I don't do it for the money...

I had a good friend of mine share this with me on facebook and I think it is too good to not re-share and remember for the future. 

Teachers' hefty salaries are driving up taxes, and they only work 9 or 10 months a year! It's time we put thing in perspective and pay them for what they do - babysit! We can get that for minimum wage. That's right. Let's give them $3.00 an hour and only the hours they worked; not any of that silly planning time, or any time they spend before or after school. That ...would be $19.50 a day (7:45 to......... 3:00 PM with 45 min. off for lunch and plan-- that equals 6 1/2 hours). Each parent should pay $19.50 a day for these teachers to baby-sit their children. Now how many students do they teach in a day...maybe 30? So that's $19.50 x 30 = $585.00 a day. However, remember they only work 180 days a year!!! I am not going to pay them for any vacations. LET'S SEE.... That's $585 X 180= $105,300 per year. (Hold on! My calculator needs new batteries).What about those special education teachers and the ones with Master's degrees? Well, we could pay them minimum wage ($7.75), and just to be fair, round it off to $8.00 an hour. That would be $8 X 6 1/2 hours X 30 children X 180 days = $280,800 per year. Wait a minute -- there's something wrong here! There sure is!

The average teacher's salary (nation wide) is $50,000. $50,000/180 days = $277.77/per day/30 students=$9.25/6.5 hours = $1.42 per hour per student--a very inexpensive baby-sitter and they even EDUCATE your kids!) WHAT A DEAL!!!!

Heaven forbid we take into account highly qualified teachers or NCLB...

My response to her: Thanks Tamara. One could only hope and the sad thing is I wish I could be making $50,000. Utah is the lowest paying state of teachers and I make around $32,000. That comes out to about $1.18/hour/student. Not only do I babysit but I teach them how to read and add/subtract. I teach them how to tell time and how to count money. I teach them how to tie their shoes and how to show respect. I teach them to not be bullies, and how to use kind words. I love them and care for them and provide a safe environment. Well as safe as I can by knowing the procedures if something were to happen and hopefully be able to stay calm and think on my feet for my safety and that of my students. But don't worry my taxes just went up on my already low salary so I am making even less than I thought imaginable as I am teaching the future of our country. No big deal though I dont do it for the money and luckily most teachers don't either, if we cared about the money there wouldn't be as many teachers. What else gets me is that if people don;t know what they want to do in life they decided to go to school to be a teacher because thats an easy job. My job is far from easy, the things I deal with on a daily or weekly basis are more than I would wish on anyone, and while things are getting easier for me that does not mean my troubles are gone. I still have children who come to school hungry. The kids who live with one or no parents because they are in jail and there only wish is to see them again soon. There are students who parents are on drugs, illegal and prescription and have a hard time taking care of them. There is a chance that some are being abused whether mental, emotionally or physically I do not know. I have students who do not have clean laundry and as a 6 year old know enough about life that they don't want to go to school in dirty clothes.These are problems that my 6 and 7 year olds face and yet I expect them to come to school everyday and want them to focus on learning to read and write and do math. To some school is a place that is warm and they can get 2 free meals and be in a safe environment. Yet I have to try and make them find a love for learning, being at school, and want to stay in school to graduate. Never thought I would wish to be making minimum wage at a full time job that I work 45-50 hours a week at. 

Here's to making the world a better place and not fully caring what the paycheck says at the end of the month.