Q&A of the Day – Teacher Compensation in Palm Beach County Revisited
Each day I feature a listener question sent by one of these methods.
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Today’s Entry: In response to your opinion about teacher raises. If you think teachers just show up on the first day of school without having spent time over the summer prepping curriculum, you are so far off base. Especially high school teachers. I have been told at the end of the year of a new class I’m teaching the following year which have no curriculum, and the kids need to pass an exam to earn college credit. Talk about pressure. I have spent the whole year summer stressing, researching, and planning. I know it’s not going in the office, but many people work from home in other professions.
Secondly, we should wait for the private sector to give raises first?? Are you out of your mind? We should wait for the greedy CEO’s to sacrifice some of their millions?
Have you seen the cost of living in Palm Beach County lately? There will be NO teachers if the district doesn’t take serious steps to raise teacher wages. If the private sector doesn’t do the same you will continue to see worker shortages EVERYWHERE. You are off base.
Bottom Line: Today’s Q&A marks the third time in recent weeks that I’ve addressed the topic of the proposed teacher raises sought by the union in Palm Beach County. Today’s note is a sample of what I’ve continued to receive from teachers who’ve continued to take exception to my analytical coverage of the topic. I can’t help but to think that many teachers have only heard what they’ve wanted to hear, that which they take exception to, without consideration for the complete context of what I’ve presented. Any analytical debate of any proposal will include facts which will favor one’s position in addition to facts which will challenge one’s position. My most recent coverage of this topic, presented a week ago today, which prompted this response included this:
Florida averages 180 instructional days per year. There are variances based on school district but they’re generally small. Teachers work an extra five days beyond the instructional calendar. The extra days are generally teacher workdays, time for continuing education, etc. So, how does that compare to other professions? The average full-time employed person works 245 days, or 60 additional days more than the average teacher. So, the current teacher compensation is 13% more money than the average salaried non-teacher in the county. The average benefits package is valued at approximately 45% of the base salary compared to 19% for the average non-teacher and teachers work 23% fewer days during the year. None of this is meant as an affront to teachers. They’re just facts that are seldom, and really outside of my occasional coverage, never discussed and it’s important to establish them to have analytical compensation conversations.
Obviously, given that my sanity is now being challenged, some are still taking objective analysis as an affront. In terms of my expressed opinion/proposal based on the facts it’s been this:
Teacher compensation/government employer wages should rise at a rate that’s consistent with private sector wages. The contention by the teacher who submitted today’s note is that some are deserving of larger wage increases but that not all teachers should automatically receive the same size raise. I agree. In the non-unionized private sector world compensation is largely tied to performance over time. I believe teachers should be, to a certain extent, as well. While merit-based considerations apply with bonus structure, they don’t with base compensation. So specifically, what I’d propose is a 5.8% total increase in funding for teacher pay raises (which is consistent with the average wage increase in Palm Beach County over the past year), as opposed to the currently proposed 7.5%, with half of the money going towards across the board increases and the other half of the funds allocated on merit-based criteria established by the District. This would enable deserving teachers to benefit more than most from annual increases in compensation and to permanently incentivize improved performance overtime.
So, with that I’ll further address specifics mentioned in today’s note:
- If you think teachers just show up on the first day of school without having spent time over the summer prepping curriculum, you are so far off base.
While I never suggested that was the case, I’ll nevertheless address the broader point about work being done outside of traditional workdays or work hours. Anecdotally, I’ll tell you that I don’t know a business professional who only works during scheduled workdays and work hours. Statistically, I can tell you that a Statista study of the topic has found only 24% of workers in the United States don’t do regular work outside of traditional workdays and scheduled/expected work hours. In other words, that’s what’s normal for over three-quarters of this country – not a point of differentiation.
Next:
- we should wait for the private sector to give raises first?? Are you out of your mind? We should wait for the greedy CEO’s to sacrifice some of their millions?
- Have you seen the cost of living in Palm Beach County lately?
There’s a lot to unpack here. The irony is extensive. As I clearly stated, I believe that increases in teacher compensation should be consistent with the communities they serve. The reason has to do with the very premise of this point. Affordability. The single biggest expense on our record property tax bills in Palm Beach County is education expense. The Palm Beach County School District also happens to be exempt from the 3% homestead exemption cap on annual increases as well. How is the non-teacher community at large, that’s already earning an average of 13% less than the typical teacher, and with benefits that are already 26% less valuable, expected to afford the cost of living in Palm Beach County in addition to the property tax increases for the School District, to pay in part for the teacher raises which are larger not just in total dollar amount but also on a percentage basis? Regarding CEOs and the relation to compensation...
Clearly there’s an expressed animus against CEOs that’s not constructive for the purpose of an intellectual exchange of facts. First, 47% of people work for small businesses. Are we to loathe small business owners too or just corporate CEOs? Second, as expressed, the average private sector increase in compensation in this community has been 5.8% over the past year.
- There will be NO teachers if the district doesn’t take serious steps to raise teacher wages.
First, I’d say a 5.8% average increase in teacher wages is a “serious step”. Second, the Florida teacher shortage narrative in general is absolutely false as I evidenced just last week. We are the 5th most desired location in the country for teachers to teach and are #1 east of Colorado.
To be clear, I’m continuing to be blasted for suggesting that teachers should have average raises of 5.8% - which is only 1.7% below the union’s ask. I find it somewhat remarkable that the reactions to that suggestion continue to rise to the level of what’s expressed in today’s note. Also, as a significant property tax contributor to Palm Beach County (while also having never used the Palm Beach County School District – as is the case for most residents of Palm Beach County), I find it troubling that one’s sanity is to be questioned if they dare do anything other than exactly what the teacher’s union demands we, as taxpayers, do. However, it’s also in part for this reason, that local news outlets don’t more credibly cover these matters. I however, remain unintimidated by teachers' unions and name calling. And as always there are two sides to stories and one side to facts. I’ll continue to present them, undeterred, along with opinions based on the established facts. This community deserves it.