A new study says public school teachers earn way too much - public school teachers take home total compensation that's 52% higher than "fair market levels" for professionals with similar cognitive abilities. Summer vacation is what does it. Normalizing for hours worked, teachers worked an average of 36.5 hours per week at an average wage of $34.06 an hour, more than 61% of the other occupations the researchers examined, like architects, psychologists, chemists, mechanical engineers, economists, and journalists.
Another study found that teachers earn way too little for their skills. Using pay versus other college graduates and pay versus "comparable" occupations, they settled on 16 different other professions, including accountants, reporters, registered nurses, computer programmers, and clergy. Their conclusion was that even when you factor in benefits, compensation for public school teachers lags by 9%.
How can both be true? Jordan Weissmann writing The Atlantic makes sense from madness.
