View in EDS

Teacher's Hourly Wages: A Comparison across Michigan Schools and Alternative Occupations. Policy Report 24

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Teacher's Hourly Wages: A Comparison across Michigan Schools and Alternative Occupations. Policy Report 24
Language: English
Authors: Harris, Debbi, Burian-Fitzgerald, Marisa, Michigan State University, Education Policy Center
Source: Education Policy Center at Michigan State University. 2005.
Availability: Education Policy Center. Michigan State University, 201 Erickson Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824-1034. Tel: 517-355-4494; Fax: 517-432-6202; e-mail: EPC@msu.edu; Web site: http://education.msu.edu/epc
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 10
Publication Date: 2005
Document Type: Reports - Evaluative
Descriptors: Teacher Salaries, Salary Wage Differentials, Comparative Analysis, Competition, Tenure, Institutional Characteristics, Comparable Worth, Teaching Conditions, Teaching Experience, Charter Schools, Urban Schools
Geographic Terms: Michigan
Abstract: When teacher salaries are discussed, two very different pictures often emerge. The first of these portrays teachers as underpaid, overworked servants of the public good. The second paints a picture of an overpaid group of civil servants who spend very little time actually working. This report looks at Michigan teacher salaries. Teacher salaries and some of the factors affecting these salaries within the state are discussed. Next, those salaries are translated into hourly terms to account for the ten-month work schedule of teachers and the amount of time they spend actually working each week. Finally, a comparison is made of the actual hourly earnings of teachers with some other professions. Results of the study show that Michigan's teachers generally earn competitive hourly salaries when compared to salaries paid in professions with similar educational requirements, but that this varies depending on tenure in teaching and the type of school where they teach. This report uses data from several sources. Teacher salary and workday length information is based on the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) Schools and Staffing Survey for the 1999-2000 school year. The responses of almost 1,000 full-time Michigan traditional and charter public school teachers are included in the analysis. Estimates of the average number of days that teachers are contractually required to work beyond the school year were provided by Ruth Beier, a labor economist employed by the Michigan Education Association. Hourly earnings of workers outside the teaching profession are based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics National Compensation Survey for the year 2002. (Contains 9 tables and 9 endnotes.)
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2005
Accession Number: ED498624
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:When teacher salaries are discussed, two very different pictures often emerge. The first of these portrays teachers as underpaid, overworked servants of the public good. The second paints a picture of an overpaid group of civil servants who spend very little time actually working. This report looks at Michigan teacher salaries. Teacher salaries and some of the factors affecting these salaries within the state are discussed. Next, those salaries are translated into hourly terms to account for the ten-month work schedule of teachers and the amount of time they spend actually working each week. Finally, a comparison is made of the actual hourly earnings of teachers with some other professions. Results of the study show that Michigan's teachers generally earn competitive hourly salaries when compared to salaries paid in professions with similar educational requirements, but that this varies depending on tenure in teaching and the type of school where they teach. This report uses data from several sources. Teacher salary and workday length information is based on the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) Schools and Staffing Survey for the 1999-2000 school year. The responses of almost 1,000 full-time Michigan traditional and charter public school teachers are included in the analysis. Estimates of the average number of days that teachers are contractually required to work beyond the school year were provided by Ruth Beier, a labor economist employed by the Michigan Education Association. Hourly earnings of workers outside the teaching profession are based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics National Compensation Survey for the year 2002. (Contains 9 tables and 9 endnotes.)