Teachers’ salaries are affected by several factors, the primary one being the affluence of the school district in which they teach. Affluent districts can simply afford to pay more than indigent ones. Among school districts at a comparable level of affluence, there is inter-district competition for the best teachers, which drives salaries up.

Finally, there is the degree to which taxpayers are willing to sacrifice to improve the quality of instruction. While the latter could theoretically raise salaries in a poorer district beyond which you would expect from market forces alone, I doubt this happens to a significant degree, and in fact I would suspect that the willingness to “sacrifice” is more in line with affluence than it is with moral imperative.

I take exception to the article’s implication that teachers’ salaries are generally higher than those of most white collar workers. First, and to its credit the article points this out, the hourly figure was based on the actual hours worked in a year, not on a year-round 40-hour week. While you might consider a shorter work year quite a perk, that’s beside the point when you are examining the value of actual work done. Terrell Owens doesn’t work a 40-hour, 12-month job either. See the point?

As for the suggestion that white and blue collar workers in general carry as much work home as teachers, this is bull. Nearly all good teachers, if not all, put in many hours of work at night, planning, grading, etc. Some people outside the teaching profession, especially the self-employed, do the same thing, but as a rule, the happy hours bars are not suffering from a great deal of tarrying at the office.

What really irks me is that teachers spend their own money buying supplies that the school district intentionally withholds, knowing the teachers will take up the slack. To my way of thinking it is inexcusable for teachers to pony up money for what school districts should be supplying, and to have to beg parents for donations, especially when you look at the very well-paid administrators and the well-financed extra-curricular activities. When was the last time you saw a coach up in the stands begging the fans for gatorade?

But the bottom line is, teachers are paid what the market demands and not a penny more or less. Coaches are a prime example. They make more money, because their services are valued more than those of a mathematics or literary master. That may not be pretty, but that’s too bad. It is what it is.

If someone else is paying more, you will eventually lose your best teachers. Simple as that.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not particularly interested in teachers whose spelling and grammar my kid has to correct. Good teachers, like the ones who have engendered a love of learning in my kids, are priceless.

And they usually hold onto the damn football (see T.O. reference above).