Teacher explains teacher pay
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| April 6, 2011 |
At a recent school board meeting, someone asked
about the salary schedule for teachers, how long
our teachers have been in Bonners Ferry and what
it takes to keep their teaching certificates.
Long time high-school art teacher Tama
Bergstrand decided to answer, and provided the
following data.
There are about 92 certified teachers in
Boundary County School District 101, a figure
that fluctuates based on hours put in by part
time teachers. Of those, 18 have been with the
district for three years or less.
 To
obtain their Bachelor's Degree and become
certified to teach, they must invest over
$23,000 a year for four years, a total of
$92,000 spent before they ever get paid to step
into a classroom.
The base salary for those who've been here
longer than three years is $25,231. That's the
base figure, set by the district, that all pay
calculations are based on for 74 teachers. New
teachers have a higher base salary set recently
by the state legislature. Their pay is
calculated on a base salary of $31,750.
Teachers are given extra for their experience
and education, based on post-graduate semester
credit totals. Those teachers with Master's
Degrees receive an additional $1,262 per year.
With the cost of attaining an MA degree, around
$16,000, the stipend would pay off the degree in
a little over 12 years. Of the 92 teachers in
the district, 31 have their Master's Degree.
By state law, teachers are required to take six
semester credits, which cost about $200 each,
every five years to retain their teaching
certificate. For pay purposes, the highest
number of credits a teacher receives a stipend
for tops out at 54. Of the 92 teachers, 63 have
over 30 graduate credits above their BA degrees
and 44 have more than 50.
Of those 92 teachers in Boundary County public
schools, 37 have been with the district for more
than 13 years, which is when the experience
stipends top out, or end. Of those, 23 teachers
have been with the district anywhere from 20 to
41 years.
Several of those teachers, including Clint
Arthur, Travis Hinthorn and Kelly Hinthorn, not
only teach in School District 101, but attended
elementary, junior high and high schools here
before graduating, earning their degree and
coming back to the schools they grew up in.
"All in all," Bergstrand wrote, "Boundary County
School District teachers are not only dedicated
to staying in Bonners Ferry, but have devoted
their own time and finances to further their
education to help give our students outstanding
educations. As a parent, community member and
teacher who has furthered my education far
beyond what is required by the state to keep my
certificate, I don't understand it when
community members do not help support us. We
seem to take the brunt of the debate."
If the May 17 supplemental maintenance and
operations levy doesn't pass and the school
board is forced to drop all elective classes,
Tama Bergstrand will, after more than 20 years
as a teacher in School District 101, be
unemployed.
"My students' educations will be diminished,"
she said, "and our community will never be the
same." |
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