[buggyone]

I did some research online and found out that the starting salary of $42,900 for a Sumter County deputy does not look too shabby when compared to others.

For example, New York City police (after 6 months in the academy) eary $46,288; Washington DC earns $48,715; Miami gets $46,583; and Chicago police begin at $43,104.

Given the crime rates (probability of more danger) of Sumter County vs any of those listed above as well as other things such as cost of living and taxes - I would say the Sumter County police starting salary is very good when compared to the above cities.

[kittygilchrist]

oh please, people. let's not get into teachers vs LEOS. Both are heroes and deserve more than they get. good grief. or as Gracie would say Boy Howdy.

[DougB]

There is no comparison at all. It is a discussion of decent starting salaries. Both under paid. The comment was made a teaching degree gets you more money. Just setting the record straight how poorly teachers are paid for the amount of work they do and the responsibility they have.

[PJUCTH]

Sisters husbands partn shot dead in central Fl. Bet the numbs are a lot higher than you know. Seeing already just a few of us have had the experience and I'm not from here

[DougB]

57 killed in the line of duty in the U.S. In 2012. 53 males, 4 females. Average age 42

[njbchbum]

Originally Posted by DougB

Teachers work 196 days (180 days are with students). During those 180 days, a teacher only gets 40 minutes a day for planning lessons, grading papers, etc. Elementary teachers have to plan for 6 subjects each day. And with differentiated instruction to meet the needs of all the students, the teacher may need 3 lesson plans for each of these subjects. Tough to do in 40 minutes, wouldn't you say? I won't even get into how many hours are spent on designing assessments with open ended higher order questions the students have to respond to.
I know very few teachers at any grade level that begin and end their school day with the bell. Some teachers attend trainings and have to attend classes for professional development with no pay over the summer.
If your child has a good teacher, you can be assured, he/she is working every bit of 250 days in the 196 days they are paid.

guess it's a good thing my niece chose to teach phys ed/health and supervise study hall - not much lesson planning/testing there. and she is paid an additional stipend to serve as track coach.

and my friend who teaches special ed in middle school operates with curriculum/lessson plans/assessments provided under state guidelines - not much oppty to improvise there.

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by buggyone

I recently added to a thread that the starting salary for a Sumter County sheriff deputy was about $42,900 plus benefits. A couple of other posters thought this seemed low for a starting salary.

What do you think would be a fair starting salary for such a job in this part of Florida?

Forget fairness, life isn't fair. The starting salary, from what I understand, is usually based on comparisons with other nearby communities. I guess you could call it "free-market economics". (Or at least it should be.) If some job doesn't pay enough, you're free to try your luck elsewhere. I'm not trying to be mean about it, just truthful.

[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.

[kittygilchrist]

Originally Posted by DougB

There is no comparison at all. It is a discussion of decent starting salaries. Both under paid. The comment was made a teaching degree gets you more money. Just setting the record straight how poorly teachers are paid for the amount of work they do and the responsibility they have.

I know you have to set it straight. Tchrs are pathetically compensated in FL.
I'm just bugged by anybody in either profession being put on the grill.

[PammyJ]

Originally Posted by njbchbum

guess it's a good thing my niece chose to teach phys ed/health and supervise study hall - not much lesson planning/testing there. and she is paid an additional stipend to serve as track coach.

and my friend who teaches special ed in middle school operates with curriculum/lessson plans/assessments provided under state guidelines - not much oppty to improvise there.

For those who are not aware, education is in a paradigm shift throughout the nation. There is more to the above examples. Exceptional Education teachers are angels in this field. They have way more laws and regulations to deal with for each and every student. I would venture to say if the above examples were true, then these teachers are not going to be on easy street for long. 46 states are under this transition. Yes, there are some jobs that are less work than others. Exceptional Education is not one of them! You can be sure if you are teaching core courses, teachers are using provided lesson plans and text books as a resource, the state standards at the students level is the curriculum. Teachers may make it look easy, but trust me, understanding the level of rigor needed for each standard and at the level needed to progress each student takes time, dedication, and training.
Education is not the same as it was when I got into it. Accountability is keeping educators working hard and on their toes- sometimes feeling like we have to achieve the impossible! We keep stretching ourselves and plugging along to take the students to a level they never expected to achieve. We are teaching dual set of standards this school year. One set to be measured by FCAT, the other set to be measured by PARRC in 2014-2015 school year - HA! We are working our tails off! And that's all I have to say about that!
Go police officers and educators!!!! I know this thread started with the salary conversation, but I am very passionate about the work of my profession, have to defend it!

