Originally Posted by
rickair7777
I agree with you in general, but teachers have very high career stability, and their employment is not at constant risk from medical, training, incidents, furlough, BK, etc. They also generally have good benefits and in many places get a lot of time off during the year. Like other civil servants, you take less cash in exchange for stability and benefits. I know, some districts pay very poorly, but all you have to do is pick up and relocate...many districts have great pay and benefits. NV I think is very hard up right now.
Also I think financial duress is a safety issue...if you have to work another job, commute due to cost-of-living, worry about money, or live like an itinerant worker you are not going to be at the top of your game. Personally I think about $50K is the minimum...probably a bit much for a guy based in Little Rock, but it falls short for those in NY, SFO, etc.
Before any individual dedicates themselves to a career path they should do their due diligence. My sister did (she's no angel just a personal example), and she was rewarded with a stable career as you pointed out. Though I would like to mention that her school has lost many teachers and all sports due to budget cutbacks so the profession is not immune from economic cycles or poor management. Regardless of what flight schools sell these guys, they should do their own research to see what the realities of the profession are. If they don't, then they're no better than the people that told themselves they could afford a 400k house on 65k a year just because they could get a loan. And if a person believes their services are worth 50k or 70k a year, don't do it for 20k and then complain. Just don't take the job in the first place. My problem with the poster that I quoted was that he felt entitled to 70k simply based on his investment. How about hard work and experience? When did a 100k golden ticket become become a replacement for such qualities?
As far as financial duress being a safety issue, I agree completely. However, the individual entered in to the contract knowingly, thus putting themselves in to a financially stressful situation while at the same time entering a very demanding and uncertain career. Who's fault is that?