A Response
In the comment thread on the Matt Damon video, Rugles writes: "Do teachers in Seattle really work long hours for crappy pay?"
Well, I can only speak for myself. I will let others decide if my pay is crappy:
As for my hours, let me break down a day. I was getting to Rainier Beach about 6:30. I would use that 90 minutes before school to get my day fully organized, get some grading done, and help out any students who would come by before school. I would then teach from 8 till 2:30. I would stay till 5:00 or so, planning for the next few days, helping students, and being on various school committees. So Monday to Friday, 6:30 till 5:00 is 10.5 hours a day. Yes, I get 30 minutes for lunch, but I have students in my room, so while I do eat, I am still working. On Saturday and Sunday afternoons, I would hit the library to do research on teaching math, try to write interesting lessons, grade papers (grading never goes away), and plan for the next week. The weekend work is 6 hours on average. So (5 * 10.5) + 6 = 58.5 hours per week. Let me say that I love my job and I am not complaining, whining, or grousing in any manner. I am sharing my reality as a teacher.
Now that it summer, I just finished teaching summer school in Shoreline (it was pretty fun, actually. I taught an Algebra 1 Jump class to middle schoolers). At this moment, I am in the library, going through my materials for the upcoming year (I have transferred to Ingraham and I want to be prepared), making sure that I will be teaching the state standards to the students in the fall and generally working on being the best teacher I can be. I have spent 4 hours on both Monday and today on this. I can see this lasting until we go back.
Ingraham has various events planned for later this month (orientation and bridge programs) that I will most likely attend. I won't get paid for going, but I go anyway, so I can meet the students and the parents and help them ease their transition to high school.
As for the upcoming school year, I plan on getting to Ingraham at 6:30. The good part is I live 5 blocks away and if the light at 130th and Aurora is green, I get there in 2 minutes. I will gain 30 minutes of sleep every day. I plan on staying till 5:00. The good part is my gym will be 1 minute away, so I can get a workout in before going home. I am looking forward to that.
In my experience (6 years), the great majority of the teachers work very hard, are well prepared and very professional. Could most teachers make more money using their skills somewhere else? Probably, but they don't because they want to leave the world a better place and make a difference and impact other peoples lives.
Well, I can only speak for myself. I will let others decide if my pay is crappy:
As for my hours, let me break down a day. I was getting to Rainier Beach about 6:30. I would use that 90 minutes before school to get my day fully organized, get some grading done, and help out any students who would come by before school. I would then teach from 8 till 2:30. I would stay till 5:00 or so, planning for the next few days, helping students, and being on various school committees. So Monday to Friday, 6:30 till 5:00 is 10.5 hours a day. Yes, I get 30 minutes for lunch, but I have students in my room, so while I do eat, I am still working. On Saturday and Sunday afternoons, I would hit the library to do research on teaching math, try to write interesting lessons, grade papers (grading never goes away), and plan for the next week. The weekend work is 6 hours on average. So (5 * 10.5) + 6 = 58.5 hours per week. Let me say that I love my job and I am not complaining, whining, or grousing in any manner. I am sharing my reality as a teacher.
Now that it summer, I just finished teaching summer school in Shoreline (it was pretty fun, actually. I taught an Algebra 1 Jump class to middle schoolers). At this moment, I am in the library, going through my materials for the upcoming year (I have transferred to Ingraham and I want to be prepared), making sure that I will be teaching the state standards to the students in the fall and generally working on being the best teacher I can be. I have spent 4 hours on both Monday and today on this. I can see this lasting until we go back.
Ingraham has various events planned for later this month (orientation and bridge programs) that I will most likely attend. I won't get paid for going, but I go anyway, so I can meet the students and the parents and help them ease their transition to high school.
As for the upcoming school year, I plan on getting to Ingraham at 6:30. The good part is I live 5 blocks away and if the light at 130th and Aurora is green, I get there in 2 minutes. I will gain 30 minutes of sleep every day. I plan on staying till 5:00. The good part is my gym will be 1 minute away, so I can get a workout in before going home. I am looking forward to that.
In my experience (6 years), the great majority of the teachers work very hard, are well prepared and very professional. Could most teachers make more money using their skills somewhere else? Probably, but they don't because they want to leave the world a better place and make a difference and impact other peoples lives.
Comments
Contrary to popular belief, summer vacation is not really a 3-month vacation, nor are any of the other breaks truly "breaks". Those are usually regarded as my "catch-up" times, when I have bit more time to analyze student needs, design instructional activities, develop new plans, grade, evaluate past work, and plan some more.
While I wouldn't say my pay is crappy, I'm certainly not compensated based on my educational levels (PhD) in comparison to what I would be making in industry as an instructional designer or corporate trainer, nor am I compensated for the number of hours I actually work - though that is often true for most people on salary rather than hourly compensation, particularly those in middle management. However, it was my choice to move from industry into education, and for now there are still aspects of my job that are enjoyable and rewarding enough to make me stay, and my salary allows me to live reasonably comfortably (though I can't afford buy a decent house or condo in the Seattle area and still pay off student loans), thus I can still afford to do a job that I (mostly) enjoy. Unfortunately if more of this ed deform comes to pass and I am forced to do more teaching to the test and holding kids back due to the misguided notion that retaining a kid who can't read year after year is good educational practice, then I will be returning to industry, where at least when I have to enforce unpleasant guidelines and/or policies, it is on adults rather than children....
-CT
I think teachers in Seattle tend to make more than teachers in many areas of the country, so the crappy pay comment may be more of a universal feeling of hard working, educated and compassionate people not being appreciated and compensated as they could if they chose a different profession.
He was defending the profession, a profession that has been much maligned and historically lower paying than other fields.
And this is at least partly (perhaps in large part?) because teaching has historically been a profession open to women. And gosh knows, we don't have to pay THEM, right, because they'll all get husbands who'll support them so they can loll about eating bonbons, whatever the heck THOSE are.
BTW, Michael, my son starts at Ingraham this fall, so, it's a loss for RB, but our gain, that you'll be there! Hope to see you up there!
And I guess the answer to my question is that, in general, Seattle teachers work hard during the school year and don't completely take the summer months off. Pay is not crappy but not great either (not all non-teachers are investment bankers).
"Could most teachers make more money using their skills somewhere else? Probably"
I don't recommend putting this to the test right now.