Teaching: Paying to Maintain a Professional Profession

Michael Hays
Undergraduate student, University of Northern Colorado
E-mail: hays9566@blue.unco.edu

The public education system in the United States is a very important institution for our nation's youth. In most states, children are required by law to attend public school, unless they are home-schooled, until the age of sixteen. At the age of sixteen, students are entitled, though certainly not encouraged, to leave the public school system if they wish. Public school teachers are asked to account for and educate all of these students, and teachers are professionals who are constantly in demand. In fact, the demand is so great that in several cities semi-qualified professionals who lack the proper credentials are being asked to teach. One possible explanation for this phenomenon is the poor salaries which teachers are being paid. Both national and state governments ought to consider a pay increase for public school teachers in order to ensure the best education possible for the youth of the United States.

Physicians and attorneys both work in careers that financially reward professionals for their many years of study at colleges and universities. Anyone who has been involved in any sort of litigation can attest to the outrageous fees charged by attorneys, and hospitals are also institutions that charge handsomely for their services. It is true that physicians and attorneys are asked to spend many years studying in school, but teachers are paid very poorly in comparison to these professions. Subsequently, teachers are also asked to study for four and often at least five years at colleges and universities. Public school teachers are also asked to take exams in order to certify them in their professions. These exams are similar to bar exams and medical boards. What is even more important, there are several professions where employees are paid more handsomely than teachers, and these professions do not require much if any formal training or education. Finally, teachers are also critiqued because they are often only required to work nine months of the year, but many teachers use their summers to teach summer school, attend classes, or design lesson plans for the upcoming school-year.

Most people would agree that teachers are educated professionals much like attorneys and physicians. However, many of these same people think it is not necessary for teachers' wages to be quite as substantial as the wages of doctors and lawyers because teachers are not asked to attend quite as much school. Teachers may not need to be as highly educated as physicians or attorneys, but they do have to complete a fair amount of education in order to earn and maintain a teaching license. Most teaching programs in colleges and universities are difficult to complete in less than five years. Much like physicians and attorneys, public school teachers are required to take an exam in order to receive the necessary license to practice their profession. Teachers must also continue to attend classes in order to maintain their certifications. More important, there are several careers that require less formal education than teaching, and these careers tend to pay more substantial salaries than public school teachers earn. I noticed this major salary inconsistency when I compared my salary at my old job with the salary of a public school teacher.

In 1999, I finished my four-year tour in the military, and I returned to this region to live in Cheyenne, Wyoming. I went to work at Echostar, the up-link center for the satellite television company Dish Network, building cable systems for broadcasting. For my position at Echostar, I did have a few years of experience because I performed similar tasks in the military, but I did not need a college degree to earn my position at Echostar. My best friend from high school was about to embark on his third year as a public school teacher in the state of Wyoming. When I compared my salary with his salary, I discovered I was earning about seven thousand dollars a year more than he was earning. At the same time, my employment package offered tuition assistance to help me attend college if I so desired, and he was not offered any kind of similar educational assistance in his employment package. This scenario does not seem fair because he is required to attend college classes to maintain his teaching certification. My job did not even require a degree or college credit hours in order to maintain employment, but I was receiving a benefit that is not extended to our public school teachers who would benefit from that assistance.

Many people also think the fact that most teachers only have students for nine months constitutes another logical argument for smaller teacher salaries. Contrary to popular belief, teachers are really working during these three months. As I have alluded to before, public school teachers are also asked to earn a certain number of college credit hours in order to maintain their certifications, and many teachers use this time to attend these mandated classes that ensure their certifications. Some teachers are also asked to teach summer courses to students who did not master the material covered during the regular school year. Several teachers also coach fall sports or sponsor other school-related-activities. Many of these sports and activities begin a few weeks before the regular school year. Moreover, there are teachers who use this three-month period planning lessons and gathering teaching materials for the ensuing school year.

Other than the small population of children who are home-schooled, public school is an institution that encompasses each child in this country under the age of sixteen. However, teachers are paid very poor salaries despite the importance of their profession. The general public agrees that teachers are educated professionals, but these same people do not think public school teachers should be paid as well as other educated professionals. Public school teachers are not asked to attend as many years of school as some other professionals do, but teachers are required to complete a certain level of education. Furthermore, there are several professions that require less education than teaching but supply a more generous salary and benefits package. At the same time, teachers are often asked to pay for re-certification costs out of their own shallow pockets because their employment packages do not offer the funds for this constant training. Teachers have four months without students, and this time is often viewed as "vacation time" by the general public; however, public school teachers have stringent schedules that often require them to surrender their summers.

Public school teachers are important professionals in our communities, and it is time for their paychecks to reflect their importance. Politicians on both the state and national levels ought to consider designing more appropriate salary and benefit packages for their public school teachers.

Academic Exchange Extra invites reader responses to any writings in this issue--especially articles advancing the scholarly debate of issues raised.

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