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Silver Streak

The student newspaper of Randall High School

Silver Streak

The student newspaper of Randall High School

Silver Streak

Amarillo Globe News needs lesson in journalism ethics

On Nov. 10 the Amarillo Globe News (AGN) published a story reporting that according to a recent Heritage Foundation study teachers are overpaid. With it, AGN obtained records from Amarillo, Canyon, Bushland, River Road and Highland Park school districts and posted the name of every school employee with the date they were hired and how much they are paid online.

Although AGN was well within its legal rights to do so, it is not ethically right to publish the financial information of private citizens on the internet. AGN should revisit the Society of Professional Journalist’s Code of Ethics which clearly states that “journalists should recognize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than do public officials and others who seek power, influence or attention. Only an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone’s privacy.”

 If AGN’s purpose was to inform the public of what their local educators are being compensated, they could have easily obtained the records from the school districts and listed the pay in a salary range according to job title and years of experience instead of posting the employee’s names. Stipends educators receive in addition to their salary, for example coaching or band, could have been listed separately. This would have been just as effective without invading the privacy of private citizens. However it would have required AGN reporters to invest more time than it took to simply post a database on their website.    

In AGN reporter Jacob Mayer’s story, he wrote the co-author of the study said “the problem is not salaries — which are fairly comparable to other professions — but benefits which pushes total compensation over the top.” If that is the case, why were the salaries posted in the first place when nothing was reported about what each individual school district offers in benefits?  

But, since AGN has made this into a salary issue, let’s talk about it. I am a classroom teacher and I make a little over $44,000 per year. If you don’t believe me, you can look it up as AGN has so graciously posted it online for the whole world to see. $44,000 isn’t too bad. I realize there are many hard working people out there who would love to make that amount. However, after the story was published many online readers posted comments calling for schools to start “trimming the fat.” Well, let’s do just that.

My contract is for 187 days and the school day is approximately 8 hours a day. Let’s be funny and say I only spend an additional hour planning and preparing lessons. If that’s correct, I make roughly $26 per hour. Not too bad. That’s about the same amount as an entry level registered nurse, a job which like teaching requires a bachelor’s degree and a professional license. However, in addition to my teaching duties, I also advise three student publications and coach a UIL academic team. So, if I add the extra time I spend fulfilling these duties, attending unpaid workshops during the summer and the time I spend at home grading student work, that brings my pay down closer to $19 per hour. Excellent. I’m making the same amount as a really good server at a busy Amarillo restaurant on a Saturday night.

The AGN report claims teachers are overpaid when compared to “jobs requiring similar skills in the private sector”, but never clarifies what exactly those jobs are.  If you go to the Heritage Foundation website and look up the actual study, it is surprising to see it says “public-school teachers earn less in wages on average than non-teachers with the same level of education.” However, when they go back and factor in that teacher pension, healthcare programs and job security are better, they come up with their ridiculous claim that they are now overpaid.

If taxpayers are looking to “trim the fat” they don’t need to be pointing fingers at the average classroom teacher. It’s even easy to look at those “hefty” coaching salaries and go on the attack. However, break it down per hour and see if the salaries look outrageous then. If you’re still concerned, start lobbying to get teachers paid per hour. I would love that. I would most likely get a pay increase.

I love my job and I’m grateful for it. But, like my teaching counterparts, I worked hard to get it. I have work experience in the subject I am teaching. I have a college degree, a professional teaching license, I’m certified to teach in three different subject areas, and have 8 years teaching experience. Most of the educators in this area have similar if not more impressive credentials. I entered into the profession fully aware I would never get rich and like many of my peers I make no complaints about my pay. I want to teach. I choose to teach. The question is, do you want someone with my credentials teaching your child or the server from the neighborhood bar and grill?

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  • J

    Joe SullivanNov 16, 2011 at 10:32 am

    Amy,

    Thanks for speaking out for teachers! In response to another teacher, I would hope all teachers belong to representative organization. Texas teachers have few protections as individuals. It is prudent to belong to a professional organization or union, if you prefer.

