[DougB]

Originally Posted by AutoBike

Seventeen years ago, I ran for our local school board. It was in the middle of a huge battle between the NEA and the local school board. The average district teacher salary was $66k. Our teachers were mostly older and had masters as well, paid for by the school district, I might add. Additionally, teachers got bonuses for seat time, not performance, called longevity pay. They got bonuses for allowing their class size to exceed 24, IIRC, and a host of other incentives. Parent teacher conferences were held during the day, so teachers didn't have to stay late and students were given 1/2 day off during them.
The world revolved around the TEACHERS, not the students.

Times are different. This is 2013 and Florida. The highest salary for a teacher with a doctorate and 30 years experience in Sumter isn't even 66K. No incentives offered for class size either. Schools get fined if they go over class size. Many districts haven't given raises in the last 4-5 years.