The Globe as usual chooses data that seems outrageous. Instead of choosing a 9 year veteran teacher, who would have an increase of about $3600 over 4 years they choose a 3 year teacher who...because salary is low for new teachers necessarily gets contractual step raises as well as the percentage increase. For a 9 near veteran teacher the raise over 4 years would be a 4% increase rather than the 38% increase the Globe cites. Under the union's proposal over three years this 9 year veteran teacher would receive a 6% raise over 3 years. Young teachers receive large step raises at the beginning of the year as they learn the craft. If these steps were not there the 50% rate at which we lose young teachers would be even higher. If the Glove is going to use statistics to "inform" the public they should use statistics that actually inform, rather then using "selected" statistics to whip up public outrage.

How many teachers, anywhere, need a masters degree to reasonably teach most children, most subjects? Perhaps in advanced, science and math courses for some teens but for most classes it is simply a credential and not indicative of teaching skill. Most will, naturally, get the credential to obtain the ludicrous $80,000 pay for nine months work. Why not freeze the all the salaries (as has occurred in the private sector, at best) for the next couple of years and see how many teachers leave for the private sector? If there's some mass exodus, yeah, that would indicate pay is too low. However, what's most likely to happen is that virtually no one will leave but those who have talents that are valuable in the private sector and that exodus should indicate SPECIFICALLY where salaries are too low. But this is too obvious and simple a solution. As the union head indicates, Boston can find more "revenue". Home owners only saw a 13% hike last year, why not whack them again for 20%.....heck, go for it 50%.....its "for the children", right?

Teachers work 36 weeks per year (the couple of weeks they take off annually for illness and other personal reasons cancels out the couple of weeks they spend preparing for the new school year and attending continuing education conferences, so it is indeed accurate to say that they work just 36 weeks per year). If they work 45 hours per week (which is a realistic number if you add up classroom time, prep time, paper grading time, bureaucracy time, conference time), that adds up to about 1650 hours per year. Other mid-level professionals such as nurses work a similar number of hours per week, but for 9 or 10 more weeks per year, which adds up to about 2,000 hours per year. Yet, even though nurses work about 350 more hours per year, they are paid about the same as teachers (say, $70,0000). Until teachers agree to work an additional 8 weeks per year, I fail to see why they deserve any raises at all. We simply can no longer afford to pay employees a full-time salary unless they actually work full time, especially if we are still going to allow them to retire in their fifties.

You have very accurate observations based segmented salary information. If the teacher contracts were posted On-Line, it would reveal a range of benefits unheard off in the private sector. For example: 1. Longevity pay can add $500 to $2500/year to base salary. 2. Sick pay of 15+ days/year which can be accumulated and cashed out at retirement. 3. Sick pay bank. Contribute 1 sick day/year and you get tax free AFLAC coverage at 100% of base salary. 4. Paid Sabbaticals as often as one year every 7 years. 5. Snow days- 16+ inches of snow on the road. Teachers shutoff alarms and rollover. Private worker drives to work or uses one of his/hers 10 Paid Time Off days which covers sick, vacation, etc. I could go on forever. BTW Are you aware that FDR opposed municipal unions because the unions could contribute time and money to the political campaigns of their Bosses.

Please provide a link to the current teacher contracts. The 9 year cycle implied by your post implies that a 31 year old teacher would be making over $80,000/yr for working 180 days composed 6 hour or less/day. I have taught at the college graduate and undergraduate levels and your compensation is set by classroom hours and sometimes classes are allowed to grow to 36 students before a new session is generated.

When teachers are willing to base their salary on competence rather then seniority, I'll consider giving them more of my money.