Thread: Teacher Pay Is So Low in Some U.S. School Districts That They’re Recruiting Overseas

North Carolina teachers will be the next to walk out. Here's what they want:

By Holly Yan, CNN
Updated 3:52 PM ET, Tue May 8, 2018

(CNN)The nationwide fight for more school funding has now swept North Carolina, where teachers are planning to skip school and confront lawmakers next week.

On May 16 -- when the Legislature comes back in session -- hundreds of schools will be closed to students while teachers join the March for Students and Rally for Respect in Raleigh.

Unlike similar protests in West Virginia, Oklahoma and Arizona, teachers are planning to use a personal day and rally for just one day at the state Capitol.

But that doesn't mean the fight will end on May 16.



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"It's the beginning of a six-month stretch of time to hold our elected leaders accountable for prioritizing corporate tax cuts instead of our classrooms," the North Carolina Association of Educators said.

"The ultimate goal is to elect more pro-public education leaders in North Carolina and to have long-term, sustainable victories."

Wake County Public School System -- the largest in the state -- is among those canceling classes. School board chairwoman Monika Johnson-Hostler said she knows the decision may cause some hardship, but that the move is necessary."

"We are extremely aware that disrupting family routines puts a burden on parents. At the same time, the voices of our teachers need to be heard," she said in a letter to parents.

"Year after year our teachers are asked to do more with less. I ask that you support them in their decision to highlight the needs of their profession and your children."

How bad is it in North Carolina?


It depends on whom you ask.

According to the National Education Association, North Carolina teachers ranked 39th in average teacher pay last year, with an average salary of $49,970.



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They've had some salary increases in recent years, but when adjusted for inflation, they've lost 9.4% in pay since 2009.

The same report says North Carolina also ranks 39th in per-student spending -- about $2,313 less per student than the national average of $11,642.

"The lackluster rankings come at the same time that the North Carolina General Assembly has passed massive tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy," the North Carolina Association of Educators said.

"An analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy finds North Carolina would have $3.5 billion more in annual revenue if lawmakers had not changed the tax system that was in place in 2013."

But House Speaker Tim Moore said the "rhetoric on teacher pay" has been overblown. He cited the same National Education Association data, which shows North Carolina teachers had the nation's second-highest teacher pay increase between 2016 and 2017.



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"When we peel back the political rhetoric on teacher pay, the facts indicate North Carolina educators received considerable gains in compensation for the incredible work they do in our schools," Moore said.

His spokesman acknowledged that per-student spending and teachers' salaries, when adjusted for inflation, aren't as high as they were 10 years ago because "the state was unprepared for the national recession."

But funding for both are on the rise.

"Overall, spending on education has been increasing in a long-term, sustainable way," spokesman Joseph Kyzer said.

What do teachers want?


The state teachers group said it wants lawmakers to:
-- Invest more in spending per student
-- Create a multiyear pay plan for teachers, support staff, administrators and all other school personnel.

"This plan must include restoration of compensation for advanced degrees and longevity," the state teachers group said. "The plan must also stop the flat-lining of experienced educators' pay."

-- Increase the number of school nurses, counselors, social workers and other support personnel and expand Medicaid to improve community health.

-- Create a statewide school construction board to fix crumbling schools and reduce large class sizes.

Which school districts are canceling classes?


The number of districts keeps growing, but so far the list includes:



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-- Wake County Public School System. With 160,429 students, it is the largest school district to cancel classes May 16.
-- Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. Due to projected teacher absences that "far exceed the district's ability to safely and effectively operate schools," the school board voted to make May 16 an "optional teacher workday."
-- Mooresville Graded School District. With more than 40% of instructional staff requesting leave on May 16, "We do not have enough substitute teachers and other staff to safely supervise and effectively instruct students during the school day," the district said.
-- Durham Public Schools. On the day of the march, Durham Public Schools will offer free breakfast and lunch to students at 13 schools.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/08/us/no...est/index.html

Statista

Average annual wages for secondary school teachers in 2017

https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmc.../#2cd94bcb2eab

California Education Code (EC) sections 41376 and 41378 prescribe the maximum class sizes and penalties for districts with any classes that exceed the limits established in 1964.

• Kindergarten—average class size not to exceed 31 students; no class larger than 33 students
• Grades one through three—average class size not to exceed 30 students; no class larger than 32 students
• Grades four through eight—in the current fiscal year, average number of students per teacher not to exceed the greater of 29.9 (the statewide average number of students per teacher in 1964) or the district’s average number of students per teacher in 1964.

Last Reviewed: Friday, March 17, 2017



https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/pa/cefcsp.asp

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Originally Posted by Judy

There were 47 students in my first grade class and remained so until we got to elective classes in high school, and we were smart, at the top of the world in education!!

Where was that? I grew up in California. I think 30 was the maximum. And at that time, California was at the top of the list. Now that they have changed everything, California is on the bottom.

Class size is a factor, but classroom control that has been taken away from teachers. Add to that the mixture of illegal and non-English speaking students, the quality will drop.

As for the story this thread is based on, I bet when those Oklahoma teachers get to Texas, the cost of living will be higher and they may not be better off. And as I said before, any foreign teachers who come to replace American teachers will have the same living costs, unless they are under the table.

According to the National Education Association, North Carolina teachers ranked 39th in average teacher pay last year, with an average salary of $49,970.

How does the cost of living there compare to California? In Silicon Valley, people live in their cars. A more honest approach is the wage versus the local cost of living. A national average is a bogus comparison. A teacher in North Dakota could live like a king while the same wage in California would be poverty.

The cure is legalize drugs. Many states and communities drool at the taxes they can get from legalized drugs. The slogan could be "Kids, thank your teacher for that hit or toke you get before school." And the teachers would get the added benefit that their students would be docile.

See Where The Money Goes - California Lottery
www.calottery.com › Giving Back › Possibilities in Education
Besides offering you entertaining games, the California Lottery's sole mandate is to raise supplemental funds for all California public schools. Since FY 2000-01, we've been lucky. We've sent more than $1 billion a year to public education. That means K-12, Community Colleges, CSU and UC campuses and several ...

Originally Posted by Judy

Increase your classroom size, reduce the number of teachers you need, deport the illegal aliens and raise your teacher salaries. It's so simple. Illegal immigration and this ridiculous little classroom size are your problems. SOLVE THEM. There were 47 students in my first grade class and remained so until we got to elective classes in high school, and we were smart, at the top of the world in education!! You'v reduced the classroom size to almost nothing and put near the bottom 50 in education world wide. THAT IS A FAILURE!!! Fix it!!!

Idiots.

GRRRR!!!!!

Where and when was this? A lot has changed in the last 6 decades.

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

See Where The Money Goes - California Lottery
www.calottery.com › Giving Back › Possibilities in Education
Besides offering you entertaining games, the California Lottery's sole mandate is to raise supplemental funds for all California public schools. Since FY 2000-01, we've been lucky. We've sent more than $1 billion a year to public education. That means K-12, Community Colleges, CSU and UC campuses and several ...

Well, yes, and no! Unless they've changed it, the money can only go to peripherals. As the site points out, computer labs, music programs and a few others. But it does not supplement the budget for building, payroll and other traditional purposes.

When it began, the politicians cut the school budget by the amount contributed by the Lottery. They diverted the money to their favorite programs. But since that money could not go into the school budget, the schools came up short.

So while it might buy books and stuff, if does not contribute to teacher's pay.

Statista

Average annual wages for secondary school teachers in 2017

https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmc.../#2cd94bcb2eab