[Vision2020] Government School Teachers Are Overpaid

Mon, 8 Dec 2003 04:50:05 -0800

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Government School Teachers Are Overpaid
by Brad Edmonds

Government school teachers attacked me by email
in recent weeks, over an article I wrote in June,
2001. Among their complaints were that they make
less money than people with equivalent
"credentials" in the business sector. I put the term
"credentials" in quotes because my writers laid
claim to Master's degrees in education. Master's
degrees in education are garbage, worth far less
than the paper they're printed on. My point here is
that government teachers are overpaid; I'm going to
get to that point by discussing college education
programs for a moment.

It is probably the case that every college education
program in the US is crap. I say "probably" because
I have not investigated every one of them. The
education department at my alma mater has this to
say about itself: "The University of Alabama's
College of Education seeks to prepare
professionals who value and demonstrate reflective
practice and ethical decision making through
respecting diversity, honoring difference, and
promoting social justice." It gets worse: "The
College of Education is committed to preparing
individuals to promote social justice, to be change
agents, and to recognize individual and
institutionalized racism, sexism, homophobia, and
classism .. It includes educating individuals to
break silences about these issues, propose
solutions, provide leadership, and develop
anti-racist, anti-homophobic, anti-sexist community
and alliances." In other words, the College of
Education knows what the correct attitude towards
each divisive social issue is, and it intends for you
to have that correct attitude and for you to make
sure all your students and fellow teachers have the
same correct attitude. As many commentators have
pointed out, "diversity" means only such things as
skin color and sexual orientation; diversity of ideas
is explicitly disallowed.

Just to dissect some more of that nonsense:
"Sexism" is a code word for the sin of recognizing
that men and women have different strengths and
weaknesses. Nobody anywhere in the US is
allowed by law to make any decision about another
person taking their sex into account without
government permission to do so. Legally and
practically, there is no sexism to root out of our
culture. Those of us who recognize the differences
between men and women, and behave in
accordance with them in our daily lives, are not so
idiotic that we fail to recognize that there are some
very feminine men and masculine women here and
there. But it won't be until women start producing
sperm and preferring workplace competition to
nurturing and cooperating; and men start producing
and gestating eggs and valuing diaper changing over
getting promotions or bagging deer, that I'll adjust
my attitudes to match those of Alabama's College of
Education. I could go on  for example, there's an
entire library's worth of economics and history
texts proving that the market, unfettered by forcible
government, provides far better "social justice" than
any government imposition ever devised  but that's
another article.

Thomas Sowell has done most of the research on
education students and professors for me, and I take
his word for it that they are at the bottom of the
academic barrel. I do have my own experience to
draw on, however: extensive personal experience
with an education guru; three years of college
teaching experience, where education majors made
up the dumbest of my students; experience as a
student with fellow students who were education
majors, always the dumbest among us; and I looked
at the back cover of an enrollment booklet for the
GRE in 1996 to see where the majors ranked.
Education majors did better than art majors; worse
than everybody else.

Now, back to salaries: The government tells us that
median annual earnings for K12 teachers in
general  government and private  ranged from
$37,600 to $42,000 in 2000. That's above the
median earnings range for the general population.
The government noted that "Private school teachers
generally earn less than public school teachers."
(Actually, they earn much more; they're just paid
less.) One website claims government school
teachers in fact are paid 6087% more than private
school teachers, which seems consistent with what I
learned about it in 1995, when I taught as a
substitute in government and private schools in
Tuscaloosa. While government school teachers are
paid more, private school students outperform
government students on standardized tests.
Government schools generally spend about double
what private schools spend per student per year
while getting these inferior results. This is all
well-known.

The reply I always get from government teachers
and their apologists in the media is that government
schools have to accept all students, including those
with developmental and emotional problems. But it
is also reported that Catholic schools are
notoriously willing to take anybody  especially
those with problems. How about money-grubbing
nontraditional private schools, such as Sylvan
Learning Centers? From the Sylvan website:
"Sylvan guarantees that your child will improve at
least one full grade-level equivalent in reading
skills or basic math skills after 36 hours of
instruction, or we'll provide 12 additional hours at
no further cost to you." So Sylvan guarantees they
can do in 36 hours what the public school system
doesn't guarantee it can do in 180 hours (assuming
one hour on a topic each school day). There are
restrictions on that guarantee not specified on the
website, so I called Sylvan. The restrictions are
NOT on the kind of kid you bring in, but on the
subject matter  Sylvan's guarantee is restricted to
reading and math (for which standardized tests are
well established). So they'll take anybody, just like
Catholic schools and government schools.

Government schools don't take all the worst
students; they're just the only schools that use
problem students as a blanket excuse for the
schools' poor performance. Private and Catholic
schools love problem kids because of the schools'
pride in their history of helping them.

