As a future teacher, the article “Teachers’ Cost of Living Matters More” really intrigued me. I can remember I was in the third grade when I wanted to be a teacher. Because of what I witnessed my high school classmates put my teachers through, I decided teaching was not for me. When I was considering what I wanted to major in my undergraduate studies, I thought about teaching, but the amount of pay deterred me from pursuing it as a career at that time. This article compares teacher salaries in a specific region or city to the national average of other cities in the United States. What I found particularly interesting is “officials may want to consider the cost of living-the quantity of goods teachers can actually purchase with their salaries - rather than simply comparing pay” (Georgiou, D., Moore, M., & Villarreal, P., 2005). I never took into consideration the cost of living. I was looking at what the yearly salary is. The salary is important, but the cost of living really determines how the salary compares to other professions and other regions. “The local cost of living is determined by prices for a basket of consumer goods and services. Prices for housing, groceries, utilities, health care and so forth vary from city to city and region to region” (Georgiou, D., Moore, M., & Villarreal, P., 2005). These factors are very important because the cost of living determines how competitive salary of a job is. The average teacher salaries for elementary and secondary teachers were determined by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates report. 50 metropolitan areas were evaluated and included the largest 20 areas in the United States. New York City elementary teachers get the highest salary in the nation $59,514, but when the cost of living is factored in the number drops to $42,662, making it 25th among major cities. The second highest salary is San Francisco at $59,284, but it plummets to 49th amongst metropolitan cities. There are similar results in secondary school teachers. Secondary teachers in Los Angeles earn as salary of $56, 384, well above the average of $47,120, but when the cost of living is adjusted, it slips to 45th. In Houston the salaries for secondary teachers rank 30th, but when the cost of living is factored in it jumps up to 15th ((Georgiou, D., Moore, M., & Villarreal, P., 2005). This research was appealing to me because the perceived low salary initially kept me from wanting to teach. Reading New York City teachers average almost $60,000 a year is very appealing, but to find it’s only $42,662 is an eye opener. The Houston example is also amusing in that it has an lower salary, but ranks higher due to the cost of living. I have experienced the corporate world and have come to realize the amount of money you make is not as important as the impact you can have on the lives of others. Yes I want to make a decent living and after researching this topic, I know that I can. I found an interesting article that compared a teacher’s average hourly pay to other professions. I discovered a teacher’s hourly pay is very competitive. It is more than an accountant, police office, registered nurse, and construction worker (The teacher salary). Prior to reading this article, I would’ve thought it was the other way around. I’m pursuing teaching as a profession because I want to make a positive influence on the youth of this country. In my readings I discovered, “teachers around the country are making a good living doing something they love” and this is fantastic news (The teacher salary).
References
Georgiou, D., Moore, M., & Villarreal, P., October 25, 2005, Teachers‘ cost of living matters more. Retrieved from
http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba535
The teacher salary. Retrieved November 10, 2011 from
http://www.teacherportal.com/salary
