I tend to disagree with your school statement. The average Loudoun teacher makes 61 k for 190 day or about 38 dollars a hour. Extremely good wages for 70 days less than a regular 260 day a year job wouldn't you say Janel Howell?

The average teacher works nights and weekends in the school year -- it's not $38 an hour, it's probably half that much. All the grading and lesson plans are done nights and weekends. You really don't have any idea what goes into teaching if you think it's a job you can walk away from at 5 pm! Teachers also don't get an hour for lunch -- 20 minutes if you're lucky, and most of the time you're using that time to call parents. And forget going to the bathroom! Metro drivers can complain about only being able to use the bathroom three times during a shift, but teachers have the highest number of urinary issues.of any profession. Beginning teachers, incidentally, only make about $40 k, and most of them cannot afford to even rent in Fairfax County.

Sounds like your examples of teachers could use a class on how to budget time and maybe a speed reading class. Also if they cannot do their job maybe they should not accept the job or the salary.

Jonathan, you really shouldn't weigh in on things you know nothing about. Teachers are expected to work outside class time. It's part of the job, not poor time management. During class time they are expected to teach students, not plan lessons or correct papers. Teachers know this going in and, thankfully, choose the profession anyway. It seems you are simply trying to start an argument here.

We couldn't be happier with the education our granddaughter is getting at Terraset. We think her teachers are underpaid, not overpaid.

Kathy Kaplan

So a teacher gets 62 k for 1520 hour which if you extent it to 260 working day is the same as a 85k a year. If a critical effort is made buy me it's because the U.S.A. as a whole spends more money per student than every other country in the world except Switzerland. We as a school system rank 14th in the world, nothing to be to proud of in my opinion. Yes I taught welding for the San Diego Community College district.

It would be a good idea, Mr. Erickson, for you to find out what you're talking about before shooting your mouth off. My sister was a teacher and although at the end of a 30+ year career she made what would be considered a fairly good (but not outstanding) salary but it literally took her 3 decades to get there. When she started working in her 20's her salary was so low that my parents had to half support her. Teachers don't start off with great salaries, they start off with low salaries and slowly get merit increases (VERY slowly). Additionally a TON of their money goes into their pensions which are mostly funded by them.

I just love it when the "America's turning Socialist" crowd exposes their utter ignorance with respect to costs and financing ... the ignorance really shows through. Then again, if they ever bothered to find out what Socialism (or anything else) was, they wouldn't be making such ignorant comments .... but why let the truth and some facts get in the way when it's so much easier for one to pick and choose the truth to suit one's own fantasies.

Hats off to your sister and your parents! As with most jobs you do not get top pay for entry level skills. Dispute my facts if you can if not apply the golden rule to yourself. I fear you are a product of our 14th ranked public school system and further proof that the system needs considerable adjustment. Also remove the D from your screen name as that probably depicts you better.

"If a critical effort is made BUY me" -- makes as much sense as everything else you posted, Mr. Erickson. Teaching welding does not involve lesson plans or grading. There is simply no time in a school day for a teacher to do those things unless you believe they should be sitting doing paperwork instead of teaching the kids. Have you ever tried to create a day of lesson plans that includes all four major subject areas, with scaffolded work for the less-able students as well as more difficult work for the AA kids in your class? Do you know what it's like to have kids with multiple disabilities in your classroom, each needing special accommodations for their day's work? Every day, elementary school teachers are required to provide an hour and a half of language arts teaching, an hour of math, and an hour of social studies or science. In addition, the children also may have computer lab, library, PE, art, or an assembly or any one of a dozen other interruptions in the day. They also get a half hour for lunch and fifteen minutes for recess. There also has to be time in the day for the teacher to break the class into smaller groups to address more personal needs: students who are struggling, students who need more challenges, students with language barriers... believe me, my first year of teaching I was easily working 65-70 hours a week creating resources and lesson plans for my students (they don't grow on trees!). I had to take a summer job in order to pay my college loans off.

there was no profanity Karen. The lady above is not on subject she should be deleted if anyone. we have the second costliest school system in the world with ranking of 14 for results. Thats profane!

I am addressing the fact that you know NOTHING about what goes into teaching -- your original argument stated that teachers were overpaid for working so few days and hours. You keep saying we have the second costliest system in the world (which, by the way, is due to the fact that we try to educate and mainstream special needs instead of putting them into asylums as many other countries do!) but you provide no source for your fact. Plus, you claim teachers work 190 days of the year -- all you have to do is look at the Fairfax County School calendar to know that is false. Teachers go back to work at least 1 if not 2 weeks before students; work an additional 5 days in the year that students are not there; often have to attend PTA meetings and weekend school events... you just have no idea. And we include the successes of our special needs kids in our results, unlike other countries. I imagine you were a JOY to your teachers.

So now its 200 days a year oh my. That's still 60 days under what a normal person work schedule is. The Heritage Foundation, OECD average and the Mercatus Center to name a few sources. Let us not forget Veronique de Rugy a Senior Research Fellow at George Mason University. I am sure you have looked at all of this to come to your opinion. You seem willing to complain about me questioning wasteful spending and remaining content with mediocre schooling for our children.

Thanks for the compliment Frank. I will try and go through some notes tonight on the specifics but I am sure you can navigate through the pubs as we'll as I. Hai Karate

Not 200, more like 220, and that's not including the evenings and weekends they work. Keep in mind also that you and everyone else intent on teacher-bashing get paid vacations that increase every year. Most new teachers work during the summer to make ends meet, so they get no vacation. You clearly believe, however, that you know more about the profession than someone who works in the field, so I am wasting my time attempting to educate you as many teachers did in your youth.

Yes you are correct, shoo!

K 12 spending in the OECD by Veronique de Rugy. Piso, the Heritage Foundation and Hatrick's budget. Nuff ninja man? My goal is to bring awareness to bang for the buck involving the school system, if it caused any stress it was not my intention do forgive me.