

Should Computer Science Teachers Be Paid More Than Gym Teachers - Alfred2
http://blog.acthompson.net/2012/11/should-computer-science-teachers-be.html

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csense
Yes, computer science teachers should be paid more than gym teachers, because
their opportunity cost for entering the teaching profession is higher.

To elaborate:

If well-qualified computer science teachers can make $B working for Bigcorp
and $T from teaching, then they'll exit the schools as long as $B > $T.

The same logic, of course, applies to gym teachers, but there presumably isn't
nearly as much demand outside of the school system for their specific skills.

(Here I'm thinking of $B and $T as more total utility than actual salary. In
other words we need to convert into dollar terms intangibles like benefits,
location, warm fuzzy feelings from shaping young lives, opportunity to work
with newer technologies, etc.)

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cyrusradfar
The question should be: "Should a equally competent teachers be paid
differently based on subject area?"

No. Great teachers should be rewarded equally. It's no simpler to make a child
value their body than to make a child value logic. The fact is, there are
children who will do well and fail in both.

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daniel-cussen
All other things being equal, right, they should be rewarded equally because,
ahem, we just assumed these other factors were irrelevant. But in today's job
market, where employers are chasing CS professionals, it makes sense to pay CS
teachers more provided you can attract good talent.

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cyrusradfar
Would you agree that if a person is focused on making money they won't
consider becoming a teacher? Paying $35K vs $30K still can't compete with what
a reasonable tech company pays an engineer.

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daniel-cussen
Where do teachers make that? I'm assuming it's starting out, and in USA (you
used dollar symbols), but the expected value of becoming a teacher in the US,
especially a public school teacher, is quite a bit higher than that.

In any case, no, you're right, it absolutely cannot compete, especially not in
the current environment. However, even people that are not in it just for the
money can find it hard to live for less than a certain amount each year, and
may find it hard to be a teacher if it means going without a car, for
instance.

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csense
What I'm going to say only applies to K-12 schools in the USA. College is much
better.

In many places teachers' unions are strong. Unions tend to unconditionally
reward seniority. They frown on management being able to tie pay to
talent/ability, or get rid of people who are grossly incompetent (let alone
merely below average). So the talented are frustrated because their abilities
aren't recognized, and tend to leave if they have better options, while bad
teachers know that they have a safe job once they get their foot in the door.

With high-stakes standardized testing, nonessentials like computer science
have a tendency to take very low priority. Many high schools' definition of
"computer science" is "how to use Word and PowerPoint, and maybe make a
website (if you're lucky)"

Actual programming is something students generally venture into on their own.
Teachers -- especially bad ones -- often feel threatened by students who are
smarter than they are. (Remember, schools attract the incompetent.) Students
are actively discouraged from pursuing advanced topics like programming on
school equipment (and in some cases are even punished).

