Reader comments
Pay raise turning complicated

With a slowing economy it is prudent that we do not give them a raise. The private sector is not getting raises and tax revenue will not increase, meaning taxes will go up.

As one who works in the so-called private sector, where is my raise????????? If the individual members of the legislature interviewed their constiuents, I would doubt that they would find ONE of them had a $2,500 raise in 2007 or 2008.

We are loosing Principals to Wyoming as well as teachers. We're loosing up and coming administrators as well as some of our best most experienced administrators as well. What will keep them here? CASH!

Please lawmakers...forget the UEA.

I definitely like the straight $2500 raise to the teachers. The new teachers need the bigger raise. $2500 will be about a 5% raise for me and a 10% raise for new teachers. If you give 3% on the WPU the disrict will eat it ALL up. They have done it for the last 8 years except for last year. I saw maybe a 1% raise in the past when the WPU was increased by 4 - 5 %.

The UEA has its priorities out of whack.

PLEASE DO IT JUST LIKE LAST YEAR! IT WAS THE BEST RAISE I HAVE HAD IN 10 YEARS AND ACTUALLY GAVE ME HOPE FOR THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION!

look close teachers. you want more money and the legislature wants to give it to you. the road blocks, as pointed out in this article, are the unions and the administration of the school districts. one of your very own is sabotaging the bill because $2,500 to every teacher is not "fair". last time i checked $2,500 to everyone regardless of service time is fair, everyone gets the same amount. any 5th grader can figure that out. take note teachers of who is trying to work with you and who is working against you

As a teacher, I find it interesting how many people "know" what is best in this situation. Personally, I prefer Froerer's bill, because it bypasses the districts. Last year, of course, I didn't get the full raise (I work for Provo School District). So I am very skeptical that that I will get the full amount this year. Our district likes to take monies like this and use them for their own purposes, instead of giving it to the teachers as was originally intended. Prospective teachers, beware!

Well, maybe not old, but definitely mid career. I have a Master's degree, 15+ years of service and work for Jordan District. A case study of my compensation as a class room teacher seems useful.

My base salary is $55,772 (53272+2500). Divided by 184 work days per year my daily rate is $303. My hourly rate is $37.87. Under Jordan District's local control, I also receive the equivalent of 9 optional professional development days. That's another $2,727 - bringing the total to $58,499.

In addition, I teach an extra class (+6,816.), and serve as department chair (+$1500). That makes my total district salary $66,815.

In addition, based on my experience and years of success, I've been able to build summer consulting business. I create curriculum for schools around the country. That brings in another $18,000 or so.

$84,815 isn't a bad yearly salary for a middle school teacher.

By contrast, most of my colleagues are young, teach just as many kids, and work just as hard during the summer to earn less than $35,000.

Add to that the fact that I bought my house in the nineties for about half of what a nice condo costs now. (continued below)

(part two continued from above)

Because of how my salary has grown over the years and because of the rising price of real estate, I have a much better ability to provide for my family. I can afford to live in Utah and be a teacher. I might not be typical of all mid-career teachers, but I bet I'm pretty close. My wife is a stay at home mom and helps run the consulting business. Most teachers my age have a spouse with a career and separate income. When our youngest goes to school next year we'll add to our household income.

For young teachers it's not the same. A salary of $35,000 gives a person the borrowing power to buy a home worth $105,000. That means if you graduate from college in 2008, you can't afford to live in Utah and be a teacher.

Would I like a 10% raise to match the raise the young teachers are getting? Of course I would, but as a state we need to work with the resources we have. Compassion and an awareness of market forces need to guide our policy.

(continued below)

(part three)

The statewide crisis isn't in the retention of older teachers. It's in the recruitment of young teachers. We had a massive shortage at the beginning of this school year.

We need to put our limited funding where needs are greatest.

