Underpaid Teachers in Ohio

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Underpaid Teachers in Ohio High school teachers’ average salary varies across the world. The United States is said to be one of the richest countries in the world, yet our teachers are being paid one of the lowest amounts. The Education Intelligence Agency, author of the article “Ohio Teacher Overcomes Union’s Tolerance” published an International Teacher Salary Report ranking the fifty states by “how much the average salary exceeded per capita personal income.” According to the Education Intelligence Agency Ohio’s percentage rate is only fifty- five point one percent. According to the Education Intelligence Agency the lowest state percentage is in South Dakota at twenty- three point six percent and the highest state percentage is Alaska at one hundred and one point five percent. Teachers are a very important part of our society. Teachers’ jobs consist of more than just sitting behind a desk for nine months and having paid summers off. There are many extra tasks that teachers have that most people don not consider. Teachers in public schools work hard for a low salary and should be more appreciated; public school teachers shape the world’s young people, serve as role models, and work long hours. Ruth E. Sternberg is the reporter for the Columbus [Ohio] Dispatch Schools and has completed a survey on the issue of Ohio’s teacher’s salaries. According to Sternberg, the public high schools that have high salaries do not have enough money for new technologies. This is a disadvantage for the students. The students do not have the advantage of computers, digital cameras, and other new technologies that make learning more fun. The students who do not have these technologies may lose interest in learning. Sternberg also points out that higher salaries also causes businesses to decide not to open their stores in that district because of the higher taxes. The stores do not want to pay out more money than what they have to, even if it is for a good cause. I can understand the concern of the business owners, but they should think about where the money goes and how much it would benefit the public schools in that area. Sternberg discusses the loss of teachers that would be forced on the district if they raised the average teacher salary. This would mean that the class sizes would be larger and the teacher to student ratio would also rise. This would be a d... ... middle of paper ... ...d be a completely different place then what it is now. These facts about how hard teachers work and how much they do for us should stand as proof that teachers are overworked and underpaid. Work Cited Alexander, Sandina. Personal Interview, 23 January 2003. Gaines, Gail. Focus on Teacher Salaries: What Teacher Salary Averages Don’t Show. Southern Regional Education Board. Atlanta, GA: ERIC Document Reproduction Service, 2000. ED461644. Keliher, Evan. “Forget the Fads- The Old Way Works Best” Newsweek. September 2002: 18. Mintz, Katy. “Focus Letter: Teachers Earn The Salary They Make.” The Desert Sun. 2002. 8 January 2003. Sternberg, Ruth E. “Ohio Teachers Settle Salary Contracts For Less Money.” SACC T.V. 2002. 13 February 2003. The Education Intelligence Agency. “International Teacher Salary Report.” Ohio Roundtable & Ohio Freedom Forum Online Library. 1999. 22 January 2003. United States Department of Labor. “Bureau of Labor Statistics.” Occupational Outlook Handbook. 2002-03. 13 February 2003. . Wilgoren, Jodi. “Education Study Finds U. S. Falling Short” (2001): 4pp. 22 January 2003

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