Archived: The Educational System in the United States: Case Study Findings

Salaries
Responses on a 1990–91 survey of ‘‘Recent College Graduates’’ (RCG) indicate
that individuals who majored in education earned on average $19,100 in the year
after graduation, a figure less than graduates in all other fields except humanities
(U.S. Department of Education 1995c). In 1991, the average salary for all full-time
teachers was $25,983 while the average salary for all recipients of bachelor’s de-
grees was $38,530. Once again, individuals in the teaching profession earned less
than those in all other fields. (U.S. Department of Education 1995d).
The salary range for teachers is determined by education and experience as well
as by locale. Teachers who have earned ‘‘masters plus 30 credits’’ earn more than
those with masters’ degrees; teachers with master’s degrees, in turn, earn more
than those with bachelor’s degrees. Salary increases are typically and predictably
gained with increased experience, although ‘‘merit pay’’ has been adopted in
some school districts. Finally, teachers in the northeast earn more than teachers
in other parts of the country, largely because of the higher cost of living; teachers
in the south earn the least. Teachers who work in suburban school districts or
in large towns typically earn more than teachers in either urban or rural districts.
One-third of all teachers report receiving additional compensation for sponsoring
school-related activities, while one-quarter earn additional money by working at
another job during the school year or in the summer.
Unions
Nine out of 10 U.S. teachers are members of 1 of the 2 principal teachers’ unions
in the United States.
Teachers’ Working Conditions
In this section, I describe commonalties among U.S. schools, as well as ways in
which teachers—and researchers—perceived schools to differ. The variability is
due in large part to the strong reliance on local property taxes to fund U.S.
schools. Teachers in low-income schools are shown to face the greatest challenges
within the classroom and yet have the fewest resources to address them. Reform
efforts, therefore, have differential effects on teachers, depending on the type of
school and district in which they work. Also, as will be demonstrated, the effects
of reforms initiated at the local, state, and federal levels can be cumulative—and
even counter-productive.

---

184
In subsequent sections the following questions are addressed:
•
How do teachers use their time both in an out of the classroom?
•
What methods do teachers use to teach math and science?
•
What are the physical environments of schools like?
•
What is the culture of expectations with regard to students’ behavior and
learning outcomes?
•
What sources of instructional support exist for teachers?
•
How are teachers involved in instructional decisionmaking and planning?