Teachers and Money

Well, here is another editorial, by the vice president of the Bedford County Education Association, complaining about teachers salaries. It seems the starting salary in Bedford is the lowest of the 12 county area. Finally, the author says "As in any occupation, you can't expect to compete for the best employee if you don't have a competitive salary."

Teaching is not like any occupation. The teachers union wants pay raises with no expectations of improvements. In industry, raises for professionals are linked to accomplishments the past year. The teachers union wants raises because the other local teachers make more money. The truth of the matter is that in any comparison, someone has to be last. Some school system will pay the lowest. This allows those below the average to always ask for money to reach the average.

I believe teachers have a hard job and I appreciate them for their work. But, I have yet to see data that links high achieving schools with highly paid teachers.