Teacher Salaries to be Affected by FCAT

Tallahassee, Florida – The FCAT is usually a major worry only for the students as it can keep them from graduating high school. The FCAT is the culmination of all the lectures, studying, examinations, homework, and projects that a student has accomplished for the past several years. But now, it becomes a key concern for teachers when it comes to their pay.

Half of teachers’ wages would now be based on their student’s performance in the FCAT, in accordance to a new Republican bill. For a decade now, the Republicans have set their sights on school districts in Florida. This development was not at all welcomed by educators in Florida. Thomas Lentz, a Polk County high school teacher, even travelled all the way to Tallahassee to voice his dissatisfaction over the new bill.

Here is what he Lentz to say regarding the issue: “That would be even more dangerous, to cherry pick students. I don't want that kid, I want that kid; I don't want to teach at that school, I want to teach at that school. It's bad for students, ultimately, because teachers aren't going to want to teach those students who need the most help”.

Bradenton Senator Michael Bennett plans to vote for the bill. Included in the bill is a provision that wouldn’t factor-in teacher experience or how many degrees he/she holds when it comes to his/her paycheck. A state program that rewards teachers who passes a board certification test will also be removed by this reform. It all comes down to teacher and student performance. The bill makes it clear that if your students don’t do well, then your job will be at risk.

Lentz relates that he find the challenge to be too difficult and unreasonable. He says that there’s too much at stake; and the problem doesn’t even lie in teachers’ wages.

Pittsburgh Teacher Salaries Made to Public by Website against Teachers' Strikes

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – Though teacher salaries aren't exactly kept away from the public eye, they aren't readily accessible as well. The data for teacher salaries are considered as public record, but you'd have to go great lengths before you can view this information. In Pennsylvania, this is no longer the case. A newly-launched website – www.stopteacherstrikes.org - makes it easier for you to check teacher salaries within the state. It was only in December that Pittsburgh was added in the site's database.

The website was launched by individuals who question the validity of the teachers' strikes. It accounts the salary of every teacher (by name) in Pennsylvania; as the website operator's motive is to show that salaries in the school districts are competitive, thus there is no reason for a teachers' strike. The site was set up by Simon Campbell, a native of Bucks County, as a means to denounce the ongoing strikes within the school districts. Currently, the average salary for a teacher in Pittsburgh is $70,000. It is much higher when put in contrast with the rates of Westmoreland County's Greensburg-Salem ($47,860) and Seneca Valley School District ($49,864). "There is no excuse for teachers' strikes," he says. He finds it preposterous that this is allowed in Pennsylvania.

Simon Campbell was said to have targeted Pittsburgh as he finds the ongoing strikes unreasonable; he believes that teachers in the area are well-off financially. Most Pittsburgh educators refused to comment on the situation. Others have raised privacy issues about having their wages posted online. John Tarka, president of the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, says he's not upset about the salaries being posted; what doesn't sit well with him is Campbell's crusade in discrediting the teachers' union. "The union is a valuable resource for teachers, the district and the community," says Tarka.

Campbell was asked if he was anti-union, he replied with "yes and no." His resentment is directed more towards union leaders than teachers themselves, he relates. "Most teachers just want to teach," says Campbell. “But more often than not, union leaders are not looking out for teachers' interests." Naturally, Tarka disagrees. He notes that Pittsburgh educators voted – via a secret ballot – by a huge margin in favor of a strike authorization. The improvement of teachers and school districts is their only aspiration, he says.

Diminished Teacher Salaries No Longer Necessary

Carson City, Nevada -- The proposed cut in teacher salaries by 1.75% in the state of Nevada will no longer be imposed, according to the spokesperson of Gov. Jim Gibbons. Budget director Andre Clinger found some additional funds to augment the budget for public education; so the planned decrease in teacher's wages will now be scrapped, said Gibbons' communications director, Daniel Burns. The additional money comes from extra Medicaid funds – which will now be diverted to the budget for public education.

Gibbons had initially asked the legislature to downgrade the public education budget by as much as a little over $200 million. But with the allocation of the extra funds, this number would be reduced to only around $35 million. The additional money would be able to cover the the salaries of public education teachers and other school employees. They would still go through a salary cut though, but it won't be anywhere near as much as the rate originally suggested by Nevada's governor.

