$600/week for a middle school/high school science teacher in Tampa

[OE800_85]

I think the sensei is not the best example. He's dedicated himself to a simple life, much like a monk. I think there are few to zero among us who want to make this choice.

The best way to get rid of the riff-raff is to only attract career teachers into the public sector. People who are willing to complete the proper certification, and meet the requirements set by the state. Tests aren't everything, but it's the best tool we have. Also, knowledge of a subject does not imply you can teach it. That includes ESL, unfortunately. My first year and a half out here, I'll admit, I was a horrible teacher. Proper training and experience give you teaching skills. In fact, looking at your sensei example, he's done much the same as above. He's shown his willingness to dedicate himself to this profession. I like the idea of charter schools sometimes, but often they're a little too profit-oriented in an industry that shouldn't be. This pushes them to teach to the test, and as a result students aren't really learning anything.

[Lindagerr]

Public schools are the worst at teaching to the test. Also teachers are evaluated on how students do on the test, students are pressured to well on the test and this causes undo stress on some young students. There are much better ways to judge a teachers value. As for going through what is required to become a teacher fully certified, read my post above. I have taught several months as a long term sub when a teacher broke her hip, at first they hired an engineer to teach the math and science classes in the morning and me to teach them in the afternoon. After a while they asked him to leave and asked me to do the whole day. I taught 6th and 8th grade Math, science and computer. 6 classes a day 5 days a week for over 3 months, but I received no credit toward my certification in NJ because I was a substitute and it counts for nothing here in NY. Not all teachers need to go to a teachers college we need good science and math teachers and someone who has actually worked with these subject in real life may have a lot to give if only we had a chance to prove it. I almost moved to Vermont for a couple of years because they are one of the only states that offer peer review for temperary certification, this is an excellent way to give alternative teachers a chance.

[Yanji]

Something to add...in CHINA, one can easily make 100-300USD/day (net salary) teaching English. It's a travesty a professional teacher can be paid 600/week (I'm assuming that's gross, not net salary)

A gross overstatement, considering there are somewhat respectable universities in China (i.e. better than simply legitimate) who pay maybe US$1500 a month to English teachers, although rudimentary housing is almost always provided and sometimes per diems as well. Do not believe what you hear in EFL teacher recruiter marketing... they're simply trying to lure the desperate or lost folk in the US/Canada/Oz/etc. Yes, there are some decent paying and even outright respectable English teacher jobs to be found in Asia, including China. But those jobs do not pave the streets of Beijing or Shanghai and they may require previous experience to get. In fact in HK with its "celebrity tutor" culture, good-looking ethnic Chinese tutors could make a killing tutoring English if they had an English degree from a world top 100 school and the right industry connections.

I do not think teachers are paid enough in America but the same could be said about most jobs in America, to be honest. I don't think American education is broken, in fact I think it is still okay overall. When I was attending university in England I had some American classmates who were all from public schools and they were all just as capable as the English educated students. Yes, there is disparity between schools in high-income and low-income areas; yes, teachers are not paid or respected enough; yes, there are problems with school quality control; and yes, America should be doing better but I think education merely reflects the greater social inequalities and injustices in America.

[OE800_85]

I'm speaking as a person who makes between 100-300USD every single day, I feel too lazy to go outside if I make less. It's a fact of life here. Often people who come from outside of China end up being scammed on their first contract because they don't realize what their salary should be.

The absolute minimum you should be making teaching English is 150RMB/hour. That translates to about 25USD. It would be unusual to teach less than 5 hours in a day (unless you really wanted), and this salary is often taxed at next to nothing. Because of my experience I make closer to 300/hour. I don't know a single person who makes less than 150/hr.

**edit: university jobs are often horrible in China. You're given no curriculum, have massive classes, and are grossly underpaid. They best money is in private schools preparing students to go abroad, or language centers.

[OE800_85]

We shouldn't automatically fall in love with private schools just because they're not "the institution." I'm sure there are some private schools that are better and some that are worse. This also goes for school districts and boards in different parts of America, as well. I will readily agree that good, well funded private schools tend to be better than public ones. They also pay their teachers better.