A report put out by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development says that U.S. teachers work more hours than teachers in other countries.
If you personally know teachers, you know they take work home and work into the evening. Their own children don't receive help with homework because they are too busy correcting student papers. Do teachers in other countries work that hard? Apparently not.
Teachers in the United States spend more hours at work than teachers in 29 other countries. A teacher in the U.S. will spend 1080 hours per year in the classroom. The average teacher in the OECD survey spends 803 hours there. And, the reward for that hard work is to be among some of the lowest paid. In nations with leading economies, the United States does not fare well in how it compensates its teachers.
The average teacher with 15 years experience earns $37,603 in the U.S. In Luxembourg, the average teacher with 15 years of experience earns $88,000 when the cost of living is entered into the formula. Well, maybe the other countries have more students in the classroom? No. The average teacher in the U.S. has 23.1 students in the classroom. The average teacher in the survey of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has 21.5 students. Hmmm. [edweek.org, September 25, 2007]
There is a teacher shortage looming as baby boomers retire. Many cities and states are already seeing it. Many teachers are quitting after only a few years in education causing large turnover costs. The question is, "Will we do something before or after a crises?" Hopefully, education will fare better than a bridge in Minneapolis.
Related article: The Future of Education
Read previous articles on Educational Issues.
Copyright article 2007 Barbara Pytel. All Rights Reserved.