The state's $887 million budget deficit (equal to 20% of the tax revenue the state government expected it would be able to collect between March and June 30, 2011) spurred the idea of a reduced salary rate for the teachers in Nevada. Democratic leaders have been searching for other sources of revenue to prevent possible cuts in teacher salaries which could lead to massive layoffs of educators. Gibbons has resolved the situation, but he now leaves the responsibility of how to use the additional budget to the various school districts. It is up to them to manage the funds wisely so that there would be no need for the reduction in teachers' wages.

Teacher Salaries - Sometimes a confusing world...

Teachers, you love to teach, but hate how little you are paid. So I made a website called TeacherSalaryInfo.com that can show you what you can do to earn more doing what you love. Welcome to a website centered around the world of the teacher's salaries.

According to a 2006 study done by the National Education Association, 50% of teachers leave the profession within five years because of poor working conditions and low salaries. Yet, according to the 2006 General Social Survey, teaching ranks among the Top 10 most gratifying jobs with 69% of teachers reporting they were very satisfied with their jobs. A low salary should not be the reason to stop molding young minds and influencing lives for the betterment of our society.

My website is for teachers, made by a teacher who became frustrated with the lack of organized information about teacher's salaries. I started off by doing a summary, state by state, of what it is like to teach in each state. I also included the facts and figures when it comes to the money. Just because a state might have the one of the highest teacher salaries, it doesn't mean that you can afford to live there. So I makes sure to include on each summary the information you will need about living and working in that state as a teacher.

Abilene Teacher Salaries Rank Low

A teacher salary schedule released last week reports that Abilene’s average teacher salary is currently ranked 18th out of 20 the areas in the state of Texas. The city’s average cost of living and a steady supply of teachers are believed to be the reasons behind this, thus many school officials in the city weren’t surprised with this bit of information.

A lot of teachers that hail from or are based in Abilene prefer the lower salaries in order to stay close to their homes. Other areas in the state of Texas such as Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas offer better salaries, but many Abilene professionals choose to practice their occupations locally. That’s why there is always a teacher available for service in the city; they basically have no qualms regarding the compensation that most of the districts in Abilene are capable of offering. They settle for what they can instead of going through the hassle of relocating to another city.

A 3% increase (more than $2,000) was given to Abilene ISD teachers; improved health insurance coverage was also provided (they cover $370 per employee, while other areas adhere to the $225 state average). The average teacher salary in Abilene so far this year is $42,474. According to the Texas Association of School Boards, the statewide average teacher salary rose by 3.2%. Also of note is the fact that the average starting salary in districts with more than 10,000 students is $43,286 - a 2.5% rise from the previous year.

With the way things are going, huge increments in the Abilene teacher salaries are not expected. It will most probably rank pretty much the same in the future as long as the conditions in the city don’t change as well.

Terrell Teacher Salaries is Now Competitive with State Standards

In years past, the city of Terrell provides compensation to its teacher’s that is relatively low for Texas’ standards. Many probably consider being a teacher in Terrell isn’t as desirable as being a teacher in the other cities of the state. But in a recent survey conducted by the Texas Association of School Boards, Terrell has shown a rise in the average teacher’s wages by as much as 3.2 percent. Terrell is now up to par with the average teacher’s income in its state of Texas.

In Terrell, teachers with no prior experience can start with an annual salary of as much as $44,000. This is clearly superior when put side-by-side with the state-wide wage average of $35,000 for a new teacher. Terrell’s ISD superintendent Kelly Roger has noted that increasing income is their way of attracting teachers to carry out their careers in the city’s respective schools. He says that many may not be attracted by the city’s offered teaching opportunities because of the perceived low yearly earnings by the teachers. Teachers opt to teach elsewhere when salaries are low; thus the move to improve the teachers’ salary structure was put into effect. Rodgers also stated that Terrell usually bases its teachers’ salaries on the surrounding cities’ rates - they monitor the others’ numbers and make their own rates a bit higher compared to their neighboring areas.

Here is another fact that was uncovered in the survey – many other professionals experience less pay increments annually when compared with teachers. This information may sway more people into choosing a career in teaching.

Terrell’s superintendent noted that what they’re doing is just sort of an initial step. He says that attracting teachers and retaining them don’t always go hand in hand. Rodgers relates that salaries may not always be the problem; working conditions also play a huge role - and ensuring that teachers are satisfied with their working environments is not an easy task.

Terrell’s ISD has much work to do ahead of them. With the continuous developments of education locally or state-wide, they have to keep up with these changes in order to maintain their competitiveness.