Have any of you looked at the salaries of some of these administrators. They are making great money. They don't need to be compensated they get vacation days they leave the schools when they want. When was the last time an administrator took a personal day and had to pay it out of their own check. Is this going to be like last years raise and we won't get it. I have taught for 12 years and work part time now, and I am not complaining about part time. But when we got our bonus last year I got half a bonus which is fine. But the teacher next year had been teaching for 3 months when we were paid our bonus and he recieved 1000. THe same amount that teacher who have worked for 25 years recieved. There are problems. The new teachers are recieving the perks and those of us who have been in the trenches for years are still sitting in the same place we have been for years.

Principals already make considerably more than teachers, with little difference in the time it takes to fulfill one's daily responsibilities. Principals are on a longer yearly contract for which they are compensated. Principals don't deal with classrooms of 30 children 6 hours a day. As a teacher in Nebo district, we did not get 2,500 dollars last year. Fund the bill so the district does not have the ability to short change teachers again.

Teacher make more money that cops, and they work inside, nine months a year. Teachers can cry all they want. No one else gets away with working nine months a year and getting paid for 12. They get enough money.

They don't need a raise every year. We would be alot better of if the blood sucking legislature never meet.

Utah has shortchanged teachers for years. Its highly appropriate that they get a significant pay raise.

Although there are highly qualified teachers, in spite of the low pay, there is not enough of them. Many who are attracted to the field aren't the brightest. As a result we keep getting stupid methods of teaching that do more damage than good. (Whole language and investigations math).

Teaching should pay more so societies best and brightest won't ever say, I'd love to teach, but want to make more money.

Even these pay raises aren't enough but they are a start.

The reason Vouchers are such a big issue is because districts are full of pork spending, just like government. If you give the money to the districts, rather than teachers, we will not see it!

The reason teachers are paid so poorly is because the districts do not need to answer for every dollar they get.

I would venture to say not ONE principal has left utah for Wyoming. There is no lack of candidates for principal anywhere.

To private sector people....sounds like they need more teachers still. Hop on board and get a raise...oh wait you would take a $20,000+ a year pay cut to be a teacher....so what were you talking about?

I agree that the teacher is the most important part of the puzzle, but this legislator, which excluded the administrator, is absolutely clueless to how critical the administrator is to keeping the school running smoothly, supporting teachers and maintaining a functional system. Remove the administrator and how is the school going to function, by a committee, I don't think so.

NEARLY ENOUGH.

Nevada is close to the bottom of the list as far as teacher pay, yet they still pay teachers much better than Utah. That's why I moved here to teach. After all, I wanted to make a LIVING wage so I could support my family. When I lived in Utah I was making more money in the construction industry as a common laborer than I would of as a teacher.

A former co-worker of mine moved back to Utah, and she took a HUGE cut in pay (something like $12,000-$15,000/year). Ouch! Plus she had the option of teaching summer school here (another $7,000), plus her working conditions aren't nearly as good. Her only advantage is that she is closer to her family.

Utah legislators need to know that if they want good teachers, they need to be willing to pay them more than those who don't even attend college to obtain an education. Teachers make huge sacrifices both in time and money to obtain an education, and UTAH refuses to compensate them for their sacrifice. It's pathetic.

I would love to move back to Utah and teach. I just can't afford it.

I want to compliment Alpine School District that paid every full-time teacher the $2500. The district followed through even if they didn't get the entire amount from the legislature. A district like Alpine can be trusted to do what is right for all of their employees. I think the raise to the WPI is the way to go. Let the districts use the money to fit their needs. With it, put the expectation that teachers and administrators get a raise of $2500. We need to remember that administrators set the vision for the schools. They work hard and deserve the raise with the teachers. Let's follow the voice of the voters who are pro-education.

Well said.

I'm in about the same boat as you minus the consulting in the summer. I agree the starting pay is where it is needed. That isn't popular to say with the UEA crowd. The whole WPU mess is a joke.

Starting salaries need to get up to at least $40,000 a year to get good candidates.

Once you are in the system and do a good job you will be rewarded for the extra work. Teaching a prep period, dept. chair etc.

I would never have become a teacher in Utah if I had live off of $30,000 a year and a house cost $300,000.

Luckily I got in when houses were $100,000 and have bought and sold several times to move up.

You just can't do that on what they are offering now.