty of vacation time that you and I wouldn't get, have tremendous government-subsidized benefits packages and belong to very powerful unions to keep those benefits good.

Before you assume teachers work only 9 months you need to think in terms of comp time. I know teachers who work at their schools from 7:30am-4pm then go home and grade homework and tests (this can take hours), they also have to work out their lesson plans for the next day. There are teachers who actually put in a 60 hour work week.

They are expected to be aware of and report any signs that a child is abused or has an undiagnosed illness or disability. They are exposed to all kinds of viruses. They have to deal with irrate parents and difficult children. Depending on the school district, going into their work place may mean risking their safety. Do I need to go on?

We trust these people with our most precious commodity, our children, every day. Yet they are paid far less than most high ranking executives and many middle rankers as well. Yes they have good benefits, but I sure don't want their job.

Laura

[poseidon]

Originally posted by laura10801


Before you assume teachers work only 9 months you need to think in terms of comp time. I know teachers who work at their schools from 7:30am-4pm then go home and grade homework and tests (this can take hours), they also have to work out their lesson plans for the next day. There are teachers who actually put in a 60 hour work week.

They are expected to be aware of and report any signs that a child is abused or has an undiagnosed illness or disability. They are exposed to all kinds of viruses. They have to deal with irrate parents and difficult children. Depending on the school district, going into their work place may mean risking their safety. Do I need to go on?

We trust these people with our most precious commodity, our children, every day. Yet they are paid far less than most high ranking executives and many middle rankers as well. Yes they have good benefits, but I sure don't want their job.

Laura

Very good, Laura. I was waiting for someone to bring this up. These are very common arguments that are full of faults.

1. Let's talk about "comp" time, shall we?

In the real world, most professionals work far more than a 40-hour work week. I know, I'm one of them. Wanna know something else? I'm not paid for anything more than a 40-hour work week. When it gets busy I'm out in the field from sunrise (around 5:30 or 6:00am) until sunset (around 7pm or so). Then I get to write up all those estimates, enter my reports into the computer, and issue people their checks. Let's not even get started on returning phone messages, please.

Lawyers are another example. While it is true that they bill "hourly" for their work, there is plenty of work that they do that isn't billed to a client (thus they are working for free). They have to read law journals, keep up with the most recent courtroom decisions in their jurisdictions, deal with their various Bar functions, etc.

Doctors and nurses are another example. They come home at night and read medical journals. I'm not aware of too many of these guys and gals who get paid during this "comp" time.

Business managers and owners typically take work home as well. They have to go through piles and piles of paperwork and usually aren't paid for their efforts. What about all the time they go through to schmooze to try and create more business?

Let's not forget all the continuing education that any professional needs to go through. These are rarely "paid" days or time.

2. Every job has its hazards and responsibilities. My fiancee is a nurse. She is exposed several times a day to more illnesses than any teacher. Why? Because her clientele are all sick. I'm exposed to probably as many illnesses as any given teacher -- if not more. I deal with molds, mildew, etc. when I inspect any water-damage claim. On top of that, I get exposed to everything that Michelle gets exposed to when she comes home after a hard day at the office.

I deal every day with irate people -- guaranteed more than your average teacher. So does anyone in a customer-service based industry. Teachers aren't anything special in this regard. Parents want to know why Johnny isn't getting good grades. I have to deal with everything from someone's crappy contractor, to their own lack of home maintenance, to answering complaints about how come the theft happened last night and they don't have a check in their hand this morning, etc.

3. Let's discuss safety. Most professionals are exposed to unsafe conditions. See the above in Point #2. Lawyers deal with the very real possibility of a client going apeshit after losing a case (criminal or not). I go into plenty of houses where I don't feel safe because my job calls for it. When I tell someone that their claim isn't covered, or they aren't going to get all the money they think they're owed, do you not think that I don't run a very real risk to my own personal safety? Health care professionals are exposed every single day to unsafe and dangerous conditions. That's a fact of life that, again, teachers don't have anything special to deal with.

