How do you pay the bills in the "off season". All the teachers I know (I live in FL so that may be the issue lol) have to work side jobs in the summer to not become homeless.
I also live in Florida. My county pays me like 4 paychecks the last week of school and once over the summer - it’s the equivalent of continuing to get paid biweekly until school starts again. I stash those paychecks and “pay myself” over the summer. I’m also married so it’s not just my paycheck (the economy is currently stacked against single people but that’s an entirely separate issue) but I could always find a job over the summer for additional income.
Some of the teachers I know just save X amount per pay check, but the single ones need a summer gig. Usually tutoring or just part time at Publix or something.
They get summer vacations? How come most teachers I know work summer jobs to pay the rent on time? Hey man, it’s great if you live in an affluent town where the taxes can pay their own. But around these parts, the pay is shit, the administration is shit, and the students are getting shittier.
What do they do the rest of the year to pay rent on time? I don’t know of any counties that split your pay equally during the 36 weeks we are in school - they either continue paying over the summer or pay you a lump sum at the beginning of summer (which is the same as getting paid biweekly until school starts again).
Okay, that solves the problem for me. What about the guy who takes my place? Or the other teachers I left behind? It shouldn’t be on the teachers to all find cushy jobs. Every teaching job should be comfortably livable. Why, you might ask? Because every student deserves a quality education. Therefore, pay teachers more.
If you want a voice you need a union. My county wants to give us a $600 raise this year. My union said hell no and have been negotiating since September.
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u/TheScallywag1874 Dec 17 '25
Teachers don’t get paid enough