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Former teacher here. I can sum up the reasons why I quit below: * Dealing with kids has hard. Really, really hard. Computers sit down and shut up when you tell

Former teacher here. I can sum up the reasons why I quit below: * Dealing with kids has hard. Really, really hard. Computers sit down and shut up when you tell them to; kids don't. * Rules. Rules rules rules. It's easier to list what you're allowed to do than list what you're not allowed to do. * I was a 25 year-old male teaching high school. Lots of teenage girls flirting with me => lots of risk for sexual harassment lawsuits. It's not enough to just write them up or ignore them. You have to document everything. If even once it might be implied that you're encouraging it, game over. * For a vast majority of my kids over the course of 2 years teaching at two different schools, their parents simply did not care. One phone call ended with "I can't control my kid." With all due respect, ma'am, if you can't control your kid, why do you think I can? Money wasn't really on the list. $41K/year in Alabama (Masters) is more than enough for a single 25 year-old bachelor. Although I will admit the way they pay teachers is fucked. It's based on years of work and degree level. The crazy part is that 1 degree level = 5-ish years of work. I started off making $41k salary, but that's just because I started teaching with a Master's degree. To get to $41k salary with a Bachelor's, you'd have to work 5+ years in the field. Are you telling me that a rookie kid out of college with a Master's is worth more than an experienced teacher with 5 years under her belt? C'mon. I loved teaching. It's one of the most rewarding things I've ever done. But I just couldn't do it any more after the second year. It's not teaching that sucks -- it's everything else. It's the paperwork. It's the threat of sexual harassment. It's the pressure from administration. It's the parents who don't care. It's the kids who don't want to be there. Frankly, I'd rather code for a living and tutor on the side.

TarpitCarnivore 13y ago
I'll base this on NJ, but your reference to the salaries is largely to do with unions. Union reps negotiate the salary guides with administrators and since most reps/heads are senior staff members they negotiate the guide to favor themselves. This may not be the case everywhere but if you look them up (public record FYI) you will often see later years see significant bumps in salary while lower level years are small COL increases. The main ways they're usually negotiated are: 1. high starting salary, but more steps to the top or 2. low starting salary, with less steps.

TarpitCarnivore 13y ago

I'll base this on NJ, but your reference to the salaries is largely to do with unions. Union reps negotiate the salary guides with administrators and since most reps/heads are senior staff members they negotiate the guide to favor themselves. This may not be the case everywhere but if you look them up (public record FYI) you will often see later years see significant bumps in salary while lower level years are small COL increases. The main ways they're usually negotiated are: 1. high starting salary, but more steps to the top or 2. low starting salary, with less steps.