To think teachers are quite well paid?

[Newyearnewnameforme]

Not intended goadily but my salary is more than most of my graduate friends.

Obviously, it isn’t Rockefeller standards but AIBU to think it’s actually OK?

My salary is good for where I live. In a few years, assuming I jump up more main scale paypoints, it will be even better. It's an area of the country where salaries in general are quite low, although housing can be expensive- I do spend over 1/3 of my take home pay on rent.

However, outside of London, any teacher will earn the same as me. I trained in Bristol, which is a city known for its expensive rents/high cost of living/high house prices. I know some of my friends who I trained with have a much higher cost of living that me (high rent + longer commute + childcare costs), and for some of them, they are considering whether teaching is "worth it". I imagine it's similar for many people in the South East outside of London.

Getting UPS now in many areas is very difficult, and it's not always as simple as "just" moving schools. There are areas where a lot of the schools won't support people moving up to UPS- so that means either accepting a long commute, or moving, both of which aren't possible for everyone!

I agree with that jingling but realistically there is no way teachers will earn the same as city bankers! I think it matches with other public sector jobs, a bit better than some, a bit worse than others.

It's something in computer programming that sort of field... She did an undergrad degree in computer science and then became a primary teacher. She has always been a computer whizz and she beat off 2000 other people to get one of 15 places on the course she's doing. I don't honestly get what it is she's doing exactly but its in computing and even the start off pay is pretty good compared to her years in teaching where she worked all weekend and evenings. I think that's what she's most excited about, her weekends off!

By the way, I did report my own thread a while back and asked for the title to be edited, but I think MNHQ had a good New Year’s Eve

Scary,I can tell you who apparently pissed on my chips : OP with her 'oh I really want to talk about women and their attitudes to promotion' and then really not suggesting she does.

We can all spot what is up when an OP begins a thread claiming they are not being goady.

But if you want to believe I am being condescending by suggesting, a s other have, that this would be an excellent staffroom discussion, go for it.

Not sure I am going to split hairs over the difference between staff and colleagues but my head is my colleague but all teachers are also his staff.

And , yes, he is male, as is our entire SLT bar one for your interest OP.

I haven't once sworn, accused OP of being a troll ( I don't think she is fwiw) so not sure why I got picked out. I am also not the only person who wondered why the thread was in AIBU.

"On the whole there is no shortage of teachers"

In every subject there is a shortage in secondary. Primary too in cities.

Local excellent grammar advertised twice for a bus/ec teacher and an art teacher, both positions left unfilled and meant certain a levels couldn't run.

This is a personal question kolo but what does your partner / husband do?

He works in the private sector as a software developer now. I know I'm very fortunate to have been able to leave teaching and a pretty safe salary because my husband has a good salary. It enabled me to take the risk to start up my own business.

In every subject there is a shortage in secondary.

Depends on area though.

I’m a teacher and I earn £42000, that’s UPS2 TLR2, full time classroom teacher in a primary school. I think I get paid well, particularly as I live in the north and money goes further, but lots of my colleagues are in the £25-35k bracket.

Good for you Kolo. I need to leave this year - might even try to swap to something like a TA as I do love kids.

CFlemingsmith at no time did I say anything derogatory about teachers. Read my post. I greatly admire anyone who can look after and educate a whole class of children and they deserve their salaries. I’m saying £47,000 is an unattainable amount to many people who also work really hard. It is hardly a criminal amount to be paid. And I’m sure many teachers are not paid as much as this.

‘Just’ a classroom teacher here and loud and proud!

I’m nearly 39 and been teaching since 2003. I have been a Head of Year but gave that up-it only worked out an extra £40 per week for a crazy amount of work and responsibility.

I have had to fight to get to UPS3 as the goalposts kept moving and should have had it years ago and as soon as I didaftwr approaching the Governors, we’ve then been told they cannot afford to pass on the recent pay rises to those of us on UPS.

However, I LOVE my job and am so much better in the classroom than any of my SLT and most of Middle Management colleague’s and that is what matters to me and the pride in my work.

Incidentally, I would prefer to not have to pay lots out of my own pocket to help me do my job and reduce the amount of pointless SLT initiatives, than have a pay rise.

"depends on area though"

Of course

But then again anyone who is SLT is a yes man anr most likely incompetent.

chocolate , it really is unattainable to most teachers, too!

I don't do teaching for the money and actually agree with OP that the pay can be decent. It kind of depends on your degree, your perspective on what drives you in a job, your family's earning background and perspectives of others. The problem with teaching is not really about pay and , until the government understands this, retention will remain a big problem. Especially in subjects where people can leave and earn more.

Maybe OP was engaging in a strange kind of recruitment drive? Like those ads that were banned because they overstated pay!

I'm part time so my take home pat is 25k...

I'm going back full time and will feel loaded on 42 this time next year!

DH only earns 21k full time

I agree piggy as do most teachers o believe. Low pay is not the issue.

shall we start a game of MN bingo?

Like...
‘why can’t teachers have inset days in the school holidays?’
‘Bloody teachers going on strike-can’t they strike on a Saturday?’
‘We’ve been charged a fine for taking our children out of school to go on holiday but the teachers can go and strike without getting fined!’
‘The school is closed because of the snow-it’s outrageous!’
‘The school isn’t closed even though there’s snow-it’s outrageous!’
‘My child’s maths teacher isn’t a qualified teacher-it’s outrageous!’
‘Teachers get paid for all their holidays-it’s outrageous’
‘Why do teachers have to be qualified-I know someone who was brilliant at X but for some inexplicable reason couldn’t do a PGCE and they’d be perfect in the classroom!’

I’m sure there are more.

Does your DH have a degree and a post grad qualification mammy?

Newyearnewnameforme typifies the rather obnoxious lack of empathy and people skills on display in a lot of secondary school senior management teams.

Many members of SLT were very mediocre teachers who lacked the imagination or talent for business but had ambition and an unctuous yes-man talent for towing the party line and doing about-faces without acknowledgement (we were always at war with Eastasia) ...

The best teachers usually stay in the classroom.

In most schools managers earn good money but do very little teaching, or cherry pick the easy-win classes.

I’m sure there are more

"It's not a proper job, is it?"
"My friend is a teacher and she only works 9am to 3.30pm every day"
"Anyone could be a teacher - it's just standing up and explaining things"
"12 weeks holiday a year is ridiculous"
"It's DISCUSTING [sic[ that the PE instructor isn't a qualified teacher"

AND my favourite from last year was someone who said that teachers should work 48 weeks a year, because "it was inconvenient having to take leave to look after the children"

You missed the one where someone says 'all teachers do is moan'.
Then we pile on to justify ourselves and she says 'see??'

Must be on a TLR for that as UPS6 doesn’t equate to that so to say teachers in general is misleading.

Oh joy another teacher bashing thread...

Hi there,

Just wanted to remind everyone that we don't allow troll hunting, and that if you have any concerns about a thread or a post, you can report it to us at MNHQ and we'll take a look.

We know this is a contentious subject (and as a former teacher, I get it!) but at the moment we don't have any reason to believe the OP isn't genuine.