4. When a teacher does the same kind of work that a real corporate executive does, and has to deal with the same kind of real garbage that a corporate executive does, then let's discuss getting equal pay for equal work. The fact is that most teachers couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of work a true working executive puts in for day-to-day life in running a successful business, and don't take nearly the same kinds of risks that these people have taken.

As far as dealing with children, while teaching is a noble profession, these people made a choice to enter their industry. It should come as no shock or surprise that most teachers will never be rich.

But when you do compare apples to apples, teachers are compensated very well.

[jenninca]

Poseidon, what benefits are you referring to when you say teachers have benefits that aren't available to others?

[poseidon]

Originally posted by jenninca
Poseidon, what benefits are you referring to when you say teachers have benefits that aren't available to others?

There's plenty. Most teachers have government-subsidized benefits that cost much less than what a huge business is able to offer. Health care (medical and dental) is a biggie. The cost of the monthly contributions that many teachers have to pay compared to private-sector employees is laughable. Moreover, some teacher unions (I can't say "most" or "all" because I don't have access to those figures) pay into pension plans versus having to pay Social Security taxes like the rest of us. I'd gladly take a cut in pay if I could have that one benefit alone -- and so would many people in the private sector! Teachers have not only all the great federal, state and local holidays off, but get personal vacation time on top of it, work nine months a year, don't have to spend a single weekend at the office, etc. Tenure is another great benefit that most people in the private industry just don't have access to.

Here's a great point... let's look at the famous teacher strike this past month in Middletown NJ. The teacher union was striking because they felt it was unfair to charge teachers $600 per year for their health care benefits. It is currently $250 per year.

I'm sorry, but I don't know too many people in the private sector who could get away with paying $250 a year for a fantastic health care package. Shoot, I don't know anyone who could pay $250 a year for a crappy health care package! The only reason they are paying as little as they do is that this benefit is heavily subsidized.

I consider my health care package to be pretty darned good with my company. I pay roughly $70/month for it when I factor in medical and dental. Annualized that's $840 per year for probably a worse package than what those teachers are getting for $250 a year and bitching that they'll have to pay $600 a year.

On top of that, these teachers earn $56,000 per year. I'll use this as a prime example of annualizing their salary...

$56,000 divided by nine months equals $6222.22 per month salary.

Multiply $6222.22 per month times twelve months equals a salary of $74,666.66 per year.

You should factor in roughly 20% for benefits.

$74,666.66 plus $14,933.33 (20%) equals a whopping $89,599.99 per year.

I'm not earning anything remotely close to that, even with benefits -- even when you factor in my company car. Plus I pay for Social Security taxes -- they don't.

Funny but I see teachers as being pretty well compensated.

[jnbmoore]

On top of that, these teachers earn $56,000 per year. I'll use this as a prime example of annualizing their salary...

$56,000 divided by nine months equals $6222.22 per month salary.

Multiply $6222.22 per month times twelve months equals a salary of $74,666.66 per year.

You should factor in roughly 20% for benefits.

$74,666.66 plus $14,933.33 (20%) equals a whopping $89,599.99 per year.

How in the world do you go with them getting 56,000 a year to about 75,000 a year

If they make 56,000 in nine months (which with extended years is more like ten)

That's still 56 000 a year....


bridgette
looking very confused at this math

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

Okeydokey...

Hubby was a teacher in Long Island, known in downstate NY to be a very well-paying area for teachers. As a third-year teacher, he was making $42,000. He left at 7am, came home at 6pm, graded papers/wrote lesson plans/completed administrative paperwork until 8 or 9pm, and spent most of Saturday and Sunday (at least 16 hours when combined). He came in early for meetings with the kids (tutor sessions), parents, or supervisors. He stayed late for ditto. He complained that not only did he lose his twice-a-week prep hour because of meetings but some days he didn't have time to go to the bathroom. When the kids are there, you're always "on," and having been a trainer for 3 years, I can tell you that it is exhausting to do for more than 2 hours at a stretch. As far as benefits go, the benefits I get at The Salvation Army (known to be stingy with employees) was more comprehensive, better quality, and cost less ($624/year for both of us) than what his district offered. He spent his money on posters, pens, paper, pencils, books, and God only knows what else (all for the kids) for no reimbursement except a "business expense" deduction. He called parents from home on evenings and weekends. He wrote notes to parents, spoke with kids' therapists, etc. on his own time. And those school holidays? For four of the six weeks of the summer break he was in training at the school. Out of the remaining holidays he attended meetings or trainings for about half of them -- just to keep his job, not for extra stuff. And did I mention he only got the $42,000 because he was in a special dual-language program, where he had to teach classes made up of 1/2 English-speaking kids and 1/2 Spanish-only speaking kids? And that he had to coordinate each and every lesson with the Spanish-speaking teacher next door who taught the other 1/2's of the classes? (Phil's was the English-speaking class; every day 1/2 of them would go to learn something in Spanish and learn it the next day from Phil in English -- vice versa that for the Spanish speaking kids in the room next door -- so he taught each of over 50 kids over the course of two days; repeat cycle until end of school year.)

