New Adds to Edutopia.org
By Betty Ray
10/12/09
Astute observers will notice some changes afoot on the Edutopia.org site. The comments, for example, are looking a little different; there are some new features, like the ability to quote a previous poster. There might be some buggy, weird layouts and/or things may not work as expected, though.
We've upgraded the site in preparation for the launch of online groups. Stay tuned for those! Until then, apologies for any unusual site behavior you may encounter along the way, and thanks for your patience. If you do come across anything that looks like a bug, please post here. Thanks.
Pay for Teachers!
Why does society think that teachers can live on an once month income? It amazing to see so many school districts paying their teachers once a month. How are teachers so suppose to make it on this type of income? We aren't living in the early 70's and 90's but in 2009. Please,I would love some feedback on how to maintain on this type of income. Help a teacher out.
Hi Yulonda -
Thanks for your note and sorry to hear your frustration. These are hard economic times, indeed. When I have to live on a shoestring, I get positively *obsessive* about budgeting.
But that didn't really answer your question. Would it be easier if you were on a twice/month or bi-weekly payroll, assuming the amounts are the same? Or are you advocating for more $$$ for teachers (something I think we can all get behind)?
betty
Yulonda,
I think you have two questions here. The "bigger" question is related to the salary itself. Unfortunately, teacher pay is a societal issue that is very challenging to address. The best advice that I can give here is to support your local and statewide bargaining units (teacher unions) as they do their work on behalf of you.
The second question involved only being paid once a month instead of weekly or every other week. This takes careful financial planning on your part. I get paid once a month for nine months (Oct 1 - June 1), so I do not get paycheck in July, August, or September. My paychecks are automatically deposited into my checking account and I have a specific amount automatically transferred to a savings account. When summer rolls around, I can draw down on that savings account.
Of course, as a new teacher (or at a new teaching position), the real struggle is going that first 4-6 weeks without a paycheck!
I hope this helps.