Comments about ‘Poll shows Utahns want teacher pay raises’

If the teachers want a pay raise they will have to ask the Cottonwood Mall for it. The state has given the Cottonwood Mall $50 million dollars of education funds to the project. It seems that business needs our education funds more than the education of children and teacher pay raises. The governor should be ashamed and appauled by this aciton of our tax funds being usend to build a Mall and probably the REAL soccer stadium. Utah government leadership is a fraud and abuse government. Stealing from homeowners and tax payers should and must be a crime and punishable in the courts with prison and fines. We are tired of an irresponsible govrnment in Utah.

How much do teachers make? What are their benefits? How many days per year do they work? How many holidays do they get? How does their pay match up with other workers? Inquiring minds want to know.

oldman I don't know how long it has been since you attended school, but I can tell you , our most important resourse is our children and we pay our teachers the least of most states. I have seen the enormous sizes of classrooms and half of the children it seems don't speak english and all students are having to settle for less teaching time for them while the teachers spend countless hours trying to communicate with the students who do not speak our language. And about the amount of hours a teacher is actually in the classroom has absolutely nothing to do with the amount of hours spent working,Grading papers, making outlines, purchasing supplies with money from their own pockets for the underprivilidged children. I don't think for one minute we pay them enough nor let them know how much we appreciate the jobs that they do for our children.

I have had many questions in the past regarding the same things as Oldman posted about, but after having my Wife and my Daughter just finishing up Teaching Degrees and getting ready to Teach, the answer to his questions are they put in Hours and hours of time at home, and would You or I go work for those kind of wages with all the requirements they ask of Teachers ? I know I would not.
Teachers dont get near the pay and benefits they deserve for the hours and requirements that are expected of them along with the impact they can have on young people. Are there crummy, lazy teachers out there..Yes there are..but show me any business or Industry that does not.

Only the board of education can raise teachers wages , they will keep teachers wages low so that they can use them to continually ask for more.

Beginning teacher: $27,000

Benefits: No vision, no dental, pay 50% of your premiums. Shrinking retirement.

Days off: Saturdays and Sundays sometimes (depends on how much you have to grade.)

Summers are off for the most part. some will tell you that they go to conferences. I did when I first started but I don't anymore unless they pay me. I'm done volunteering.

There you go...

$50,000 to start is what I vote for.

Out here in California, teachers start between $35,000-40,000 a year, work 180 school days, get full medical for two, $40 per month for dental, all major holidays, and I'm not sure how our pay matches up with other preofessions. If I didn't enjoy teaching, I would not be one. I'm sure that starting teachers in utah make less than I do, but I know the cost of living in Utah is rising.

Teachers are professionals...it's about time we treat them as such. Pay them more, base their pay on merit, stop mandating silly hoops to jump through. Like any professional, pay them based on merit rather than time in service.

Oldman, if you want to know how much any teacher makes, look up on utahsright.com.

Hoopman, you're right about crummy, lazy employees in any business. It doesn't take 10 years to get rid of them in the other businesses though.

You can bet that on almost any given day you can pick up a paer and the teachers will be complaining. Seriously, I never see any other groups so unhappy in their jobs. I never see other groups - especially those in state jobs - who make far less than teachers - complaining like the teachers. They say they are doing it for the kids. C'mon now - really? I would bet that most teachers make more than the parents of the children they teach. I would wager that they make more than the the incomes of two working people. Honestly, if you hate your job so bad - quit. And, let those who appreciate good money take your jobs.

I wonder why teachers are evaluated using the performance of others - the students. Teachers have a responsibility to teach. Students have a responsibility to learn. Students who do not attend school regularly, do not speak English, are inattentive in the classroom, fail to complete homework assignments, or are disinterested in performing well on tests will not learn very much. Many do not understand they are risking their futures ... instead of preparing for them.

I invite any taxpayer to spend a day with a teacher in a classroom then provide comment on teacher effort, pay, and benefits. Those who rely on their own memories of elementary and secondary school have a concept very different from today's education experience.

Only the most dedicated - and perhaps financially independent - can affort to spend five or six years at the university earning a master's degree, then work for $25,000-$30,000 a year. In teaching, there is much overtime but no overtime pay. Teachers often spend summers in classes and seminars (at their own expense) to maintain a license or learn new skills and methods.

