MAILBAG:There's more to the story on teacher's pay than some claim

In Jim Golding's letter, "Public school teachers already paid enough," (Mailbag, June 12), I partially agree with his point regarding the overstaffing of nonteaching personnel, although 50% is quite a stretch, as are the remainder of his rhetorical musings. I'd prefer to state some facts in response to his rhetoric.

Fact: Teachers are paid for approximately 180 days — a 10-month salary.

Contrary to popular belief, we do not have paid holidays or paid summer vacations. We are paid for the days we work — with no overtime.

Fact: A teacher's contracted building hours are approximately a "scant" 7 ½ hours per day. That does not include the countless extra hours spent before and after school, and weekends, preparing lesson plans, correcting papers, conferencing with parents, attending special events, and keeping up with an ever-increasing amount of paperwork related to credibility and accountability (thanks to No Child Left Behind). Furthermore, some of us go to workshops and/or work in our classrooms during our vacations — without earning an extra cent.

Fact: Because of rising medical costs and no increase in school districts' contribution pool, a teacher's benefit package often requires out-of-pocket expenditures in order to have coverage.

Fact: While there is an average 15% discrepancy in salary between the public and private schools, a private teacher can earn as much, or more than public school teachers depending where they apply.

Fact: Unlike a homogenous (and high-achieving) country such as Japan, America — especially California — has a huge cross-section of cultures, languages and family-value systems that often place a low priority on education.

Fact: Human motivation plays an important part of a child's success in the classroom. See Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

Fact: In spite of it all, while some do struggle-and even fail or drop out, children from all cultural/social/economic cross-sections of our country (and county) are learning the "3 R's." I've witnessed this for the last 12 years as a proud teacher in Orange County.

Fact: Although I consider myself underpaid, I'm not in teaching to get rich.

I continue to do what I do for the love of teaching — and seeing the enrichment of a child's life.

DAVID SINGER

Time to turn on the Great Park lights