Sylvan also told me the fee would generally run
around $1500 per subject per 36 hours, which
means per grade level. That's $40 an hour, which
seems like a lot. But let's look at the numbers:
Government school spending ranges from around
$4300 per student per year to almost $11,000,
varying by state, though there's no correlation
between spending and test scores. Let's guesstimate
that the typical government tally is midway between
the extremes, say $7500. Divide that by $1500, and
you get five subjects, same as the government
schools try to cover each year. Thus, Sylvan
charges just about what the government schools cost
taxpayers (though Sylvan doesn't charge you for
your neighbor's kid to attend). At the same time,
Sylvan guarantees results, offering an additional
$480 worth of instruction if they fail. They can't
afford to offer that unless they routinely succeed in
the first 36 hours.

Pretend you take your kid out of government schools
and drop them off at Sylvan every day. For five
subjects, 36 hours per subject, give the student a
grueling five-hour day and a five-day week. The
student would achieve an entire grade level in less
than two months. Give the kid a week off, then send
him back. These results become less likely as time
goes on and the child and the coursework advance,
but with four months off for the summer, at this rate
your student would complete grades 112 in three
years. Again, this is unlikely with a six-year-old,
but might actually be achievable for a 10-year-old.
Same price as the government schools, with a
fourfold improvement in efficiency.

Based on census information, government
schoolteachers are paid more than the average
among us (though they generally work far fewer
hours, usually none at all during summer months;
and they have tenure, which nobody outside
education has). Compared to their market
competition, which charges the same price, they
reach =BC the efficiency. Compared to traditional
private schools, government schools are twice as
expensive but  this is a rough guess  reach 60%
of private schools' efficiency. The people who
teach in government schools come from the dumbest
flock on campus. Their unions and administrators
resist any measures put forward to subject them to
real competition. If we were to create an average
teacher from the DNA of all government
schoolteachers, and get average government-teacher
performance out of him, he'd be fired from any job
he attempted in the private sector.

Considering their competition's performance and
costs, government teachers are vastly overpaid  by
the above numbers, they're overpaid by a factor of
about 4. Indeed, considering government school
performance strictly within itself  without regard
to the competition  that government schoolteachers
are paid at all means they're overpaid.

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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff><TT>Government School Teachers Are =
Overpaid by Brad=20
Edmonds Government school teachers attacked me by email in =
recent=20
weeks, over an article I wrote in June, 2001. Among their complaints =
were=20
that they make less money than people with =
equivalent "credentials" in the=20
business sector. I put the term "credentials" in quotes because my =
writers=20
laid claim to Master=92s degrees in education. Master=92s degrees =
in education=20
are garbage, worth far less than the paper they=92re printed on. My =
point here=20
is that government teachers are overpaid; I=92m going to get to =
that point=20
by discussing college education programs for a moment. It is =
probably=20
the case that every college education program in the US is crap. I =
say=20
"probably" because I have not investigated every one of them.=20
The education department at my alma mater has this to say about =
itself:=20
"The University of Alabama's College of Education seeks to=20
prepare professionals who value and demonstrate =
reflective practice and=20
ethical decision making through respecting diversity, honoring =
difference,=20
and promoting social justice." It gets worse: "The College of =
Education is=20
committed to preparing individuals to promote social justice, to be=20
change agents, and to recognize individual and institutionalized =
racism,=20
sexism, homophobia, and classism =85. It includes educating =
individuals=20
to break silences about these issues, propose solutions, provide=20
leadership, and develop anti-racist, anti-homophobic, anti-sexist=20
community and alliances." In other words, the College of Education =
knows=20
what the correct attitude towards each divisive social issue is, and =
it=20
intends for you to have that correct attitude and for you to =
make sure all=20
your students and fellow teachers have the same correct attitude. As =
many=20
commentators have pointed out, "diversity" means only such things =
as skin=20
color and sexual orientation; diversity of ideas is explicitly=20
disallowed. Just to dissect some more of that =
nonsense: "Sexism" is a=20
code word for the sin of recognizing that men and women have =
different=20
strengths and weaknesses. Nobody anywhere in the US is allowed by =
law to=20
make any decision about another person taking their sex into account=20
without government permission to do so. Legally and practically, =
there is=20
no sexism to root out of our culture. Those of us who recognize the=20
differences between men and women, and behave in accordance with =
them in=20
our daily lives, are not so idiotic that we fail to recognize that =
there are=20
some very feminine men and masculine women here and there. But it =
won=92t be=20
until women start producing sperm and preferring workplace =
competition=20
to nurturing and cooperating; and men start producing and =
gestating eggs=20
and valuing diaper changing over getting promotions or bagging deer, =
that=20
I=92ll adjust my attitudes to match those of Alabama=92s College =
of Education.=20
I could go on&nbsp; for example, there=92s an entire library=92s =
worth of=20
economics and history texts proving that the market, unfettered by=20
forcible government, provides far better "social justice" than any =