And did I mention in the Long Island/NYC area things are rather expensive? that one-family, two-bedroom houses in decent condition go for $149,000? And that our tax rate is one of the highest in the country as far as income tax, property tax, and sales tax goes?

And no, his benefits weren't subsidized and yes, he did have to pay Social Security. Teachers (at least down here) are NOT government employees. The only sort of subsidy I can think of is that he got to join a credit union for teachers only, but I think that's a private enterprise.

In case you wondered, Phil got laid off last year. Tenure or not, the dual language program took in fewer and fewer kids each year and there weren't enough incoming 5th graders to keep Phil employed. Now the GED program he's teaching at is closing 12/31 -- a job at which he was paid almost $10,000 less but was MUCH happier, with MUCH fewer extra hours.

mj

[poseidon]

Because you annualize their salary to figure out how much they would make if they were working twelve months a year instead of nine. It makes the comparison more realistic when you compare year-long salaries versus nine-month salaries.

If you want to figure a nine-month salary versus someone else's nine month salary, you could do it that way as well. It doesn't really matter.

But, when you say, "X earns $56,000 per year and Y earns $75,000 per year, X should earn as much as Y" -- which is what the whole salary argument is about, you have to be comparing apples to apples. Yes, teachers earn $56,000 per year but they only work nine months a year. If I'm earning $56,000 per year, and I'm working 12 months a year, then the teacher is making more money than I am. I'm trying to show that, if the teacher was working the same amount of time as any other professional, their salary is right in line (if not better) with other people who work just as hard as teachers do.

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

BTW, it's not a 9-month year. Teachers in Phil's district and the neighboring ones, if they weren't in training for the summer, started the last week of August when they were required to report for staff meetings and room organization. (They were not allowed to keep the room set up over the summer - everything home, then everything back again.) Class went on until finals in the fourth week in June, usually breaking the week before Independence Day, and teachers had two days afterward they had to work (completing final paperwork, cleaning the classrooms, etc.). So perhaps the math should be done by computing weekly salary for a 44-week year:

42,000 (hubby's salary) divided by 44 wks: 954.55

954.55 x 52 weeks: $49,637

I won't go into the after-taxes, no-benefits thing. And I counted the odd vacation days and Christmas/Easter breaks as vacation days, which most jobs come with but teaching doesn't. Plus I get to pick when I take my vacation days, teachers have theirs when the district schedules the break. He also got 5 sick days/year to my 12; 1 personal day to my 3.



mj

[erik_kosberg]

On top of that, these teachers earn $56,000 per year.

Who exactly are “these” teachers? Sure, there are probably some teachers who make that much (those with many years of seniority and/or advanced degrees in some higher income areas,) but $56,000 is far from average.

BTW, the $89,599.99 figure is pulled from thin air and has no real meaning. A salary of $56,000 is a salary of $56,000, period. It’s a salary, not the end result of X number of hours times an hourly wage.

[jenninca]

OK, I’m going to throw out my real numbers for sake of comparison. While I have no argument with the “exposed to illnesses” and “dealing with irate people” arguments being thrown out, I disagree with your assessment of the other arguments.

