Teacher's TikTok Reveals the Shocking Truth About Stipends: "It’s Like Volunteering"
"It is VERY rare for teachers to be paid extra for running clubs."
Published Nov. 18 2024, 12:34 p.m. ET
In a candid TikTok video with 513K views, full-time Spanish teacher and part-time laser technician Maestra McGhee (@maestra.Mcghee) leads a revealing conversation about teacher stipends with her students. The video, subtitled "Even (ESPECIALLY) the students think we deserve more 🙃," captures the moment her students attempt to guess her additional compensation for leading the Spanish Honors Society.
The conversation is equal parts funny and disheartening. “With Spanish stuff, guess how much I get paid,” Maestra McGhee asks her students, clarifying that the stipend covers nearly the entire school year, from August to June.
The students’ guesses range from $1,200 to $30,000, showing a genuine belief that the extra work must come with reasonable compensation.
“She’s like teaching a bunch of kids Spanish,” one student says, confidently predicting $3,000. Another jokes, “10,000?”
When Maestra McGhee finally reveals the actual amount — $165 — her students are shocked. “Wait, what? Oh my God,” they exclaim, their disbelief echoed by the thousands of viewers.
Commenters on the video were called out the systemic problem. One noted, "I don’t think people realize how much of our society is built upon hoping that teachers continue to be the most selfless angels in the universe."
Another called for transparency: "Teachers need to be having these conversations more often. Make it transparent." Maestra McGhee herself responded to a comment likening the stipend to volunteering, stating, "I feel like $0 would be better?? Then it is volunteer haha."
This exchange brings to light the ongoing debate about teacher compensation in the U.S. According to the National Education Association, the national average public school teacher salary in 2022-23 was $69,597, marking a 4.2 percent increase from the previous year.
However, even with record-level increases in some states, average teacher pay has failed to keep up with inflation over the past decade.
The issue extends beyond base salaries. Additional responsibilities, such as leading extracurricular programs, often come with minimal stipends, as Maestra McGhee's experience shows.
This lack of adequate compensation contributes to teacher burnout and attrition, exacerbating the nationwide teacher shortage.
Compounding these challenges are recent political developments. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to dismantle the Department of Education, aiming to shift control of education to state and local governments.
Critics argue that this move could lead to reduced federal funding and oversight, potentially widening disparities in education quality across states. Others think it’s at least a shift in attitude toward things potentially being overhauled.
Historically, the establishment of the Department of Education in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter aimed to centralize and elevate the importance of education in federal policy. Despite these efforts, the U.S. has faced challenges in maintaining its global standing in education.
According to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), American students have consistently ranked around the middle among developed nations in reading, mathematics, and science despite being the richest nation in the world.
The combination of inadequate compensation, potential policy shifts, and stagnant educational outcomes has led many to call for comprehensive reforms. Educators and advocates argue that to regain a leading position globally, the U.S. must invest in its teachers, ensure equitable funding across districts, and implement policies that address systemic inequities.
Maestra McGhee's TikTok serves as a microcosm of the broader issues facing American education. Her transparency not only shows the financial challenges teachers endure but also continues a necessary conversation about the value society places on educators.
As one commenter aptly put it, "It's like volunteering," calling to light the pressing need for systemic change to support and compensate those who shape the nation's future.