Just curious...

[Suz]

I was offered a job as the head teacher of a preschool and was wondering what the average pay is for this job.
It is part time, about 4 hrs. per day in the room.
I did find out that the assistant gets paid $7000 for the year and does absolutely nothing outside of the classroom. They told me that the head teacher job pays $8000. I think that is a bit unfair since the head teacher will do so much work outside of the classroom, lesson plans, etc. Wondered what you all thought.
Thanks!

[AnnW]

Hi there!! Haven't a clue about salaries, just wanted to say congrats on the job offer!!!

[Diane]

I haven't got a clue either... but to me it would only make sense that the head teacher, who is doing SO much more, would/should get paid a lot more than that for all the extra outside work she's going to have to be doing, especially if the other teacher doesn't have to do anything outside of the classroom and is only getting $l,000 less. Any way you could ask for a little bit more or is that being too tacky??? LOL Maybe it wouldn't hurt to ask. ??? Anyway... CONGRATULATIONS on the job offer! Let us know what you decide to do. LOL

Diane... :wave:

[KarlaB]

:yippee: Congrats on the job offer!! :yippee:

I don't have any real comparison. Maybe try checking out http://www.salary.com

I used to have another link similar to this one, but I just deleted it last week. :(

Good luck!!! :)

[RCT]

Just wanted to say Congradulations on the job offer....:party:

[KarlaB]

I found the other site in my recycle bin. :yippee: Hope this gives you some info...

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/001106/nycu/career.b4.htm

[Suz]

Hey, thanks everyone!!! And Karla thanks for the web sites - they are very interesting!!
Hi AnnW! And thanks! We just got back from Portugal and haven't been able to be on the computer much. I'm getting back in the swing of things though :)
Hope you all are doing well.

[AnnW]

Originally posted by Suz
Hey, thanks everyone!!! And Karla thanks for the web sites - they are very interesting!!
Hi AnnW! And thanks! We just got back from Portugal and haven't been able to be on the computer much. I'm getting back in the swing of things though :)
Hope you all are doing well.


PORTUGAL???????????? How cool!! How long were you there? What did you do???

[kat]

Why were you in Portuagal? My sister was born in Azores off the coast of Portugal. We were in the Air Force at the time.

[Suz]

We were in Portugal for 7 days. Was a trip that my husband won. We have a cabinet company and this one line of cabinets that we carry always gives away trips every year to those who do well.
Anyway it was a total blast!!!! It was all expenses paid!!!! And everything was top knotch!!! We really enjoyed ourselves. Drank lots of Port :)
Was my first time in Europe. My husband has been there before.
Can't wait til the kids are older, would love to take them there.

[Ryleigh]

$8,000 a year???? Doesn't sound like much. Even at full time hours (8hr day) it would only be $16,000 a year. The Canadian/ US exchange rates may accout for some of it, but I make more than that, and I am not in one of the better paying centres. I'd look around if I were you.

On the $8000....
If the program year runs from September to May, the hourly rate isn't bad. How much time will the extra tasks take, and how much of the responsibility for planning and program is the teacher's in name only. Some places have little differentiation between 'teacher' and 'assistant', except that one person is technically in charge (the fall guy, if you will, in case something goes wrong!) Good luck with your decision.

[Suz]

The school year runs Sept. to May and I will have about a month off in Dec. and several other days off.
The hours are 8:30 am to noon every day and it is up to me how much "out of the classroom" time I want to spend on things. The director is very laid back and as long as you are doing a good job she doesn't mind what you do.
You are right, the hourly rate isn't really all that bad. I'm just wondering how much time I will be spending at home on stuff. I don't want it to take away from family time. I wasn't even planning on working. I guess that's up to me how much time I spend on it.

[angie r]

My friend who works in a pre-school has been in both the teacher and assistant position at times makes minimum wage. What is minimum wage right now anyway? $5? She can turn in time for class preparation outside of the classroom. Her son goes to pre-school for free when she is working. If she wants to send him on a day she does not work she pays the same tuition everyone else does.

I don't think it sounds like all that great a job. She feels like her son is getting free preschooling and she has a little extra spending money. She can also go and visit him throughout the day.

