Public Schools Pay Teachers 50% Above Market, Heritage Analysis Finds

[BigV]

ok, ok... I think I know what you think now.

I think like you do, that teachers are not overpaid by a factor of fifty percent. I think that's baloney. I also agree that the Heritage Foundation is the mouthpiece of conservative/regressive/evil Dark Side :darth: interests. I have scanned the actual report, and the citations. I think they've cherry picked the data sources to exaggerate the conclusion they'd already reached. I believe the desired result was to plant the seed for a future talking point about how those darn teachers, bloated government teat suckers that they are, they're the friend of our enemy (Obama) and therefore they are your enemy. Arm yourself accordingly. But I digress.

I have significant first hand experience with teachers and their salaries. I was married to one for years, and I've dated several. I have a few in my family and extended family. None of these fine people were living fifty percent more lavishly than the non teachers in the same local population, not by a long shot.

Furthermore, all the teachers I've known work a lot of hours outside the classroom. Plenty of that work involves spending their own money on stuff for the kids in the classroom. I didn't see that factored into any of the calculations in the report under discussion. I'd say a round figure would be 25 to 50 percent of the time in class was spent working outside of class, grading papers, preparing lessons, etc. This is *NOT* a job where you clock in and clock out. Though, there may well be teachers who do that, those are likely the ones that are railed against as poor teachers.

Teachers in Washington have been given pay cuts in the last several budget recalculations. It's sad.