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Dear Editor:
I am a product of Noblesville Schools. Thanks to the education and inspiration I received from my Noblesville teachers in grades K-12, I received a college degree and went on to retire from Eli Lilly and Company. I currently do not live in Noblesville but do keep track of what is happening there, and hope to return there.
From my understanding, Noblesville residents passed a referendum with the promise that one of the school improvements would include more competitive teacher pay. I remember at least one teacher leaving Noblesville High School for a better paying job at another school system in the 1970s and understand that continues to happen. How disappointing. While it appears the 2019-2021 contract increased pay for Noblesville teachers, their pay still appears to be a couple thousand less than some of the surrounding school systems.
However, what is even more disturbing to me is how our public school teachers’ pay lags severely behind public safety officers in Noblesville and Hamilton County. Yes, we use to have the argument that police officers are risking their lives … but we have seen repeatedly how teachers also are risking their lives when they step into their classrooms daily. As all well know, Noblesville made national news for this very reason … and a teacher’s heroic actions thwarted a much worse outcome.
With the new contract, Noblesville teachers with a required bachelor’s degree start at $39,000 during the 2019-2020 school year and $40,000 the next year.
Under the current Noblesville Police contract, a probationary patrolman (new officer) earns $52,956.80 with a minimum hiring requirement of a high school diploma or a GED equivalent. Plus, local police officers receive additional pay when they do receive college degrees: Associate’s degree, $750; Bachelor’s, $1,500; Masters, $2,000; and Doctorate, $3,000. Noblesville police also receive compensation annually for completing non-college, job-related continuing education:
- 120 hours of continuing education within 36 months = $250
- 240 hours of continuing education within 60 months = $500
- 400 hours of continuing education within 72 months = $750
And a merit deputy at the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department earns $50,400. Hiring requirements include a high school diploma or equivalent plus either 60 college credit hours OR two years of law enforcement experience and/or 2 years of military experience. (Source: local.nixle.com/alert/7284008)
So, not only do we expect our teachers to have at least a Bachelor’s degree, we expect them to protect our children, pay for continuing education (while paying off student loans), meet test result requirements, complete 20 hours of community service in order to renew their certification (on top of teaching, lesson planning and grading tests/assignments) and oversee a variety of extracurricular activities, and all for $10,000 to $12,000 less than other (aforementioned) local public employees. No wonder we are facing a teacher shortage … and continual turnover at Noblesville Schools. God bless those teachers who taught me and continue to do so for others!
I urge folks to contact their school board members and school officials, state legislators and officials, and other entities involved in making decisions impacting the future of our schools, teachers … and most importantly, our children.
Sincerely,
Becky (Snelling) Schroer
Comparing apples to Oranges are we? Teachers shift work hours are what? Long term teachers of 20 years can be paid up to 90K and a 20 year patrolman gets what? 70 maybe?
I must disagree Ms. Becky (Snelling) Schroer. When you also look at teachers working 180 days a calendar year (plus a few extra hours here & there), vs. the average person Joe, (or Janet), Bag O’ Donuts working 250+ days per calendar year, paying more for health care than a school system employee, still having to continue expanding their knowledge on their own time, being unable to gripe about their employer to their customer or get fired for just cause, scrambling to find daycare for their children short notice when school employees decide to go to the State House to gripe about their pay, when the school employees just got the largest pay increase in 4 decades, and many NBVL school employees were hanging out at the local coffee shop & bread place smack-talking parents & taxpayers, (look over your shoulder and see who is listening before griping)… I really think ‘thankless’ is an accurate description of school employee’s attitudes towards students, parents and taxpayers in general.
Police, Fire and Military do a far more risky, life-threatening and family-stressing job than school employees. If teaching was such a ‘calling’, and is so ‘loved’, then why are so many of that group whining publicly about their compensation package. No one forced you into that career.