government imposition ever devised&nbsp; but that=92s another=20
article. Thomas Sowell has done most of the research =
on education=20
students and professors for me, and I take his word for it that they =
are at=20
the bottom of the academic barrel. I do have my own experience =
to draw on,=20
however: extensive personal experience with an education guru; three =
years of=20
college teaching experience, where education majors made up the =
dumbest of=20
my students; experience as a student with fellow students who were=20
education majors, always the dumbest among us; and I looked at the =
back=20
cover of an enrollment booklet for the GRE in 1996 to see where the =
majors=20
ranked. Education majors did better than art majors; worse than =
everybody=20
else. Now, back to salaries: The government tells us =
that median=20
annual earnings for K12 teachers in general&nbsp; government and=20
private&nbsp; ranged from $37,600 to $42,000 in 2000. That=92s above=20
the median earnings range for the general population. The =
government noted=20
that "Private school teachers generally earn less than public school=20
teachers." (Actually, they earn much more; they=92re just =
paid less.) One=20
website claims government school teachers in fact are paid 6087% more =
than=20
private school teachers, which seems consistent with what =
I learned about=20
it in 1995, when I taught as a substitute in government and private =
schools=20
in Tuscaloosa. While government school teachers are paid more, =
private=20
school students outperform government students on standardized=20
tests. Government schools generally spend about double what =
private=20
schools spend per student per year while getting these inferior =
results. This=20
is all well-known. The reply I always get from government=20
teachers and their apologists in the media is that =
government schools have=20
to accept all students, including those with developmental and =
emotional=20
problems. But it is also reported that Catholic schools =
are notoriously=20
willing to take anybody&nbsp; especially those with problems. How =
about=20
money-grubbing nontraditional private schools, such as =
Sylvan Learning=20
Centers? From the Sylvan website: "Sylvan guarantees that your child =
will=20
improve at least one full grade-level equivalent in reading skills =
or=20
basic math skills after 36 hours of instruction, or we=92ll provide =
12=20
additional hours at no further cost to you." So Sylvan guarantees =
they can=20
do in 36 hours what the public school system doesn=92t guarantee it =
can do in=20
180 hours (assuming one hour on a topic each school day). There=20
are restrictions on that guarantee not specified on the website, =
so I=20
called Sylvan. The restrictions are NOT on the kind of kid you bring =
in, but=20
on the subject matter&nbsp; Sylvan=92s guarantee is restricted =
to reading=20
and math (for which standardized tests are well established). So =
they=92ll take=20
anybody, just like Catholic schools and government =
schools. Government=20
schools don=92t take all the worst students; they=92re just the only =
schools that=20
use problem students as a blanket excuse for the schools=92 poor=20
performance. Private and Catholic schools love problem kids because =
of the=20
schools=92 pride in their history of helping them. Sylvan also =
told me=20
the fee would generally run around $1500 per subject per 36 hours,=20
which means per grade level. That=92s $40 an hour, which seems =
like a lot.=20
But let=92s look at the numbers: Government school spending ranges =
from=20
around $4300 per student per year to almost $11,000, varying by =
state,=20
though there=92s no correlation between spending and test scores. =
Let=92s=20
guesstimate that the typical government tally is midway =
between the=20
extremes, say $7500. Divide that by $1500, and you get five subjects, =
same as=20
the government schools try to cover each year. Thus, =
Sylvan charges just=20
about what the government schools cost taxpayers (though Sylvan =
doesn=92t=20
charge you for your neighbor=92s kid to attend). At the same =
time, Sylvan=20
guarantees results, offering an additional $480 worth of instruction =
if they=20
fail. They can=92t afford to offer that unless they routinely succeed =
in the=20
first 36 hours. Pretend you take your kid out of government=20
schools and drop them off at Sylvan every day. For five subjects, =
36 hours=20
per subject, give the student a grueling five-hour day and a five-day =
week.=20
The student would achieve an entire grade level in less than two =
months.=20
Give the kid a week off, then send him back. These results become =
less likely=20
as time goes on and the child and the coursework advance, but with =
four=20
months off for the summer, at this rate your student would complete =
grades=20
112 in three years. Again, this is unlikely with a =
six-year-old, but might=20
actually be achievable for a 10-year-old. Same price as the =
government=20
schools, with a fourfold improvement in efficiency. Based on =
census=20
information, government schoolteachers are paid more than the=20
average among us (though they generally work far fewer hours, =
usually none=20
at all during summer months; and they have tenure, which nobody=20
outside education has). Compared to their market competition, =
which=20
charges the same price, they reach =BC the efficiency. Compared to=20
traditional private schools, government schools are twice =
as expensive=20
but&nbsp; this is a rough guess&nbsp; reach 60% of private schools=92 =

efficiency. The people who teach in government schools come from the=20
dumbest flock on campus. Their unions and administrators resist =
any=20
measures put forward to subject them to real competition. If we were =
to=20
create an average teacher from the DNA of all =
government schoolteachers,=20
and get average government-teacher performance out of him, he=92d be =
fired from=20
any job he attempted in the private sector. Considering their=20
competition=92s performance and costs, government teachers are vastly =

overpaid&nbsp; by<BR>the above numbers, they=92re overpaid by a factor =
of<BR>about=20
4. Indeed, considering government school<BR>performance strictly within=20
itself&nbsp; without regard<BR>to the competition&nbsp; that government=20
schoolteachers<BR>are paid at all means they=92re overpaid.<BR><BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.lewrockwell.com/edmonds/edmonds160.html">http://www.le=
wrockwell.com/edmonds/edmonds160.html</A>=20
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