Imagine If Teachers Were Valued as Much as Athletes
Key and Peele’s “TeachingCenter” Look at the Worth of Teachers
Above and beyond. It was my 8th grade history teacher Mr. Waite’s favorite phrase. For every assignment and project, there would be an “Above and Beyond” criteria, requiring students to essentially impress him with more work than the actual assignment asks. In order to succeed in the class, I not only had to complete assignments correctly, but I also had to put some pizzazz into it. This wasn’t just for big projects; it was also for ordinary,mundane daily homework assignments. I absolutely despised my teacher’s catch phrase.
However, I grew to understand my teacher’s reasoning behind his motto. He was trying to cultivate in us an attitude that strives beyond expectations. A heart that aims for excellence in everything that we do, big and small. Mr. Waite didn’t just want us to succeed in our school work, but he desired for us to succeed in our day-to-day lives. Ironically, I began to see and appreciate the principle behind his favorite phrase. Gradually, I developed an attitude to go above the set standard in all spheres of my life and to become the best that I can be.
Teachers are the foundation of society. They train up the next generation of students who will shape the future of our world. Teachers simplify complex concepts, preparing countless lesson plans in hopes of engaging students and developing their knowledge and thinking. Having an effective teacher can inspire students to find and pursue their various passions. Moreover, teachers guide students not just in the classroom but also in life. With more experience and knowledge, teachers have the opportunity to give life advice and wise encouragement to students.
With such a crucial job, one would think that teachers should be paid more than the average job. But in reality, that is not the case. In this Key and Peele sketch, Key and Peele host TeachingCenter, a parody of the TV show SportsCenter, and they report the latest teaching news. Teachers are seen as star athletes, making millions a year and receiving constant press, publicity, and popularity. The two anchors Perry Schmidt (Peele) and Boyd Maxwell (Key) discuss the latest moves made by teachers and by schools, even including the annual teaching draft. This sketch playfully scrutinizes the societal values of teaching and education compared to the world of sports.
The sketch begins with the highly anticipated announcement of star teacher Ruby Ruhf. She decides to leave for New York where she will be the highest paid teacher in the country. This scene alludes to the NBA’s biggest star Lebron James and his famous “The Decision” TV special, announcing his plan to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and join the Miami Heat. Just as Lebron James had his own TV broadcast of his offseason plans, the sketch shows Ruby Ruhf, a well regarded teacher, receiving heavy publicity for upcoming plans.
Next, Key and Peele discuss the latest teacher draft where the schools with the nation’s worst test scores choose the top teachers to help improve their schools. They show the highlight of the draft where Central Rapids High School selects calculus teacher Mike Yoast. As soon as the teacher’s name was announced, the avid audience breaks out into excitement and applause. Interestingly enough, Peele exclaims, “just like that, you’re a millionaire,” revealing the high salary of becoming a teacher. Key and Peele go on to talk about Mike Yoast’s backstory and his difficult upbringing as his father lived “paycheck to paycheck as a humble pro football player.” Societal values of teachers and athletes are humorously reversed in this sketch as athletes struggle to make a living while teachers get paid big time money.
Compared to athletes and even most jobs in society, teachers are one of the lower paying jobs out there. Unlike sports contracts of millions of dollars, teachers earn from $48,000 to $63,000 a year according to salary.com. Teachers work over 400 hours of overtime a year (ING Foundation Survey), and 30% of teachers have a second job (Texas State Teachers Association). Most high school teachers have graduate degrees yet they still make a median income of $58,030 annually (US News). Strangely, the average income for people with an advanced degree is $72,000 a year (US Census Bureau). On the flip side, the average professional athlete makes millions of dollars annually. The average NBA player a little over five million a year, and the average MLB player makes about 3 million. To give perspective, NBA players make roughly 100 times more than teachers. Athletes earn much more because of the TV viewership. On the contrary, teacher salaries are paid by taxes. Ultimately, teachers and athletes are both paid by the average, everyday citizen. Because no one would want to watch teachers teach students on TV, it leaves teachers with an average salary rather than a blockbuster athlete contract. With this great disparity in salaries, Key and Peele play at the possibility where teachers are on the top of society.
