Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Reconsider a Career in Teaching

Having been a teacher in the public school system for the last four years, I have become quite disillusioned as a teacher, and I feel that it is my duty to warn the innocent before they get in too deep. Here are the top ten reasons why I feel that aspiring teachers should reassess a career in education.

10. Will work for...money

Although it is often bandied about that teachers should make more money, most bystanders have absolutely no idea just how little teachers actually make. Teachers make less money than law enforcement or fire, as well as many other city jobs. For the first couple of years as a teacher, the custodians, clerks, security guards and Instructional Assistants made more money than I did. In the Bay Area (one of the nation's highest cost of living areas), the average first-year salary is approximately $35,000. With the average cost of a home well over $600,000, it's hard to imagine how most teachers survive, let alone prosper. The step increases are about $2,000 a year, which equals $166 a month (before taxes).

All employees receive the same increases, whether or not they are productive, engaging or highly effective, so there are no incentives to motivate overworked instructors. In addition, medical and dental benefits are substantially lower than private business employers. For example, when I worked in corporate America, I received $1,500 a year in dental benefits while the school district gives me $500. By the way, there aren't any stock options, 401ks or Christmas bonuses either.

9. I paid how much?

As a little girl, I always dreamed of being a lawyer, but after paying for a Bachelor's degree at a UC, I decided that I didn't want to spend another boatload of money on law school, let alone stay in school for another three or four years. Boy was I fooled! I had to pay for the CBEST general education exam, CSET single subject exam, a two-year credential program in the California State College system (courses, books, student teaching, administrative fees), TB tests, fingerprinting, California Commission on Teacher Credentialing fees, and I had to acquire additional student loans.