Why are teachers paid so poorly in the USA?

I would expect a teacher to know that it's "Cyprus".

No, he meant Cypress Hill.  Our system is Insane in the Brain.

Because you get so much time off!! Just kidding! I would gladly trade my job and salary to make less (not that I make a ton anyway) to not work summers, no weekends, and short hours during the week.

 I know a few teachers up my way who make quite a bit of money, I just don't think I could deal with the kids now a days.

I haven't really looked into this issue, but I'm curious if this has anything to with the "No Child Left Behind" initiative as well Spelling's management of the Dept. of Education.

From my perspective, I see the issue of our country lacking in education as by-product of poor parenting - sit down and teach your child once in a while - take an interest in their education.

As for teacher salary, I don't have an answer except to say that I'm not sure there is necessarily a connection between increasing funding for teacher's salary and children learning.

I love this question....I don't know how old the OP is...but when I was a kid, now 35, teachers complained they didn't get paid enough...now they complain they don't get paid enough...you had to have known before you chose this career that there would be relatively low pay...didn't you?

I feel bad that there is not enough money to keep quality teachers and there are cuts being made but there are cuts being made everywhere...if she was that good she'll find new work....

Believe me "I don't hate America" or teachers....you all do a wonderful job and do deserve to be paid well but there are 3 reasons you don't get paid more....

June, July, & August....Plus spring break....holidays....weekends....lol

If I only worked 2/3 of the year I'd get paid less...Most teachers in MN make between $30-$40k excluding coaching or extra activities....As you progress you obviously earn more...that's not terrible in my book....

Again I'd like to stress that I'm not teacher hating.....I'm just saying....

4th best in this table....

http://nces.ed.gov/pubs/eiip/eiipid40.asp

your right....they get in the way of a good debate! ;-)

I'll take it a step further.  Why are good, hard workers paid so poorly in the USA?

Teachers do get great bennies, like I do working, or as others put it, "being employed", by the State where I'm at.  So, there's that compromise.

I think the base of your argument is wrong.

First the argument is that teachers are paid poorly.  Poorly as compared to what?

The most recent report included a list of teacher salaries by state. The state with the highest average teacher salary was Connecticut, at $57,760. California was a very close second, where the average teacher salary is $57,604. New Jersey teachers make approximately $56,635 per year. Rounding out the top five were Illinois and Rhode Island, with the average teacher salary at $56,494 and $56,432, respectively. The state with the lowest average teacher salary was South Dakota, at $34,039.

http://www.employmentspot.com/employment-articles/teacher-salaries-by-state/

So the average teacher pay was 34K.  That means the lowest got 24K and the highest made 44K.  Maybe 24K is low, but it is on par with entry level positions in business and other fields. 

Most teachers work from 8:00-3:30, with a working lunch.  Yes they have to grade papers, do other duties as needed.  So depending on how much they assign they will sometimes manage to work a 8 hour day.  But then they get 2 weeks off in Dec, 1 week in Mar-Apr or May.  Many teachers also have from Jun 1 until Aug 20 off.  So they have to work effectively 9 months a year.  Last time I checked 24/9 x 12 = 32K annual pay.  That is pretty nice money if you look at the 9 months bit.  That means the 34K is equal to 45K in normal wages.

Oh and for those teachers that complain they work more than 8 hour days....so do most entry and management positions.  Most management jobs require 9+ hour days.  I know my boss expects 50-55 hours a week.

I know someone who is an assistant making this kind of money, add in the half days and the absurd amount of holidays and premium health benefits and I think you can make a case they are overpaid!

BASTAGE!

I have to agree... One of the soccer moms I sit on the sidelines with dips into "complain about pay" mode from time to time. We're friends, so it's not an issue, but finally I asked her what she made:

 62 k (she's 39).

I laughed at her and said that sounded like fair pay. Her response (she adopted a slight but noticiable "people are not alowed to say teachers are well paid" was "not for what I do.... I have a masters. I work till 4-5, not 3, and sometimes till 6, and when I don't work late, I have to work from home jsut to grade papers"

I thought about the 12:00am call I had to make to India and wondered which would be more diffricult, grading papers or desiphering the indian dialect while discussing server configurations....

I laughed and told her I'd hire her. She wouldn't have holidays off, or summers or spring break, she'd work 10 hours a day standard and while she wouldn't have to work weekends, if she wanted to earn 100% of her pay she had better. She would know going into the job that we would fire here if she didn't achieve her numbers. Also, that her job would be more technical, and stressful, than teaching could possibly be. And I'd start her at 10k less than she was earning now.

Not wanting to pile on here but here are some statistics to think about--

FL Per Capita Income $26,696
FL Household Median Income $47,804 (Census 2008)

FL Averge Salary for Public Teachers $46,930 (SREB 2008)

A single teacher makes roughly the equivalent as the median income of the state.  I would say that many standards that is a good salary.  Furthermore, teaching is a form of public service.  You shouldn't expect to be paid what you are worth because you are a steward of taxpayers money.

This coming from someone who works in higher education for state government.  My counterparts at private research firms have tried to hire me in the past for nearly double my current salary.  It doesn't bother me a bit to turn it down.  I get more satisfaction from working in the public sector.  

(I will refrain from the discussion on what truly needs to be reformed in education)

I don't think I agree with this idea.  I believe people should be paid what they are worth.  Otherwise, why would people put out any effort in their jobs?  Conversely, if you want to see being paid as being a steward of other people's money, most publicly traded companies should adopt a similar standard.  After all, they are not running their own business for their own gain, they are the stewards of the shareholders' investment.  But the mantra in American business has always been that the sky-high salaries of CEO's and such is that "they are worth it", and if they are not given golden deals, they will go elsewhere. 

I think it is ironic that we often hear people say "children are our future", yet we invest so little in them.  Teachers are generally devalued as professionals, pediatricians are amongst the poorest paid physicians (granted still a good living, but compare it to a general internist who has the same amount of training), and of course day care workers really get the short end of the stick.