For years, there’s been talk in the community that teachers are underpaid, and that administration receives larger annual pay increases as compared to non-administrative faculty. In investigating this matter, we had to look at salaries across the board to analyze what’s fact, fiction, and individual perception.
As state employees, the salary of every administrator and teacher is public information and can be easily obtained from govsalaries.com for Wicomico County Public Schools (WCPS). It’s no secret and not confidential. Because the information that’s reported to the state includes pension contribution and bonuses, the salaries are somewhat inflated. In all fairness to the school system, we needed to assess the salaries with actual base salary numbers so that our results would not be skewed.
For the sake of accuracy, a FOIA was filed to WCPS to request 4 years’ worth of salaries, which we received. The objective was to analyze the numbers to make sure that administrative pay increases were proportionate to faculty pay increases. First, some positions were selected within administration and secondly, positions of non-administrative faculty. We looked at random positions throughout, and used the median salary for each position.
Sounds like Worcester County government. People actually doing the work to keep the county going, make alot less than the keyboard tappers, and pencil pushers in the government building.
Admin gets TOO MUCH !!!!!
I read somewhere that the average salary here on the shore is around 40k. If that is true, then all of the salaries are very high. All we hear from WCEA is that they need more money – the starting salaries are higher than the average wage here. The teachers will counter with the fact that they are underpaid compared to their counterparts in industry, which may be true, however they need to seriously consider what the tax base is able to withstand. People are leaving Wicomico in droves, and particularly the Salisbury area as it is a crime infested ghetto. As the tax base dwindles there are simply fewer dollars available. That means less for raises or cost of living, but as we see, with few exceptions the BOE pretty much gets an increase every year. Now go to govsalaries and look at how many folks at the BOE make near 100k or more. How will Wicomico continue to pay them if the exodus brought on by that smuck of a mayor continues? I’m sure someone will say that salaries have to be high to compete with other counties like Worcester. This is true, but it’s also true that Worcester’s tax base is very different, and they are able to much better afford those types of salaries. The question I have is this; it appears to me that Wicomico has priced itself out of the neighborhood, so how long will it be until the tax base is unable to support the BOE?
All I can do is laugh that you think 40K is high pay for anyone living here.
Rents and home prices alone are way past affordable for anyone working in this shit hole of a community.
I hear this BS from employers all the time that it is cheaper to live here. News flash, it isn’t.
You do not have a good tax base because you do not have a good wage base.
As long as idiots keep dragging up the old excuses to not pay employees better, this community will never grow into anything and remain the low wage low class dump it is.
When did any new business other than a royal farms come to town? Your uneducated, leaders and elected officials are failing you.
6:25 – I agree with you. I wasn’t stating that 40k was a good salary, but merely sharing that it was the average wage for this area. I believe you are also correct about statements employers make regarding affordability of the area. My point was that teachers make a very good wage and shouldn’t complain.
And I quote what you said =
“I read somewhere that the average salary here on the shore is around 40k. If that is true, then all of the salaries are very high.”
But what you meant was =
I read somewhere that the average salary here on the shore is around 40k. If that is true, then all of the (TEACHERS) salaries are very high.
Composing complete and comprehensible sentences is important when trying to relay an opinion, thought or fact.
Does anyone know the difference between the retirement system between Wicomico and Worcester counties?
ALL Teachers in MD public schools are required to contribute to their pension plan; employer also contributes.
Districts may sponsor added programs similar to 401(k)s which teachers may choose to contribute to. IIRC, Wicomico does not provide a match to those contributions; the advantage is tax deferred savings to the teacher.
This is an evergreen topic but consider that starting pay for new cops is par with pay for new teachers. Cops require HS diploma & several months training at Wor-Wic vs 4 years of college and extensive continuing education towards Masters degree.
Just facts.
Facts are that Cops work all kinds of hours, and shifts. They don’t get 3 months a year off, or holidays, or get off by 4pm everyday. They don’t get to cry everytime something doesn’t go their way, and get rewarded for it. Their life is in danger every shift, for the extent of that shift. You have to be a real moron to even attempt to compare Cops to teachers. What you said is something a typical no common sense academic would say.
Then their UNION needs to start working on their behalf and stop pocketing their dues.
It all comes down to the UNION and those working on your behalf and it appears, LEO’s union is lazy
ALot are Overpaid !!!!
They don’t want to go to teach but stay home and work when they want. That is not teaching and helping / communicating to students properly.
They don’t want to attend school to teach students but would rather teach from a stupid computer then they should be docked pay and return 50% of their pay they have received by not attending school to teach since the beginning of school closures.
The ADMINISTRTERS that made these decisions should be made to pay back 100% of their pay and cost of benefits they received and / or was paid by the tax payers.
ummmmmm…….. 1:08 p.m……huh? I don’t think you are up to speed on the issue at hand and your comments come across as nothing more than a rant. Try again there sport.
I love people like you. 1:08 knows the issues, probably because they’ve talk to teachers that didn’t want to go back, like I did. There’s a whole new world out there you need to explore ( sport). The custodians loved it also. Nothing to clean, just hang around, and get paid. At least they had to show up to the building. Not all teachers liked virtual learning. It was boring, and no hands on. Teachers will always make out good. The Unions see to that. But everybody’s tired of their overrated valor.
Well, now I know how the 40k I pay in taxes subsidizes Under Achievers.
Another reason why Wicomico County administrators keep outpacing the general laborers is Wicomico County insists on instituting COLA and other merit pay raises based upon a percentage of the employees gross pay. At what has come common in recent years is a 5% COLA an administrator earning $110,000 gets a COLA of $5,500 while to general laborer earning $40,000 gets a COLA of $2,000. What should occur are across the board COLA’s at $2,500 all employees (administration and worker bees). You would be absolutely shocked how the salaries of many Wicomico Department Heads and other administrative positions have skyrocketed in recent years as a result of annual COLAs based upon percentage increase.
They make more than police officers !!!!!
Sick of hearing teachers are underpaid… maybe elsewhere but not in Wicomico. They get paid $52k+ for 192 work days versus median salary in Wicomico is like $40k for 240 days! Plus they get decent benefits.
If $52k isn’t enough for them, they have the entire summer they can go work in OC and make extra money.
Many do work a summer job. What’s your point?
True dat!
The answer is simple. Fire the Board of education and privatize the schools so the parents have a voice in their children’s education. Offer vouchers for those families that cannot afford it and get the government out of all schools completely. Be money better spent and a big savings for the property taxpayers of this state!