[kittygilchrist]

[QUOTE]Go police officers and educators!!!! I know this thread started with the salary conversation, but I am very passionate about the work of my profession, have to defend it! [QUOTE]

Some of us wouldn't take any amount to do what you do. From my experience with GED teachers, none of them did it for the money.

[DougB]

Originally Posted by njbchbum

guess it's a good thing my niece chose to teach phys ed/health and supervise study hall - not much lesson planning/testing there. and she is paid an additional stipend to serve as track coach.

and my friend who teaches special ed in middle school operates with curriculum/lessson plans/assessments provided under state guidelines - not much oppty to improvise there.

She has every opportunity and to meet the individual needs of Special Ed students she is required to.

[mitchbr47]

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.

I was a teacher in SE Michigan in the time frame you mentioned and a few years afterwards. With a Masters I think I eventually made 64K. I paid for my own tuition for my second degree. We purchased supplies out of our own pocket. There were 2 or 3 hours of additional work each day. You get what you put into it. There was evening Open House when the year started and 4 nights of parent teacher conferences- 2 each semester. There were 2 days of afternoon conferences a year. Yes there was a 1/2 day comp time after teaching and working consecutive evening. I usually had 95-100% of parents attending. 2 days of training at the start of the year was required. My class size varied. Many years I had 32-35 students. One year I had 22 students. The union and administration worked well for the best interest of the students. It was a rewarding job with high student achievement. All districts are not the same. I guess I was fortunate.

Of course the students had the half day off during daytime conferences. I do recall when there was a large class size they had a sub for a hour or 2. Of course I had to write the lesson plans. Yes there were districts where there was not a healthy working relationship between teachers, administration, and the school board. In those situations the students and community loose.

[BarryRX]

Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr

I'd say if a qualified applicant can be found and is willing to take the job then that is a fair salary. if they keep hiring and firing one incompetent person after another they probably need to think about a salary increase.

People who do police work do it for many reason. Some simply love it and it's what they want to do. Government jobs usually provide great security and benefits. Some want the experience on their resume for future ambitions. I don't think most people get into law enforcement solely for the money.

Keep in mind that this is a starting salary. I would imagine that there are colas and other types of increases that may come over the years.

And as to the statement that "someone gets to shoot at you". When was the last time that you heard of an officer getting shot at? Granted, it happens but not as often as most people think. You're probably more likely to be shot if you're a convenience store clerk.

Not the point at all! These are the people that run towards the sound of gunfire when the rest of us are taking cover. They may never be placed in that situation, but when they are, it has been my experience that they perform with valor. I guess random violence can find anyone of us, but I know my wife wasn't worried about my safety when I went to work. Cops wives (or husbands) live with that constant fear.

[Indydealmaker]

Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr

I'd say if a qualified applicant can be found and is willing to take the job then that is a fair salary. if they keep hiring and firing one incompetent person after another they probably need to think about a salary increase.

People who do police work do it for many reason. Some simply love it and it's what they want to do. Government jobs usually provide great security and benefits. Some want the experience on their resume for future ambitions. I don't think most people get into law enforcement solely for the money.

Keep in mind that this is a starting salary. I would imagine that there are colas and other types of increases that may come over the years.

And as to the statement that "someone gets to shoot at you". When was the last time that you heard of an officer getting shot at? Granted, it happens but not as often as most people think. You're probably more likely to be shot if you're a convenience store clerk.

So far this year 57 Florida officers have died in the line of duty. 19 have perished by gunfire.