First of all, anyone who thinks teachers have a nine month work year needs to look at a district calendar. This year, my first day back to work was July 31st, even though the kids didn’t start until August 13th. The last day of school is May 23rd. We have to stay for a few days beyond that to do grades and clean out the classrooms. That right there bumps the teacher year up to 10 months.

On top of that, we have 150 hours of inservice requirements every five years. This ALL must be done on your own time. If you go to any workshops during school, they do not count toward your 150 hours. I also have to do 30 hours of gifted training as required by Texas law this year. This also does not count toward my 150 hours. This means that I have to carve out afternoons, evenings, and weekends to do these things. Anything done school-wide on your campus doesn’t count either. I have to stay until 6:00 two afternoons in January, and neither of these count toward my 150 hours.

Not that staying until 6:00 is unusual. I put in a large number of hours. I usually get to school by 7:10 AM. I almost never leave before 5:00. When you factor in that we only get 30 minutes for lunch, that is almost 8 ½ hours right there. Most evenings I spend between 30 minutes and 2 hours on schoolwork. On weekends, Saturday is my day to play and do household stuff. I go to church on Sunday mornings, and almost the entire rest of the day is schoolwork. Figuring an average of an hour an evening, that’s about 54 hours in a typical week. During report card and progress report time, that number goes up. When you figure that we're on a six-week cycle, every third week is either report cards or progress reports, so every third week is extra-long hours. The "don't have to spend a single weekend at the office" argument should be changed to "can't spend a single weekend away from the office" (even though "the office" is at home).

I don't see any of the benefits that you're talking about. You've actually got a much better insurance package than I've got. I pay $75 a month for just medical insurance, and that's with a $25 co-pay on everything. $75 x 12 = $900 a year, just for myself. Dental and vision coverage was too much extra per month to make it worth my while. I do pay in to a retirement plan and thus don't pay Social Security, but I pay in at a slightly higher rate than Soc.Sec. anyway. And I still have to pay Medicare tax.

I get seven combined sick and personal days a year. When you figure that I am being exposed to every illness the kids have (and face it, kids are more susceptible to colds and such), that's not a lot. Most teachers I know come to school when they're sick anyway for two reasons. One, they're afraid that they're going to get "really sick" later on and not have the days for it, and two, it's actually almost harder to get things ready for a sub than it is to just come in and do it yourself. I've taken five sick days in the last four years for those very reasons.

On to the salary. I actually don't have too much beef with the salary I'm making right now. I'm a fourth-year teacher making about $34,000. That's a salary I can actually live on. Is it ideal? No. Is it "enough" to fairly compensate me for what I do? No. But I can live on it, and for now, that's good enough for me.

However, my first year of teaching, I made $18,667. The next two years, I didn't make much more. Let's just say that this year was a $12,000 raise. You can't live on $18,000 a year. I took home $1172 a month after taxes. Subtract my rent, utilities, and car insurance (I drove an old car because I couldn't afford a car payment), and I was left with a few hundred dollars a month for everything else. I couldn't make ends meet even with a roommate, no car payment, and no student loans. I ended up having to move home when my roommate decided to move because there wasn't any way I could afford to pay rent on a solo apartment, even in the low-income complex I qualified for. And also figure in that in my first three years of teaching, I spent no less than $2000 of my own money EACH YEAR on classroom supplies. The school provides textbooks, the teacher provides pretty much everything else.

There's one reason I'm glad I don't live in Ohio anymore. Under their new licensing system, I would be required to have a master's degree after 10 years just to be able to renew my license. Absolutely no time is provided for this. Absolutely no money is provided for this. When you figure that average salary for 3-10 years of experience is in the mid-20s and you're working 50-some hours in a NORMAL week, how are you supposed to find the time and money for this??? Texas requirements are the 30 hours a year, which is certainly much more doable, though not fun.

I'm not saying that teachers have a monopoly on this stuff. I'm just saying that teachers' working situations are far from ideal.

Cindy

[jnbmoore]

Originally posted by poseidon It makes the comparison more realistic when you compare year-long salaries versus nine-month salaries. [/b]

Yeah

but teachers make the nine (Ten) month salaries last 12

not many jobs available for only two months

Bridgettte

who still doesn't understand the logic behind the math

[drmomentum[$]]

Originally posted by poseidon
If I'm earning $56,000 per year, and I'm working 12 months a year, then the teacher is making more money than I am.

