Stories of teachers not receiving anywhere near enough money for what they do are common, but when it comes to Missouri, the situation is even worse.
We have a legislature that attempts to eliminate tenure and create more hurdles for teachers every year as if Missouri teachers are making too much money and are a drain on the state's economy.
On the contrary, data shows that only 10 states pay their teachers less than the Show-Me State.
And even those figures are misleading. The average teacher in Missouri may make $47,000 per year, but in southwest Missouri districts that figure is much lower. After 14 years of teaching, I was pulling down approximately $37,000 a year in the Joplin R-8 School District and it is nowhere near the lowest paying school district in this area of the state.
What no one ever talks about is how remarkable it is that we have such a high level of professionalism in a job that does not pay professional level wages.
5 comments:
only 10 states pay their teachers less than the Show-Me State.
Oh, look: there's Kansas, right under Missouri!
only 10 states pay their teachers less than the Show-Me State.
Look, there's Kansas, right under it!
No offense to teachers but $37k for a job that allows you to have the entire summer off, two weeks at Christmas, one week in the spring plus a number of other holidays off isn't really something to thumb your nose at. I am not suggesting teachers don't deserve to make more or that they don't earn every penny but your post is misleading. Do you know how many people would LOVE to make $37k working their 40 hour/week job that may include one week of vacation? And guess what - those jobs are stressful too.
Estimated median household income in 2011: $38,335 (it was $30,555 in 2000)
Joplin: $38,335
Missouri: $45,247
Estimated per capita income in 2011: $23,214
Joplin city income, earnings, and wages data
Estimated median house or condo value in 2011: $98,546 (it was $67,300 in 2000)
Joplin: $98,546
Missouri: $136,900
Read more: http://www.city-data.com/city/Joplin-Missouri.html#ixzz2nmtKY690
Springfield is one of the 10 cities in America with the lowest cost of living expense. Springfield has an index of 88.6 on that scale and Joplin has an index of 88.7. That is for the third quarter of 2013.
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