MRS. KRAM WAS A VERY GOOD TEACHER. Like all teachers, good or bad, though, she didn't make a whole lot of money. Reading about exploding salaries in sports, she once asked me, since I write about baseball, "Why should athletes make so much more than teachers? Teachers are certainly more important to society than baseball players."
"When people start paying to watch teachers teach," I told her, "their salaries will get closer to what players make."
That's what it boils down to, as salaries are now at or near record levels in the major sports leagues. This baseball season, the average player is making $2.4 million, an all-time high. In three games, he earns what a typical high school teacher makes in a year, $45,000. More and more, athletes seem to be living on another cash-abundant planet, but there's an argument to be made that they deserve all those dollars.
Now if that doesn't rile you up, this should...
If only we were all paid accordingly...
Teachers' salaries are driving up taxes, and they only work 9 or 10 months a year! It's time we pay them for what they do--babysit! We can get that for less than minimum wage. That's right. Let's give them $3.00 an hour for the hour they work, not any of that silly planning time.That would be $19.50 a day (7:00 AM to 3:30 PM or so) with just 25 min. off for lunch. Each parent should pay $19.50 a day for these teachers to baby-sit their children. NOW...How many do they teach in a class, 30? So that's $19.50 x 30 =$585.00 a day.However, remember they only work 180 days a year!!! We're not going to pay them for any vacation. LET'S SEE....That's $585 x 180= $105,300 per year.What about those teachers with advanced degrees? Well, we could pay them minimum wage, and just to be fair, round it off to $7.00 an hour. That would be $7 x 6 1/2 hours x 30 children x 180 days = $245,700 per year.Wait a minute--there' s something wrong here! Average teacher salary $50,000/180 days = $277/per day/30 students = $9.23/6.5 hours = $1.42 per hour per student. A very inexpensive "baby-sitter" and they even try - with your help - to EDUCATE your kids! WHAT A DEAL....
"When people start paying to watch teachers teach," I told her, "their salaries will get closer to what players make."
That's what it boils down to, as salaries are now at or near record levels in the major sports leagues. This baseball season, the average player is making $2.4 million, an all-time high. In three games, he earns what a typical high school teacher makes in a year, $45,000. More and more, athletes seem to be living on another cash-abundant planet, but there's an argument to be made that they deserve all those dollars.
Now if that doesn't rile you up, this should...
If only we were all paid accordingly...
Teachers' salaries are driving up taxes, and they only work 9 or 10 months a year! It's time we pay them for what they do--babysit! We can get that for less than minimum wage. That's right. Let's give them $3.00 an hour for the hour they work, not any of that silly planning time.That would be $19.50 a day (7:00 AM to 3:30 PM or so) with just 25 min. off for lunch. Each parent should pay $19.50 a day for these teachers to baby-sit their children. NOW...How many do they teach in a class, 30? So that's $19.50 x 30 =$585.00 a day.However, remember they only work 180 days a year!!! We're not going to pay them for any vacation. LET'S SEE....That's $585 x 180= $105,300 per year.What about those teachers with advanced degrees? Well, we could pay them minimum wage, and just to be fair, round it off to $7.00 an hour. That would be $7 x 6 1/2 hours x 30 children x 180 days = $245,700 per year.Wait a minute--there' s something wrong here! Average teacher salary $50,000/180 days = $277/per day/30 students = $9.23/6.5 hours = $1.42 per hour per student. A very inexpensive "baby-sitter" and they even try - with your help - to EDUCATE your kids! WHAT A DEAL....