Does this calculation take into account (i.e. subtract) time you have spent posting on the internet vs. teachers who spend nearly all their time at work engaged in some sort of responsibility that precludes net surfing during work hours?

Just trying to figure out the math on this.

-JP

Well gosh...

Seeing as how I am considering entering into the teaching profession part-time (substitute teaching sure sounds pretty tempting right now verses the wonderful job market)...

If you compare teaching to say Editing, starting editors make below poverty level wages starting out in many, many cases (having done some research on this...). Starting jobs in general really aren't making that much cash right now but the alternative to teaching... Heh It is worse.

Teachers make a pretty dang decent starting income. Starting out, they are pretty comfortable (from my perspective) and don't have to do the butt-busting work that you really *need* to do when you enter the workforce. From my tertiary observations of my cousin (she is a starting secondary teacher), it sounds like she co-taught for a while to get acclimated to the work and then slowly got phased into it. She didn't really have much more schooling than I did too. (Note that this is just from conversations with her on occasional holidays so it isn't word of law). She was easily set up with a classroom (teachers are in demand... pretty much always), and phased in pretty effortlessly (again, from my perspective).

I think that I read somewhere that a teacher's starting salary is one of the better ones around...

You also have to consider that teaching is seriously one of the more rewarding jobs around. Yeah not always but gosh you could pretty much say that about any profession (for every hell job for a teacher you provide, I could do the same for pretty much whatever). How many jobs seriously have as much emotional benefits? Doctors, Nurses maybe but rule out the first as any sort of equivilent in terms of schooling...

Yeah you have to have a certain kinda mentality (I don't think I want to be one) so it isn't for everyone but I wouldn't in any way say it was a *bad* job (I have done many worse jobs personally).

Ander

[kurt_messick]

There is a difference between actual money and value for time. I think that is a point that needs to be made explicit here.

If I work for ten months rather than twelve months, I have more free time vis-a-vis the twelve-month worker. This time has a relative value, but it does not add money. To say teachers are being 'paid' the twelve-month value is incorrect. You cannot pay your bills with relative value.

If I make $500 for a one-day engagement that lasts 4 hours, one cannot extrapolate that I am making $125 an hour for 2088 hours a year.

Various jobs have requirements for training above and beyond the work-place environment. Teachers are not a special case in either direction for this.

I'd love to know where the average teaching salary is $56,000 a year. The last high school where I worked as an administrator only had two people on the entire staff making more than $50,000 -- the principal, and the exec. director of vocational education (the functional equivalent of principal for that school).

Most teachers I know have some sort of subsidised health plan, but then, most factory workers I know have that, too; most doctors I know have that, too; most non-profit workers in my area have that, too. It is not unique. I have yet to meet anyone whose contribution into such plans runs less than $400-$500 a year for a single person, but there may be some out there.

I learned a long time ago that talking about the relative merits versus pay of workers in different professions is rarely a discussion brings about unity of opinion.

[jenninca]

Originally posted by anderclayton
Starting out, they are pretty comfortable (from my perspective) and don't have to do the butt-busting work that you really *need* to do when you enter the workforce. From my tertiary observations of my cousin (she is a starting secondary teacher), it sounds like she co-taught for a while to get acclimated to the work and then slowly got phased into it. She didn't really have much more schooling than I did too. (Note that this is just from conversations with her on occasional holidays so it isn't word of law). She was easily set up with a classroom (teachers are in demand... pretty much always), and phased in pretty effortlessly (again, from my perspective).

Exact opposite in my experience. Teaching is the only profession I can think of where a complete novice is expected to do the exact same job as a 30-year veteran. At none of the three schools where I have taught has there been any co-teaching or ANY sort of phase-in period. You start teaching the first day just like everyone else. One of my partners this year is a first-year teacher, and he is always coming to me or our third partner with "What do I do in this situation?" questions. The five fifth grade teachers have experience varying from none to 32 years, and we're all expected to do the exact same thing: get all of our students to pass the TAAS tests in the subjects we teach, no matter how much of a miracle that may be (but that's another topic).

