[geeks] OLPCs for sale...

[wa2egp at att.net]

> Yes, but remember you are a government worker, or at least I assume  
> you are.
> 
> Are you paid less than most other government workers?

Probably.  But then I probably have more "required" education and
such that a lot of other government workers.  Looking at some
government job, all you need is to be able to read and write
English.

> In my experience, teacher make more by a long shot than most other  
> government workers, even programmers.

See above.

> I'm a computer programmer.  If I went to work for the government, most  
> teachers would get paid more than I would, because the local and state  
> government don't pay programmer's very well.  I have no idea why, but  
> that's how it is here.

If I starting teaching, most teachers would get more than I would. :) 
I'm hoping that's not the comparison you're making.  As far as programmers
go, I don't know what their pay happens to be, but I imagine it's less
than they want. :)

> I applied for a job with the state, and they offered me $35K/year.  At  
> the time I was making $90K/year in the private sector so I said no,  
> rather emphatically.  The local city offered me $28K/year.  The jobs  
> were essentially the same, just to show you the huge difference in pay  
> that can exist for the same work.

That was my point with teaching and other jobs with the same amount of
required education.

> In the private sector, teacher salaries seem to vary a lot more than  
> other jobs.  I hear of private schools paying almost nothing, while in  
> the same town another similar school will pay nearly twice as much.

True.  Of course there could be a difference in requirements like
degrees, education, experience and such.
 
> I don't know what to make of that, except that maybe teaching isn't as  
> competitive a job market, so there is less pressure for employers to  
> keep up with salary trends.

Or the perception that they can always get another teacher.

> Or something like that.  I really have no idea, just taking a wild  
> guess.
> 
> Some teachers leave for the private schools because they claim a lot  
> better pay and benefits, while others said their experience was  
> negative.

Not around my little area of the world.  Most (and I say that in 
case there is one that doesn't) do not pay as much as public
schools but also don't have the requirements public schools
have for candidates.  Unfortunately, a lot provide an inferior
education compared to public schools.  My school does get transfers
from nonpublic schools and those students have a lot of "catching
up" especially in math and science.  I'm in a "magnet" school so that
may be the difference but the public perception is that nonpublic 
schools are always better. 

Bob