[ad_1]
In our new series Teacher Salary Stories, We Are Teachers readers share how they’re succeeding—or not—in improving teacher pay. The goal is to take an honest look at teacher pay in the United States—what’s working, what’s not working, and what needs to change if we’re to stem the flow of teachers leaving the profession and recruiting new ones into the field.
In today’s Teacher Salary story, a middle school social sciences teacher in California who will earn $131,000 this year discusses what they’re doing to earn raises and the mixed feelings they have about teacher salaries.
Where do you live?
Thousand Oaks, California.
What is your job title?
Middle school social sciences teacher.
What is your annual salary?
$105,855. (But I have an extra semester this year, without prep, which brings the amount to about $131,000.)
What is your educational level?
Master.
How did you pay for your education?
My parents agreed to pay for my education up to my master’s degree. I’m very lucky in that regard.
How long have you been teaching? Is this your first profession?
Thirteen years. This is my first and only planned career.
What is your starting salary as a teacher?
About $40,000.
Tell us about your income growth (for example, have you received record grade increases, taken on additional duties, earned an advanced degree, or switched roles?).
I receive standard schedule adjustments each year, which in my area are based on years of service and education level. Our union also negotiates raises on schedule each year, which in the 13 years I’ve been in the district has ranged between 1.5% (the lowest we’ve ever had) and up to 10% in one year. I also teach a leadership class at ASB, which provides me with a salary of $2,100 per year, and as mentioned above, whenever I get the opportunity, I agree to “teach my prep,” which means I have an extra class and no prep in exchange. For an additional 20% of my salary for this year.
How much is one salary, after taxes, and how often are you paid?
$6,891 per month.
What is your approximate net worth including savings, investments, retirement and other assets?
With the equity in our home, plus investments and retirement savings, we likely have about $800,000.
How many people live in your house? Are you the sole breadwinner?
two people. My wife is also a teacher and earns similar wages, and we are looking forward to starting a family soon.
What are your approximate monthly expenses (e.g., rent/mortgage, car payment or other loans, child care, food, entertainment, phone/internet/utilities, other subscriptions)?
Mortgage/Insurance/Taxes = $2,465
Utilities (gas/electricity/water) = approximately $300
Cable/Internet/Subscriptions = ~$350
Credit card (which is most of the other expenses for Cash Reward Points) ~$5,000 per month (we pay it off in full every month – no debt)
No car payments – we both own our cars outright
No student loans – I didn’t have any, and we paid off my wife’s loan with a windfall from an inheritance about six years ago.
Do you receive a budget provided by the school or PTA for classroom supplies? If so, how much?
$300 annually.
How much of your own money do you spend on your classroom each year?
$200 to $500 when considering what I will end up purchasing for student activities.
What types of things do you buy when you treat yourself?
We love going on mini vacations to Disneyland, the mountains, or the desert. We also enjoy nice meals out.
What expenses would you incur if you suddenly got an extra $1,000 per paycheck?
Nothing, I’ll just invest it and save more.
How does your district handle retirement? Will you get a pension?
My district often offers “golden handshake” cash incentives of up to $50,000 to graduate older teachers. However, I will also receive a pension of half my final salary from CalSTRS (California State Teachers Retirement System).
Do you have any secondary sources of income, such as a side hustle or another job?
I have a Teacher Pay account that I sell some stuff on, but it doesn’t generate much income – maybe a few hundred a year, that’s all. I’ve thought about increasing my marketing and online presence, but it takes too long.
How satisfied are you with your teaching salary on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being very satisfied and 1 being not at all satisfied? Please explain.
8. It’s the only career I ever wanted and it’s still the only thing I want to do. However, we need to be treated much better by “the system”. My district is actually trying its best to value us, but it’s the broader world that needs to improve. We need to be trusted and empowered to design curriculum, assess students, create classrooms, and lead our schools without non-pedagogical supervision. The pay should also be much better given our crucial role in society.
Has your current and/or future salary influenced your decision-making about other major life choices (e.g., where to live, whether to rent/own, whether or not to have children, etc.)? Please explain.
Yes. We delayed starting a family until our mid-30s, until we were more financially stable and had enough seniority in our areas to ensure stable placement. We’d also like a bigger house (we currently live in a three-bedroom, two-bath house that we bought for $565,000 eight years ago and is now worth about $1 million; housing prices in our area are out of control). But anything larger is pretty much out of our budget.
Do you plan to stay in education?
Yes, until retirement.
Do you have any other ideas about teacher salaries that you would like to share?
Pay reflects value. While local areas have some control over this, it is largely determined by the larger world through funding and other legislative decisions. The bottom line is that teachers are not valued the way they should be. I can’t put a number on what we are worth, and I will admit that some of us are worth more than others based on our abilities in the classroom and our dedication to our craft. I actually think that partial merit pay (based not on test scores, but on lesson design, student engagement, extracurriculars, school service, etc.) and individually negotiated bonuses would greatly benefit the profession.
Are you interested in participating in the Teacher Salary Stories Project? Fill out the Google form here. If we select your story for publication, we will notify you and send you a $150 gift card. All responses will be posted anonymously.
[ad_2]
Source link
