# Teacher vs. Engineer



## csb (Sep 2, 2011)

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/starti...-131728091.html



> How would the nation's school system be different if teachers were paid like engineers?
> Secretary of Education Arne Duncan proposed last month that a significant boost in teacher salaries could transform public schools for the better by luring the country's brightest college graduates into the profession.
> 
> Teachers should be paid a starting salary of $60,000, Duncan said, with the opportunity to make up to $150,000 a year. That's higher than the salaries of most high school principals, who are generally paid much more than teachers.


Am I supposed to be earning $60K now after nine years of experience and getting licensed?! I'm calling my state board.


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## snickerd3 (Sep 2, 2011)

Wow $60K...that was way more than my starting salary.


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## willsee (Sep 2, 2011)

More than my current salary.

Maybe public schools could make a turn for the better if education wasn't the first thing cut when it rolls around to budget time.


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Sep 2, 2011)

Major Highway said:


> As long as they eliminate tenure, then I wouldn't be against higher teacher salaries, but so long as you can't fire a bad teacher, no, don't increase the pay.


How do you feel about salaries and tenure for college professors? You know me, I'm just curious.


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## Master slacker (Sep 2, 2011)

I believe there was a proposition similar to this in Louisiana recently to all of the teachers. However, also in the proposition was a statement that unions would be illegal. Guess what... the teachers all LOVED IT!!! But... the unions never let the members vote on it. C'est la vie.


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## snickerd3 (Sep 2, 2011)

Teaching is a profession you pick because you want to do it, you don't become a teacher for the $ so adding $ isn't going to attract teachers who scored better in college to the profession.


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## Master slacker (Sep 2, 2011)

Not entirely correct. If I were paid as a teacher what I am as an engineer, I'd be teaching math in a heartbeat.


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## snickerd3 (Sep 2, 2011)

VTEnviro said:


> Major Highway said:
> 
> 
> > As long as they eliminate tenure, then I wouldn't be against higher teacher salaries, but so long as you can't fire a bad teacher, no, don't increase the pay.
> ...


college professors are a league of their own you can't compare because people pay way more to go college. The better college professors are the more likely the better pay they are going to receive. I have no problems paying college levels more because a lot of them bring their own $ to the table via grants and other funding which allows for other opportunities the college would otherwise not provide.

If you are a good teacher/prof then tenure wouldn't matter.


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## asunw (Sep 2, 2011)

Master slacker said:


> Not entirely correct. If I were paid as a teacher what I am as an engineer, I'd be teaching math in a heartbeat.



I would also be teaching math. I enjoy engineering but I would love to be a teacher.


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## Capt Worley PE (Sep 2, 2011)

60K is more than my current salary.

That being said, I've taught college classes in HS, tech school, and prison classes. There is no way I'd teach in the public schools for 60K. It isn't worth the aggravation of putting in all the extra hours and putting up with the kids and their parents's attitude.

Sad thing, and this is really telling about the state of the education system, is that the teachers in prison were public school teachers and pulled down 65K. They all said they'd quit if they had to go back and teach in the regular schools. I know where they are coming from.


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## Flyer_PE (Sep 2, 2011)

^We've established the illusion in this country that public school is the "free" option. There are a lot of parents out there that treat the school system as being worth exactly what they think they're paying for it. It isn't universal among parents, but it doesn't take a large percentage to make life miserable for even the best of teachers.


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## Dexman PE PMP (Sep 2, 2011)

I didn't pass the $60k mark until I got my PE-ness.

There's no way I would teach. It's not because I don't like kids, the hours, or anything along those lines, I just know I can't teach. I'm one of those wierdo's that makeup my own "shortcuts" when learning something new, and oftentimes those shortcuts make no sense to anyone else, and I never really learn the "proper" way, so it makes things difficult when trying to explain something to someone else.


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## willsee (Sep 2, 2011)

The other problem isn't so much with the teachers, but all the other politics that go along with teaching that ties teachers hands behind their backs.


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## Master slacker (Sep 2, 2011)

Dexman PE said:


> It's not because I don't like kids, the hours, or anything along those lines, I just know I can't teach.


