Marietta Middle School teacher Deborah Kiefer could have taught for big bucks in the wealthy suburbs of Cleveland 10 years ago.
Instead, she chose to stay in Marietta, partly because of the lower cost of living, but also because she knew she didn’t become a teacher to make a lot of money.
Kiefer and other local teachers say they feel somewhat slighted as a National Education Association report released Monday shows that U.S. teacher salaries increased just 3 percent during the past decade, when inflation is considered. Additionally, while Ohio’s average of $42,892 nears the national average of $43,335 in teacher pay, there are large discrepancies among the state’s 88 counties.
Washington County schools fall in the latter half of that wide salary range, paying their teachers an average of $36,293 in 2000-01, according to the Ohio Department of Education. To offer perspective, Cincinnati’s Hamilton County recorded the highest average at $48,609. The state and county averages are figured as a whole, not by the district.
Higher pay can lead to a more qualified pool of potential teachers, but it doesn’t always lead to better teaching and more educated students, said Belpre City School Board President Rod Hineman.
“Ohio has always been in an economic crisis when it comes to school funding,” Hineman said.
Hineman has dealt with the issue through 30 years of teaching, including 18 years as secretary-treasurer for the Ohio Educational Association. Hineman said it is difficult for Washington County schools such as Belpre to attract teachers because of the uneven funding across the state.
“Salary and benefits are always big issues,” Hineman said. “Unless they (teachers) have a draw or connection to southeastern Ohio, they take the better offer.”
In Ohio, the property tax base primarily funds schools. In larger cities with more people and industry, more money is generated and shifted to schools and teachers. Furthermore, Hineman said because all worker wages are higher in the urban areas, it. in turn, allows those households to fund higher school levies than in the rural areas.
“Millage rates, three times higher ... let me tell you, you can do a whole lot more,” Hineman said.
The wide funding gap can sometimes be understandable, Kiefer said. When she and her husband searched for homes in Cleveland a decade ago, she said they were astounded by the high prices and property taxes.
“With the cost of relocation, we felt we could not duplicate the standard of living for our family, even with the pay raise,” Kiefer said. And so Kiefer stayed in Marietta.
A decade ago, the middle school may not have been as impressive as those in Cleveland, but by adding some bright paint to the walls, Kiefer’s husband helped spruce up her seventh-grade classroom. That initial example of extra effort, care and time is one of many that Kiefer says “makes teachers vulnerable” for unpaid overtime and lower wages.
“The less the district has, the more out-of-pocket teachers are spending,” Hineman said.
Teachers cannot drop students at the end of the day like a project at the office, Kiefer said. “Your whole family has to be involved in it or you can’t be the kind of teacher you want to be.”
Marietta College senior Kelly Kermode is training with Kiefer’s social studies class and said it is those examples of dedication exhibited by most of her teachers that drove her to enter the same profession.
“Going into teaching, I pretty much knew my salary would be lower,” Kermode said. She said a recent job fair produced opening offers from $28,000 to $30,000 across Ohio and other states. And it doesn’t bother her that some of her fellow Marietta College graduates will take in $60,000 their first year.
“I’d rather be with students, than behind a desk all day,” Kermode said. “I like the idea of being an influence that helps someone succeed later on.”
According to Ohio Board of Education statistics, a teacher in Washington County with a bachelor’s degree averaged $22,400 as starting pay for the 2000-01 school year.
Along with the salary gap across the nation and in Ohio, there are marked differences in teacher wages within Washington County. Warren Local’s average teacher pay topped the county with $39,425, compared with Frontier Local’s average pay of $29,373 a year.
“That’s not to say our teachers are less qualified,” said Frontier Local Educational Association President Tina Albrecht. “They work just as hard.”
Albrecht said she’d like to see funding in Ohio become more equitable. Additionally, she feels every teacher deserves more money when compared to other U.S. worker wages.
“I don’t think teacher’s wages have been as lucrative as private businesses, and that’s unfair because we have to compete for employees like any other business,” Albrecht said.
In some parts of the country, schools have turned to private businesses to take over operation of a school. With a trade of advertising products to students and other business sponsorships, the schools can afford higher wages.
Washington County District Salaries
District by district average classroom teacher salaries for 2000-01 and school enrollments
Belpre City - $38,112 - 1,262 students
Marietta City - $37,641 - 3,336 students
Fort Frye Local - $33,865 - 1,205 Students
Frontier Local - $29,373 - 984 students
Warren Local - $39,425 - 2,595 students
Wolf Creek - $34,978 - 655 students
Washington County Career Center - $36,753
(Students at Washington County Career Center are counted in their home school districts.)
For more information:
* www.nea.org
* www.ode.state.oh.us/data/