What's the mechanism that accounts for this? (I know - big picture - racism and sexism) How do two people in the same job with the same experience make different amounts? Time off (uncredited) for child care? Something else?
It's a good question when thinking about teachers within the same district working off the same salary schedule. But if you take Park Ridge where I taught. There are two districts. One is a high school district with three schools. The other where I taught is a K-8 district. The top of the salary schedule for the high school district (where there are way more male teachers) is $20K a year more than the elementary district (more women). And as I said, this is not only a discriminatory salary issue, it is a major issue for retirees on a pension based on earnings.
So it's systematic, but no one, no single policy, is to blame?
We've got such a messed up education system as far as compensation - each district has its own rate of pay. That's not good. Pensions are based on how much you made, not simply years of service. Not good. Pregnancy and childrearing are treated as afflictions, and penalized, instead of being seen and treated as contributions to society.
Yes it’s systemic. And, yes, there’s blame to go around. But schools are monsters and levels of bureaucracy - like I’m telling you something you don’t know. 600 separate school districts in Illinois alone. Incapable of responding to new conditions on the one hand - see Covid - and able to co-opt real reforms - see small schools and small charters - and make them impotent.
Are there some things that should be controlled locally? Maybe. Is teacher pay one of them? Nope.
Everyone should be raised up to the level of the highest paying public school district. Let someone work out the details. They've had over a century to perfect this inequality, they should put some work into fixing it.
What's the mechanism that accounts for this? (I know - big picture - racism and sexism) How do two people in the same job with the same experience make different amounts? Time off (uncredited) for child care? Something else?
It's a good question when thinking about teachers within the same district working off the same salary schedule. But if you take Park Ridge where I taught. There are two districts. One is a high school district with three schools. The other where I taught is a K-8 district. The top of the salary schedule for the high school district (where there are way more male teachers) is $20K a year more than the elementary district (more women). And as I said, this is not only a discriminatory salary issue, it is a major issue for retirees on a pension based on earnings.
So it's systematic, but no one, no single policy, is to blame?
We've got such a messed up education system as far as compensation - each district has its own rate of pay. That's not good. Pensions are based on how much you made, not simply years of service. Not good. Pregnancy and childrearing are treated as afflictions, and penalized, instead of being seen and treated as contributions to society.
And I haven't really warmed up....
Yes it’s systemic. And, yes, there’s blame to go around. But schools are monsters and levels of bureaucracy - like I’m telling you something you don’t know. 600 separate school districts in Illinois alone. Incapable of responding to new conditions on the one hand - see Covid - and able to co-opt real reforms - see small schools and small charters - and make them impotent.
Are there some things that should be controlled locally? Maybe. Is teacher pay one of them? Nope.
Everyone should be raised up to the level of the highest paying public school district. Let someone work out the details. They've had over a century to perfect this inequality, they should put some work into fixing it.