Think Tank Study Finds Teachers Are Over Paid

I would imagine that when asked, most teachers would say they are not over paid. The American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., is causing waves with a study it released Friday that found teachers are overcompensated in comparison to similarly educated and experienced private-sector workers.

Interesting story, get more after the jump.

The organization said it took a "comprehensive" look at teacher's salaries and tried to take into account  unique areas of compensation for teachers, including generous pension plans and better job security.

The bottom line? Teacher's compensation, the American Enterprise Institute writes, is 52 percent above market rates and costs government "$120 billion annually in excessive labor costs.

Of course, teacher's unions took issue with the study. The American Federation of Teachers, one of the largest unions in the country, put out a statement saying the report "uses misleading statistics and questionable research".

Here's an example of wages at a Michigan public school.

A middle school gym teacher makes $99,528 a year in the Troy Public Schools. An elementary school gym teacher makes $97,108. Both made more than the district’s recently honored national teacher of the year in science, who earns $92,264.

Public school districts use a single-pay scale system that pays teachers based on seniority and education level. Nine of the 27 full-time gym teachers in the Troy, Michigan district make $90,000 or more a year, according to a Freedom of Information Act request.

Do you think teachers are over paid?