Suz, The first year would be the hardest, because coming up with lesson plans can be challenging (all those blank spaces every week), unless you have some previous ones to work off. I'd grab a job like this for the experience. But if your family isn't ready for you to work at this point, or if you're not ready, keep it in mind. It sounds like a good just above entry level job. My kids were a little older than preschool when I went back into the classroom, and I just love the 3-5 year olds. They are interested in everything, amazed by all that you know, and they think you draw and sing well. LOL

Another thing to consider is the budget for supplies. Are you going to be responsible for special materials that you want to use? That can be a burden-but so many of the things I use are garage sale stuff and other "recyclables".

I was just thinking... lesson plans wouldn't be all that tough with people like Diane P around here. I get so many great ideas here.

[Suz]

Ok, Cathy, here is the deal with the job. The previous teacher who was totally awsome has left just about everything in the classroom. Plus, she told me that if I took the job she would give me all her old lesson plans, etc.
I would have to spend no money of my own of anything!!! It is a private preschool that is part of a college and is used for a training ground for the college students majoring in early childhood educ. Therefore, I have college kids in the room to help at all times. Usually, 2-4. I also have an assistant.
The director of the school does not even require me to "hand in" lesson plans ahead of time. She has hired awsome teachers and feels that if they are doing an awsome job then she completely trusts them.
I will get 1/2 off tuition price for my daughter which will be in the kindergarten.
My kids are 5 and 7. I never even intended on working right now (if ever :) ) but think that this would be a neat little thing "for me". I love working with kids and part time would be perfect. I'm a bit worried though about how much time it will take away from my family. I guess that is up to me :)

Suz--GO FOR IT! You will be getting some experience and time to develop your own talents. I promise you will become aware of your own children in new ways. If you can work out the morning rush, and get a routine that works for you, what time will your family be losing? The $$ and tuition break are icing on the cake. And noone expects you to stay forever. If it doesn't work out for one reason or another, you can leave and since you don't need the job, you've learned something. I'm big on having options and experiences in life. Some times things come up that make us change direction, and it's great if we have skills and confidence that we can fall back on.

Housework, etc. will wait until you come home. If you spend a lot of time volunteering with your kids, and you'd have to give that up, that's a loss that shouldn't be taken easily, but if your own are in school on the same schedule....... JMHO

[kat]

suz, I agree with Cathy. If your youngest is just starting school and it's part time sounds like a dream. The experience will be invaluable. And, you can't beat being given a classroom with everything left behind. I know when I started 16 years ago my classroom was pretty bare, and the teacher wasn't terribly organized. I've been collecting ever since. Year before last we moved into a new kdg. complex and we got to buy all new furniture. I've got work tables, center tables, book shelves, lots of neat cubbies and sectioned cases and everything rolls for easy changing or moving to clean, plus a 16 x 6 foot closet with floor to ceiling shelves. I don't throw anything away and everything from my closet to my files is color coded. (OCD) I can truely say that I now have a "cadillac" classroom and it is so nice. I've spent tons of my own money too. I used to think that I'd take my stuff with me, but what would I do with it. I just hope my replacement will appreciate what she inherits.

If you have all that the former teacher left, sounds like a great opportunity to get your feet wet without all the headache of doing everything from scratch.

[Suz]

Ok, I took the job and am just so excited!!! It will be a nice place to work!!! I never even planned on working but it will be so fun to do something like this!
And it won't even take away from my kids!!!
Anyway, just wanted to share. Thanks for all the advice.
I'm looking foward to sharing ideas.

[KarlaB]

:yippee: Congrats!! How exciting!! :yippee:

Sounds like a wonderful experience!! :happydnc:

[JAK]

Good for you! Sounds like a fun and rewarding job. I hope you like it! Do you start in Sept. when the kids go back to school?

[AnnW]

Congratulations!!!!

I'm happy for you. It'll be a great experience for you, your new students, and your family. Congratulations!!!

[Diane]

How wonderful... Congratulations!!!! :yippee: It sounds like an awesome job... I'm sure you'll like it!

Diane... :wave:

[kat]

Well congratulations. Let us know how everything goes.

[Suz]

Thanks all!!!!!!!