Want to know what teachers do to earn their salary? Ask a spouse.

I have the same questions as Oldman. Teachers work from 9 to 10 months out of the year. They should get paid 9/12 to 10/12 of a full year's salary. They have the time to get a summer job to make up the money. I don't care if they put in time at home. I put in time at home with my job, but I don't get paid extra because I am in a salaried possition. They accepted the job which means they accepted the requirements and the pay. Pay raises and continued employment should always be based on performance. Giving someone a raise just because it has become an annual tradition doesn't make any sense. Neither does keeping a poorly performing employee on the payroll. Both are problems that can be regularly found in all government workplaces, including education. It's not like the state currently requires teachers to do a good job in order to keep their jobs. It is nearly impossible to fire bad teachers unless they abuse the children. Even then it can be tough to get rid of them.

Ok I'm all for Teachers getting paid more..

But did they get in to the job and NOT know about the pay?

Wow, Oldman. That last post had almost no facts in it. Good job. "I never see . . ." "I would bet . . ." "I would wager . . ."
Sounds like you've done a lot of research. I'm so glad to have you blessing us with your well-rounded and thoroughly balanced analysis of the topic.

oldman - They are quitting, that's why there is a shortage! That's why they are trying to improve things. Do you want the children taught or not? Do you want them in a classroom of 50 being taught by untrained people or taught by profesionals in a reasonable classroom size? I bet if there weren't teachers to provide free babysitting so moms could go to work, we would all hear about that. Heck, a teenage babysitter makes $1.50 to $2.00 per hour per child just to keep your kids alive while you go to a movie. My wife has 26 kids in her classroom 6 hours per day 180 days per year. You do the math. AND she is expected not only to keep them alive, but actually teach them something, therefore spending an additional 3 or 4 hours per day. Then it's never the child's fault or the parent's responsibility when there is a problem. Then you have bozos out there suing the school district because their kid fell and broke their arm during recess. You couldn't pay me enough to be a teacher!

Dear Retired Teacher, Students are the product of the education system. Most organizations and consumers evaluate companies and their workers based on the quality of the products made. I guess you can blame the quality of the end product on the quality of the raw materials. But if you do that then I think you're in the wrong profession.

I agree, teaching is a professional job. So let them start acting like professionals and when they can prove they can do that, pay them accordingly. Also how about setting basic standards that they must adhere to or lose the job. Like compulsory drug testing, turning up on time, complying with the law and not molesting or abusing children - Oh sorry, that would mean even more of a shortage, wouldn't it!
The majority of teachers are good, dedicated and hard workers, but there are many who let the whole profession down and who are protected by nepotism and incompetent superintendents and boards. You can't improve the system until you get rid of the garbage in it.
Let us see. In the last year. A driver who racially abused children and didn't lose his job. A superintendent who refused to take action to revoke the credentials of a teacher who has been convicted of child molestation. A state system that asks for proof BEFORE they will investigate! And how many don't get reported? A really professional attitude!

Why give Cottonwood Mall funds? Outrageous! Actually, that is not quite true. Turns out it is quite a good idea that will bring more funds that can go to teachers in the long run.

How? Quite simple.

It spurs growth. It does it in two ways. First, it brings in new jobs, which will bring in additional income taxes for the State. Second, it brings in additional funds for the State from taxing businesses in Cottonwood (retail tax and property tax). If done right, it will also increase the property value of those in the area, increasing property tax from the residents as well.

It makes good public policy sense to invest in the Cottonwood Mall. Added revenue for the State equates to added funds going to the teachers. The Cottonwood Mall will bring perpetual funding because it is an investment that will bring in an annual ROI! Enjoy the fruits of those investments, Utah Teachers.

Last year the school districts districts didn't know how man actual classroom teachers they had. Reason: The administration and counselors wanted some of the money the state gave teachers so they counted themselves in that number.

The districts also have problems with class sizes. Average class sizes are determined by dividing the number of teachers, administrators and counselors in to the number of students... so the appearence of class size is lower than the actual class size individual teachers face each day.

You can make the numbers say anything... and the district administrators do a great job of this so that the money can keep rolling in

Mlungu-

Ok, if you want to pay them 10/12 of a salary, how about 10/12 of a reasonable salary like $50,000? So we'll make it around $42,000 or so. Deal.