We already live in a very unique and wonderful place. Speedway is unique for so many reasons that this post will only scratch the surface, but one aspect in particular comes to mind: Speedway Public Schools.
If you want to know why a house at 25th and Moeller is worth considerably more than a house a mile north of there, you need only look at the quality of schools.
In the summer of 2014, I was in the market to buy a house after I got a new job in Indianapolis. My family is a one-income family, and my income was modest. Moving to Carmel or Broad Ripple wasn't in the cards, even if that was what we wanted. However, Speedway was certainly an option, and why wouldn't it be?
After all, Speedway has excellent schools and low crime.
We should double down on what is positive and unique about our community. So here is the challenge: to keep Speedway schools the envy of the region, Speedway Public Schools should pay its teachers more than any other district in Central Indiana. Full Stop.
I would like to see Speedway Public Schools ("SPS") be the desired destination for the best teachers in Central Indiana.
Having worked as a teacher, I understand the dynamics of hiring to a degree. In areas such as Carmel, the schools tend to hire their own alumni. In areas such as Decatur Township, where I formerly taught, they also try to hire their alumni, but there isn't a large supply of graduates who proceeded to become licensed teachers, so they have to hire "outsiders." Many of these "outsiders," myself included, considered themselves to be professional, mercenary teachers.
I want the best of the best mercenary teachers to want to teach in Speedway Public Schools. If they are successful at IPS, Decatur, Wayne Township, etc., I want them to be applying for positions in Speedway en mass.
Imagine if for every teaching opening, for years on end, Speedway had a who's who list of top-quality teachers applying. Imagine what that would do:
- Improve the prospects for our children;
- Improve our home values;
- Improve the prestige and quality of our community;
- Differentiate our community
Let's bear in mind that public school teachers don't make that much. Paying $2,000/year more is a big deal when we're talking about a salary of $40,000.
So there it is; my latest challenge to our town council. The pocket book was wide open when it was time to subsidize Wilshaw's parking garage. Can we open the wallet for our children as well, or is that move preserved for well-funded developers and their expensive lobbyists/lawyers?
The average teacher salary at Speedway High School is $60,632, Donkey.
ReplyDeleteYep he’s right TTJoe , Speedway schools are the highest paid in Marion County .
ReplyDeleteI disagree with the low crime part , it’s pretty ghetto around here .
Also how do you explain the success of Catholic schools ? Those teachers get paid peanuts .
The average teacher salary in the Town of Speedway is $43,352. Link -
ReplyDeletehttp://www.teachersalaryinfo.com/indiana/teacher-salary-in-school-town-of-speedway/
This source is admittedly imperfect, but I have not found a good infographic that details all of the salaries of each school corp. in central Indiana.
Further, "average" salary means very little if you have a faculty that is all near retirement as opposed to one teeming with young teachers, as salary schedules used to be "lock step" and are now "merit based."
Per GlassDoor, a math teacher at Speedway H.S. makes 48-52k/year. That tells us nothing as to the relative experience of said math teacher. IPS salary schedule ranges from $40k/year to just shy of $60k/year. Speedway is not pulling away from the competition when it comes to salaries. My point is that it should be; developing a reputation as the best place in Indianapolis to teach would not be a bad thing.
Thanks for the info on salaries . I find it difficult to believe that there is a shortage of young teachers these days . Our daughter graduated from Ritter in ‘08 and in going through her graduating class there were many who chose elementary ed , unless of course there was a decline since then . I think if they are to raise taxes for public education , the money should be spent on safety measures .... metal detectors at points of entry , more surveillance cameras etc . Policies to prevent the tragedies we have been experiencing would be good . The hospitals have expert companies that actually come in and simulate a gun man coming into the building with actors . They then evaluate our response , and give pointers as to what we did right and wrong . Maybe schools need this type of evaluation and training . Because let’s face it we aren’t solving the problem with gun legislation anytime soon .
ReplyDeleteI do not think teacher pay improves schools by much , simply because the Catholic schools pay much much less and have superior school systems . And you can say , well they attract the cream of the crop students .... not in every case . Cathedral excepts minority and financial aid students . Ritter was very diverse socio economically and racially when out daughter attended . Even more so than Speedway was at that time . Ritter did , however , have more rules and enforcement of those rules , which I believe prepares young people for life . Several of my nieces and nephews attended Speedway HS as well as three attended Cathedral .... so I am familiar with the differences .