    Reply
  • M

    Mrs. UsnickNov 14, 2011 at 3:08 pm

    Watch the political rhetoric…whether liberal or conservative everyone of us is part of the problem that is this nation’s debt. It’s time to stop placing blame and start doing what’s in the nation’s best interest.

    We could all use a good house cleaning and I’ll be the first to stand in line and take my financial hickey IF WE CAN FINALLY AGREE THAT IT MUST BE AT ALL LEVELS OF THE BUREAUCRACY, not just the bottom feeders and not just the rich.

    Overpaid teachers? I’ve found that you can find incompetency and unjustified wages in every occupation.

    Reply
  • A

    Another TeacherNov 11, 2011 at 6:07 pm

    The whining argument put forth in this article is nonsnese! My dear Ms. Neese, while you may be a private citizen, I hasten to remind you that you are a PUBLIC EMPLOYEE. That means that your performance, compensaton, etc. are – and should be – subject to public scrutiny…period. If you did not know that when you signed up to teach whatever it is you teach, you may wish to review the most important rule of the private citizen/public employee relationship…in short, those who write the checks get to ask the questions. Moreover, if your last sentence in the first paragraph is any indication of your command of matters grammatical, I would submit that you might not be the most qualifed person to engage in anything related to journalistic writing; that is, does your complaint relate only to those who are “paid online”…as in direct deposit…or did you mean something else? Oh yes…are you a member of ANY form of a teacher’s union?

    Reply
    • S

      Shawn LanceNov 16, 2011 at 12:50 pm

      My dear Another Teacher,

      Before you begin harping on Ms. Neese’s “command of matters grammatical”, perhaps you should spend some time cleaning up your own “nonsnese” [sic]. In addition to your disregard for common rules of capitalization, you seem to believe that ellipses are a loophole for writing run-on sentences. Clearly, you are not “qualifed” [sic] to comment on another teacher’s use of grammar. I can only choose to believe that if you teach any writing that your “compensaton” [sic] reflects on your overpayment as a teacher and not on the profession as a whole.

      Reply
    • J

      Jean AbercrombieNov 16, 2011 at 1:14 pm

      Who are you? Where do you teach? Why are you commenting anonymously?

      Reply
  • S

    Sue HairNov 11, 2011 at 4:32 pm

    Spot on, Amy Neese. I’ve taught every grade from kindergarten to seniors except fourth, seventh, and eigth grades during my career, and it is a difficult, after-hours-time-consuming, emotionally draining job at any level. Anyone who says otherwise is simply ignorant!

    Reply
  • J

    Jean AbercrombieNov 11, 2011 at 3:24 pm

    FYI: Who is “The Heritage Foundation”?

    Hundreds of thousands have contributed $25 to $1000 or more, tax decuctible, to this “think tank” of conservative Republicans. Their website begins with the words, “Join Rush [Limbaugh], Sean [Hannity], and 710,000 conservatives as a member of the Heritage Foundation.”

    We need to remember that it is Republican governors in Ohio and Wisconson who have been working very hard against the middle class workers, including firefighters, policemen, teachers, who make this country work.

    Reply
    • J

      Jeannine BlankenshipNov 11, 2011 at 3:54 pm

      Knowing your source is so important. It clarifies the motition of any piece of writing. Those who think teachers are overpaid have obviously never taught.

      Reply
  • M

    Melody SwaugerNov 11, 2011 at 2:31 pm

    If teachers are overpaid by 52% based on their skill set, then “think tank” employees are overpaid by 100% based on their contributions to society.

    Reply
  • M

    Mrs. BowndsNov 11, 2011 at 2:29 pm

    Well written, Mrs. Neese!

    Reply
  • C

    cameronNov 11, 2011 at 2:23 pm

    Mrs.Neese is exactly right in what she is saying. My mom is a teacher and has been teaching close to 11 years in 8 th grade history. She loves it but she also worked for it and is still working for it as she is trying to get her masters so she has the ability to give her students the best education she is capable of. So be thankful that there are people who care.

    Reply