I came across this post from the Huffington Post.
Essentially, it is about how Colorado schools are going to be paying teachers differently based on what subject they teach.
In general, science, math and english teachers will earn more than arts and PE teachers.
I understand the rationale behind this, somewhat. It seems that math, english and science are considered more serious courses, and there is a stigma that these courses require a higher level of intelligence to teach.
Really, they don't. Sure, math is hard, science is hard, english is hard. Classes like PE may seem easy, but thinking to my teachers at school, if you put some of them on the football field and told them to teach 9th grade girls to throw a ball, they would be lost.
Arts, social sciences and athletics are skills. I'm pretty sure my math teacher would be as horrible at art as my art teacher is as bad at math.
These teachers have the same educational experience, as well. They have 4 years of a bachelors degree and then their teaching degree. There's the odd teacher with a masters, Phd or a tech teacher who has a college degree, but in general, all teachers have the same education.
I don't understand how it makes sense to pay a math teacher $10,000 a year more than an art teacher.
The article also discusses paying primary and secondary teachers differently. I think this would make more sense, but even if one of these groups of teachers earned more than another, it shouldn't be by that much more.
Primary teachers are looked down upon because they are teaching easier concepts than high school teachers. Most parents would think that they should earn less because they are teaching concepts that they can teach their own kids. But do you know what? Even though this is true, parents aren't going to do that. Primary teachers go through a similar education process to secondary teachers.
Really, when I hear these teachers are being payed differently based on what level and subject they teach, I just think it means that stereotypical intelligent subject teachers are payed more. Mathematical intelligence isn't the be all and end all.
Teachers should be payed based off of job performance, not even seniority. Maybe getting a raise based on time worked, but most pay should be based off of job performance. I had a teacher that has taught for almost 20 years, and was horrible. I had a teacher that had been teaching for only a few years, and although this teacher wasn't amazing, they were better than the 20 year teacher.
Teachers should get payed like actors and actresses do. Technically they are doing a performance 5 times a week. ;)
Essentially, it is about how Colorado schools are going to be paying teachers differently based on what subject they teach.
In general, science, math and english teachers will earn more than arts and PE teachers.
I understand the rationale behind this, somewhat. It seems that math, english and science are considered more serious courses, and there is a stigma that these courses require a higher level of intelligence to teach.
Really, they don't. Sure, math is hard, science is hard, english is hard. Classes like PE may seem easy, but thinking to my teachers at school, if you put some of them on the football field and told them to teach 9th grade girls to throw a ball, they would be lost.
Arts, social sciences and athletics are skills. I'm pretty sure my math teacher would be as horrible at art as my art teacher is as bad at math.
These teachers have the same educational experience, as well. They have 4 years of a bachelors degree and then their teaching degree. There's the odd teacher with a masters, Phd or a tech teacher who has a college degree, but in general, all teachers have the same education.
I don't understand how it makes sense to pay a math teacher $10,000 a year more than an art teacher.
The article also discusses paying primary and secondary teachers differently. I think this would make more sense, but even if one of these groups of teachers earned more than another, it shouldn't be by that much more.
Primary teachers are looked down upon because they are teaching easier concepts than high school teachers. Most parents would think that they should earn less because they are teaching concepts that they can teach their own kids. But do you know what? Even though this is true, parents aren't going to do that. Primary teachers go through a similar education process to secondary teachers.
Really, when I hear these teachers are being payed differently based on what level and subject they teach, I just think it means that stereotypical intelligent subject teachers are payed more. Mathematical intelligence isn't the be all and end all.
Teachers should be payed based off of job performance, not even seniority. Maybe getting a raise based on time worked, but most pay should be based off of job performance. I had a teacher that has taught for almost 20 years, and was horrible. I had a teacher that had been teaching for only a few years, and although this teacher wasn't amazing, they were better than the 20 year teacher.
Teachers should get payed like actors and actresses do. Technically they are doing a performance 5 times a week. ;)