Having such a distinct gap in earnings, is there a way to bridge the ideal situation with reality? One possibility is for schools to free up their funds to pay teachers more. Sounds simple enough, but is it really possible? According to Public Impact’s Opportunity Culture team, they looked into how much schools could increase teacher salaries within budget. Without increasing class sizes either, the team found that schools could free up funds to pay “teachers in teaching roles up to 40 percent more and teacher-leaders up to about 130 percent more” (EducationNext). In their study, there are three possible models for different levels of teachers. For each model, teachers have career opportunities based on their performance. Essentially, excellent teachers pour out their expertise to students as well as upcoming teachers, leading to more trained up students and teachers in their respective fields. This solution not only provides an increased pay, but it also builds up future teachers and grows students’ success.
Following the teacher draft, Key and Peele talk about the highlight of the day. Star history teacher Ashley Ferguson asks a question regarding the Civil War, and Key and Peele analyze her body language. Ferguson looks left, right, and forward as TeachingCenter provides graphics to highlight her movements resembling a quarterback. Seeing that there is a student who is not raising their hand but is still paying attention, Ferguson calls on the student. Consequently, the student responds with the correct answer. Key and Peele then praise Ferguson for involving the engaged introverted student into the class dialogue. They claim that it will most definitely increase the student’s performance and confidence for the rest of the year.
As Key and Peele exclaim that Ferguson’s support will greatly improve the student’s success for the rest of the year, it speaks loudly to the positive impact of teachers. Key and Peele highlight the effectiveness of teachers, furthering the argument to increase teacher salaries. Teachers bring a juggernaut of positive impact on their students, increasing their knowledge and sharpening their thinking patterns. According to clinical psychologist Dr. Robert Brooks, teachers can improve their students’ self-esteem and create indelible memories. A study reported by CNN found that students taught by “value-added” teachers are more probable to attend college, earn a higher salary, and live better in a better neighborhood. Value-added modeling is a way of evaluating teachers by comparing student’s current test scores with test scores in the past. Teachers have both an impact on student’s well-being as well as their future wealth.
In the next scene of the sketch, Peele mentions that the current teacher strike may halt the school season. Key and Peele create the parallel between NFL or NBA lockouts with teacher union strikes. In this case, teachers are making so much money that they have to worry about the salary cap. For the past few weeks, teachers in West Virginia have been on strike, leaving every public school in the state shut down. Ranking 48 out of the 50 states in teacher salary, the teachers in West Virginia hoped to receive a five percent raise in their income as well as an affordable insurance program (Fortune). Moreover, teachers fear that poor conditions for educators will discourage potential teachers from moving or staying in the state. Fortunately, in the recent few days, the teachers have won the five percent pay raise, ending the strike. This successful strike is only the beginning for the teachers in West Virginia as healthcare costs have risen, cutting more of their teacher salaries.
Are teachers really underpaid? Compared to athletes, without a doubt. But compared to the average job, teachers may actually be seen as overpaid. With extensive retirement benefits and pensions, teachers receive 52 percent higher than private-sector workers according US News. Moreover, teachers have less work days, wealthy health retirement benefits, and a complete-career teacher receives pension benefits that are four times greater than a private-sector worker with a 401k plan (US News). Teachers also have greater job security than private-sector workers, further adding to their list of benefits. These benefits would add up to more than $100,000 annually for teachers (US News). Teachers might not be paid that well, but they are thoroughly compensated in benefits that may not be explicitly seen in their salary.
Pensions for teachers may seem appealing at first glance, however, they are not as attractive as it may seem. Teachers are required to contribute a small portion of their salary into a pension fund, and when a teacher retires, they will receive a set amount of money determined by a formula taking into account number of teaching years as well as their final salary. It takes a certain amount of years to qualify for a minimum pension, and period of time varies is state by state. This would mean that if a teacher moves to another state without qualifying for a minimum pension, they would not receive pension benefits and would then have to start over to qualify for the new state’s minimum pension plan. Even after qualifying for a minimum pension, teachers would need to wait another decade for benefits to be worth. According to The 74, it takes more than 20 years for teachers’ pension benefits to be worth more than their own contributions. In addition, the Fordham paper reports that average teachers stays in the profession for 15 years, meaning that most teachers do not even receive the glorified teacher pension. It may seem like teachers are well compensated, but the reality is far from it.
Teachers should receive a higher income to begin with. As leaders of the future generation, teachers hold an immense responsibility in raising up society’s contributors. Key and Peele play the parallel between teachers and athletes, placing high worth and praise on teachers as if they were star athletes. At the root of this social issue lies a lack of appreciation for teachers. Society should “go above and beyond” not just by merely increasing teacher incomes, but by first seriously treasuring the work of teachers because ultimately, salary is an indicator of how much society values a job. As Key and Peele put much emphasis on teachers, they shed light on the truth behind society’s undervalued heroes.