I was in the same boat until I was told that I was teaching Dynamics to the undergrads. The first couple of weeks sucked. Then I got the hand of it.


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## Exception Collection (Sep 5, 2011)

Dexman PE said:


> I didn't pass the $60k mark until I got my PE-ness.
> There's no way I would teach. It's not because I don't like kids, the hours, or anything along those lines, I just know I can't teach. I'm one of those wierdo's that makeup my own "shortcuts" when learning something new, and oftentimes those shortcuts make no sense to anyone else, and I never really learn the "proper" way, so it makes things difficult when trying to explain something to someone else.


I'm still not at 60k (even assuming full time). And I've had a license since 2009.

Even if I was working full time, I'd need to get a significant raise to make 60k a year. And that is (as I understand it) common in my area; my employer pays reasonable rates in general.


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## picusld (Sep 6, 2011)

I love how teachers will say that they want an engineers salary, but if broken down to hourly, they are probably making the same if not more than I am now.

The average teacher salary is around 70k in my district.


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## Capt Worley PE (Sep 6, 2011)

Dexman PE said:


> There's no way I would teach. It's not because I don't like kids, the hours, or anything along those lines, I just know I can't teach.


You might want to give it a shot. I got into it thru desparation (unemployed for a long while), and didn't think I'd be all that great. But I turned out to enjoy it, and from admnistration observations and student evaluations, I did a pretty good job.

Best compliment I got was when a guy in my prison class told me, "Damn, Worley. If I'd had teachers like you, I'd have stayed in school."


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## Slugger926 (Sep 6, 2011)

The best thing to do for education is to make it year round, and increase the teacher's salaries accordingly. This would prevent the education loss during the summer months from the kids whose parents don't provide any summer education or role model.

I am afraid though that many of the people who are better off would not like their kids to be on the same level as the impoverished kids.


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## Road Guy (Sep 6, 2011)

No Way I would ever want year round schooling!

last year they did this longer school calendar, with 3- 1 week breaks in between the normal thanksgiving and christmas breaks,

for our family it was terrible.. for teachers and families with a spouse that doesnt work full time it was great, but the vast majority of people I knew hated it..several school board people got voted out of office (by a large margin) based on their support of that alone, the teachers pushed it and I was glad for once that the parents fought back!


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## Exception Collection (Sep 6, 2011)

Capt Worley PE said:


> Dexman PE said:
> 
> 
> > There's no way I would teach. It's not because I don't like kids, the hours, or anything along those lines, I just know I can't teach.
> ...


I've been told I'm a good teacher - or at least tutor. I've considered becoming a teacher, but I rather suspect I'd have issues getting a job.


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## ALBin517 (Sep 6, 2011)

Before starting college, I heard that starting salaries are generally proportional to the required level of math and science.

Grade school teachers don't go beyond biology &amp; algebra and their starting salaries suck - sounds about right to me.


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## Dexman PE PMP (Sep 6, 2011)

Road Guy said:


> No Way I would ever want year round schooling!
> last year they did this longer school calendar, with 3- 1 week breaks in between the normal thanksgiving and christmas breaks,
> 
> for our family it was terrible.. for teachers and families with a spouse that doesnt work full time it was great, but the vast majority of people I knew hated it..several school board people got voted out of office (by a large margin) based on their support of that alone, the teachers pushed it and I was glad for once that the parents fought back!


The school calendar where I live has 3x 2-week breaks with a 2 month summer and it's a hit here. The kiddos basically go 12 weeks on, 2 weeks off through the year. Their first break is middle of October.


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## willsee (Sep 6, 2011)

Basically how it was when I went to high school.

I could imagine it sucking for people needing to arrange daycare for 2 weeks multiple times throughout the year


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## Dexman PE PMP (Sep 6, 2011)

The schools actually offer daycare at the school during the two week breaks (at least the elementary schools). Colorado laws allow kids 12 (6th grade) and up to be home by themselves so it works out.


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## ALBin517 (Sep 8, 2011)

Dexman PE said:


> Colorado laws allow kids 12 (6th grade) and up to be home by themselves so it works out.


So every 12 weeks, there's a new batch of teen moms.


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