Who should be paid more money?

[AMoore]

Wellardmac wrote:

Sorry guys, for me to support teachers getting paid more money I'd like to see higher educational standards and better quality teachers.

I have several teachers for neighbors and none of them are the sharpest knives in the drawer. Knowing these idiots makes me seriously consider private school for my kids when they get to that age.

I couldn't support high teacher salaries (and higher property taxes as a result) unless we clear out the dead wood, bring in higher quality teachers, and improve the thing that is loosely called a curriculum.

There is a teacher shortage because brighter people don't want to get paid so little. Do you really think making it harder to be a teacher, before increasing salaries, is the solution. It won't work. I agree that many teachers are unqualified. Before ever taking an education class, I scored in the top 10 ten percent of people taking the National Teachers Exam. This says more about the people taking the test than it does about me; but there is nothing we can do about it until the profession becomes more attractive. And don't point to the few school districts that do pay a lot after twenty years of service. I bet these teachers, who have post graduate degrees, still make less per hour than their counterparts in industry. Moreover, starting salaries in the average schoold district is the better measuring stick. Yes, they get 10 weeks off during the summer, but they are not paid for this time. Furthermore, their salary is withheld so that they can get paychecks during the summer; thus, the district gets to earn the interest on money the teachers earned.

Also, don't forget there is more to teaching than being a sharp knife. Not all intelligent people know how, or can learn how, to deal with children. It does take certain unmeasurable attributes.