Are Public School Teachers Really Underpaid?
The authors of a new study on teacher pay write in yesterday’s OpinionJournal.com: “According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, public school teachers earned $34.06 per hour in 2005, 36% more than the hourly wage of the average white-collar worker and 11% more than the average professional specialty or technical worker.” That said, they continue, “In the popular imagination, however, public school teachers are underpaid.” The even cite the First Lady, Laura Bush, who said, “Salaries are too low. We all know that.” With the reauthorization of NCLB soon to be debated, they argue the debate should focus “on the actual salaries teachers are paid.” They add, “It would also be beneficial if the debate touched on the correlation between teacher pay and actual results. To wit, higher teacher pay seems to have no effect on raising student achievement. (Emphasis added) The study’s authors conclude: “The fact is that teachers are better paid than most other professionals. What matters is the way
