I read a good blog post the other day from Justin Baeder, titled Subsidies to the Teaching Profession. In the post he argued that " the teaching profession continues to be subsidized" by three things which are helping to keep wages lower.
First, is what he called the charity work subsidy. Because education is a noble profession, people are willing to "donate" their time to it. He mentions seeing applicants for open teaching positions who have already had a successful career or who are supported by wealthy parents. Speaking from my own experiences, I have seen former military folks in the classroom who would fit into this group as well. I might even fall into this group a little bit as both my parents and my in-laws are very generous towards my family when it comes to things like vacations and eating out. Their financial support in these little areas has helped make my family's quality of life better than it would be if we were just on my salary.
Second, is the rich spouse subsidy. He acknowledges that the term, which I adjusted slightly, might be a little offensive. This is the idea that many teachers have spouses who work at better paying jobs. Again I see this at play with my own colleagues. Many are married to lawyers, doctors, and engineers who are paid well. My own mother falls into this category. My father makes a good living from his job which allows my mother to work as an amazing preschool teacher with out having to worry as much about what she gets paid.
Another part of this subsidy is summed up when Justin says, "For men in particular, the idea of choosing a career that needs to be financially supported by a partner's career isn't very appealing." I admit I struggle with this idea in a slightly different context. My wife is about to stay home full time to watch our six month old son. Our budget is going to be tight because of this decision. I wish that I could paid a little bit more so things wouldn't be so tight.
The final subsidy is what Justin calls the vow of poverty. Justin sums this idea up best when he says, "Many educators reject higher-paying alternatives because they believe education to be a worthy endeavor." I definitely fall into this category. One of the many reasons I was drawn to education was the idea of giving back in a public capacity. I knew what I was getting into from a compensation stand point and was still willing to take the job. I gave up a career in Washington, D.C. to become a teacher.
What do you think about these subsidies? Do you think they make sense? Do you agree with Justin that they are holding back teacher compensation?
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