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August 19, 2010 in City, Region
Math, science teachers get paid less than others
SEATTLE — Lawmakers and other Washington state officials have talked a lot about focusing more on science and math education, but researchers at the University of Washington have found that despite this spoken commitment, teachers in those subjects earn less than other high school instructors.
In a report released Wednesday, the Center on Reinventing Public Education found that 19 of the state’s 30 largest school districts pay math or science teachers less than they spend on teachers in other subjects.
The way that Washington and many other states pay teachers — with more money going to those with more years of experience and graduate degrees — has led to the uneven salaries.
Jobs that pay better at nearby high tech companies may also be a contributing factor in this state, because math and science teachers may be recruited away before they have a chance to reach the higher rungs on the pay ladder, said Jim Simpkins, a researcher on the report, with Marguerite Roza and Cristina Sepe.
Simpkins, who used his math degree to work at Microsoft Corp. for about five years before getting into academic research, noted that the state is home to a lot of companies that could benefit from strong math and science graduates.
“It seems reasonable that this sort of effect would be present in any state that has other opportunities for math and science teachers,” Simpkins said.
Washington schools are not doing enough to compete with private industry for math and science teachers, acknowledged Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn.
There’s already a shortage of math and science teachers, but Dorn expects it will be “doubly tough” when the economy turns around. He chairs a state government task force looking at education finance reform and changing the way Washington pays teachers has been part of the discussion.
Dorn thinks incentives like scholarships and student loan repayment by the state may give schools a recruiting edge.
The researchers found a lot of variety among school districts, and Simpkins said he noticed that several districts near Microsoft, including the state’s largest in Seattle, have science and math teachers with at least 20 percent less teaching experience than those in other subjects.
More than a third of Seattle’s math and science teachers have less than five years of teaching experience. This is significant, he notes, because many researchers have found evidence that teachers in the U.S. continue to improve for at least the first three to five years they are in the classroom.
Having more teachers with fewer than five years in the classroom indicates greater turnover and is likely related to competition from private industry.
Some districts pay high school math and science teachers up to 8 percent more than other teachers, including Tacoma, Central Kitsap and Bellevue.
The report doesn’t speculate about why this may be true, but Simpkins said the reasons could include diverse market factors like Tacoma’s proximity to military bases which may be sending veterans into the classroom who want to stay for awhile.
The report suggests a salary schedule tied to labor market value might result in math and science teachers being paid more than their peers. The data also questions the notion of statewide teacher compensation when labor markets vary so much across the state, the report said.
Simpkins said there’s probably no simple or obvious way to design a new salary schedule that supports the state’s aim to recruit and retain more math and science teachers, and compete in local labor markets.
The report doesn’t take a stand on the many issues around teacher pay, or who is to blame for pay inequity. The analysis is more basic than that.
“You say you want to invest more, you’re actually investing less,” is how Simpkins summarizes their findings.
© Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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igorcorfa on August 19 at 9:42 a.m.
Most other teachers in a district make more money because they coach or do other extra curricular duties. Many of the science and math teachers are not jocks and do not coach. Most students that I know that graduate don’t use their math or science that they were taught. We are trying too hard to make science and math robots out of all kids. The Greeks thought that you were not educated if you didn’t have basic training in the arts which are now being cut in many schools becuase of this mad idea that everyone is going to be a rocket scientist.
Thoreau on August 19 at 9:53 a.m.
What a misleading article! Why not instead explain to the reader the idiocy of a state-regulated pay scale for every single public school teacher. The gist here is that the math and science teachers are less experienced, so according to this pay scale, they make less. English teachers with the same level of education and same amount of experience receive roughly the same salary. Stipends are granted to any teacher who sponsors a club, or coaches a team, regardless of the subject matter they teach. The state pays the same credentialed teacher the same amount, regardless of where he/she teaches. Nevermind the difference in cost of living between the east and west parts of the state. The mighty teachers union is partly to blame for preserving “experienced” teachers’ jobs, even if they don’t belong in a classroom.
woodj64 on August 19 at 10:28 a.m.
Let’s pretend that five engineers from India cannot work for the salary of one American engineer and let’s pretend we live in a nation where 80% population scurries about in lab jackets making money by the fistful in an unlimited job market. Even then, a great science or math mind does not a great teacher make (forgive the Yoda’ism).
Oly on August 19 at 5:43 p.m.
So Thoreau, teachers in Seattle or the west side in general deserve more money than teachers in Spokane, Freeman, Ritsville or anywhere else in eastern Washington. Are you serious? Those folks on the west side know it costs more to live there. I will vote every time to keep the base salaries the same all over the state! If it weren’t for the state salary scale, there are districts who would pay teachers even less than they do now!
igorcorfa on August 19 at 11:11 p.m.
Lets pay reading teachers more money since students probably could not learn math, science or any other subject without knowing how to read or write. As for the teachers unions protecting bad teachers, the union is not the problem. The problem is administrators that are too lazy and who do not follow the proper steps to get rid of bad teachers and then want to skip those steps once they find out they have a problem teacher. The union is only there to protect the teachers from administrators skipping steps. Yes, there are bad teachers and we should get rid of them but follow the steps to do it. I have seen more bad administrators then teachers in schools. There is an old saying that the definition of an administrator is two losing seasons and a masters degree. Many administrators are former coaches who only got their teaching jobs for what they could coach and not how well they can teach.
igorcorfa on August 19 at 11:18 p.m.
I would guess that over half of high school teachers are hired for what they can coach rather then what they are capable of teaching. Schools hire coaches and then make teaching assignments for them. Most schools only worry about the win loss record and not how well the students are learning from these coaches. I have seen coaches (Teachers) pulled from class week after week to rehash the weekend games with the news media on Monday morning in their schools. Some schools in this state even give coaches two prep periods so that they can just sit around and talk about the team. What a waste of tax payers money. These same teachers who coach also get to leave work early on schools days (district has to hire part time subs) to go to a meet or match in another town even though they are getting paid to teach and get extra pay to coach