You also have to consider that teaching is seriously one of the more rewarding jobs around. Yeah not always but gosh you could pretty much say that about any profession (for every hell job for a teacher you provide, I could do the same for pretty much whatever). How many jobs seriously have as much emotional benefits? Doctors, Nurses maybe but rule out the first as any sort of equivilent in terms of schooling...

That was one of my reasons for entering teaching. However, I've found that the rewarding parts are far outbalanced by negative parts. For every smile of satisfaction I get, I have a dozen frustrating moments when someone doesn't get something, won't pay attention, their parents get snotty or just don't care, etc. I usually have a night-long fit of crying in frustration at least once a semester.

And I have to chime in in agreement with JP on the internet issue. I'm not saying that I want to surf the web all day or anything, but I have to plan my water consumption so that I only have to go to the bathroom at times when I can actually go. You are CONSTANTLY ON when you are teaching. You can't let down your guard for a minute, which is exhausting. I'm not complaining about this, but I'm saying it because I don't think you can understand if you're not a teacher of some sort.

And I don't think people can understand what it's like to have a list of things (non-teaching things) you have to do for work, and be unable to do them until seven hours after you get to work. I can get a tiny amount of work done from 7:10 to 7:50 (when the kids come). I can't usually do much during my conference period (12:25 to 1:10) because we often have meetings or such, and that's my only chance to talk with the nurse, the counselor, the principal, etc., as well as my only chance to use the copier with a short line rather than a long line. It's not until 3:30 that I can actually start the real things that I needed to do back at 7:10. (And that doesn't count the days that I have tutoring, inservice, or staff meetings, which is once a week at the minimum. On those days, I can't start my work until anywhere from 4:15 to 5:00.)

Please don't think I'm trying to get sympathy. I just think people need to understand what teaching entails.

Cindy

[poseidon]

http://www.latimes.com/news/educatio...-news-learning is the link I used to cite the figures from the example I cited. "These teachers" refer to the teachers in Middletown NJ as I indicated in my previous post.

The average salary is $56,000 per year for these teachers.

They earn anywhere from $36,000 to $81,000 per year.

Teachers are able to and do work on their off-time in different endeavors. I ran into my teachers all the time in the summers while they were working in their non-teaching capacities.

[jenninca]

Quote from article:

The pay scale for teachers ranges from $36,000 to about $81,000, Supt. DeTalvo said. "They are the highest paid teachers on average in the county--$56,000 average salary."

If they are among the highest paid in the country, don't use their numbers to calculate teacher salaries. And their district seems to be an exception. Most districts I've looked at pay much less and have worse benefits.

Cindy

[poseidon]

Cindy,

I can appreciate that teachers don't have it easy. If I've implied that they do have it easy, I apologize. What I am trying to convey is that teachers say they have a hard schedule -- but they fail to realize that people in the private sectors have hard schedules, too.

People are saying that teachers don't get paid when they have to do things outside of their normal job hours. My point is (I thought I said this clearly but perhaps I didn't) that people in the private sector have to do the exact same thing. I attend plenty of afternoon and evening meetings that are mandatory. I don't get paid an extra cent for attending. I have to have 20 hours of continuing education every year in order to maintain my license. I don't get paid for that, either.

As far as teaching being the only profession where you're expected as a novice to have the same job as a 30-year veteran, I've got to disagree. When I was introduced to insurance, I got a brief one-week introduction and was immediately handling the same kinds of claims as people close to retirement age. I know of plenty of jobs where you step right in and get to work. If I understand teaching requirements correctly, you had to be a student teacher prior to being a teacher, you had to get a teaching certificate, etc. That was your "job training" -- correct?

You say that you want people to understand all the other things that teaching entails. I'm saying that many teachers don't understand what people in the private sector have to deal with as well.

I believe, even if you're earning $18,000 a year as a new teacher, that teachers are paid a good salary and get good benefits for the work performed. I started off in my job ten years ago earning roughly the same amount. I've worked my butt off (without a union helping me out along the way to negotiate better salaries) and have slowly and surely increased my salary to the point where it is today.