Should Kindergarten teachers earn more than college professors?

[alaskaguy]

"Students who had learned much more in kindergarten were more likely to go to college than students with otherwise similar backgrounds. Students who learned more were also less likely to become single parents. As adults, they were more likely to be saving for retirement. Perhaps most striking, they were earning more. ... Over time, the effect seems to grow, too. ..."

Link:
http://obs.rc.fas.harvard.edu/chetty/STAR_slides.pdf

[Rhoadhoused]

no....

[Marc936]

no, not that i think kindergarten teachers are dumb, just the materials needed to teach them isn't so high.

that being said, i think some professors need to take a pay cut, the average pay in iowa state is 88k for the teachers, the ones i have talked to person to person taught for 6 credit hours, had meetings, and office hours, much less than a 40 hour week. So either do more research, or teach more credit hours equivalent to 40 work hours.

[bb4cy]

I don't think they should earn more than college professors, but I do think our primary and secondary educators are under-paid.

[chadly82]

absolutely not....

[CyForPresident]

Professors do something called research, which benefits all of man-kind. Kindergarden teachers make sure kids don't poop on the floor.

You tell me which one should get paid more?

[hursts]

Not unless kindergarten teachers start getting doctorate degrees and masters degrees like most college professors have.

[alaskaguy]

Professors do something called research, which benefits all of man-kind. Kindergarden teachers make sure kids don't poop on the floor.

You tell me which one should get paid more?

The point of the linked article is that Kindergarden teachers can have far more influence on a students future than a college professor.

[isucyfan]

Not unless kindergarten teachers start getting doctorate degrees and masters degrees like most college professors have.

My mom is a Kindergarten teacher, has her master's degree, and is Board Certified, which took a ton of work...much like another degree.

[CyForPresident]

The point of the linked article is that Kindergarden teachers can have far more influence on a students future than a college professor.

I realize that, but professors do a lot more than just teach.

[RandomFan]

In our society importance of profession has little to do with earning potential.

[alaskaguy]

In our society importance of profession has little to do with earning potential.

Societal importance of profession has everything to do with earning potential......that is why sports stars and bands earn so much....society values those talents above the talents to be a great teacher, police man, etc.

You may disagree with how society values different professions but the facts are that the higher the earning potential the more that "society" values that particular profession/occupation.

[isu_oak]

Supply and demand. There are a lot more people capable of teaching students about shapes/numbers than thermodynamics/theoretical physics.

[d30fan]

I have the unusual combination of BSME and MSEd. I say that so I won't get "what do you know about teaching." That said, I have always felt that success in life is much more dependent on what happens in the home, early in life, than anything that happens in the classroom. Intelligent parents who give a damn will probably raise successful children and dumb parents who don't give a damn will probably raise social misfits. I think we have turned teaching into some mysterious psycho-science that demands years of preparation. Some of the best I ever had were 2 year certificated back in the 1940s. They taught me and most of my classmates to read well by the third grade. Of course, we didn't go home to drugged out parents, and were expected to show those teachers some respect, or get a session with the old man and his razor strap when we got home. Kindergarden teachers are probably over paid for the teaching part of their job, but underpaid for the social worker part of it.

[twojman]

The point of the linked article is that Kindergarden teachers can have far more influence on a students future than a college professor.

I think the government should start paying parents, they have far more influence on education and learning than a teacher.