Ashley Rocketfield 'Times Are Still Difficult' Rocketfield has had a second and third job throughout her teaching career as one income wouldn't suffice. So, although higher earnings are predicted for those who study for longer, Head has questioned how much it was worth it given her wage.Īshley Rocketfield (L) and with her partner (R).
without a high school diploma will likely earn $682 per week, whereas college graduates can earn over $1,600 a week instead. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that full-time workers in the U.S. I spent four years working on my degree and completed many expensive tests to receive my teaching certificates." I don't think people realize how much work goes into teaching, with how little pay you earn. "Working a second job certainly helps quite a bit, but I don't think it's fair that I have to work two jobs to be able to afford to live and support myself and my son. It has definitely got more challenging, and most people aren't surprised when I tell them I work two jobs," Head said. "It feels like I work non-stop and most of that money goes on the bare necessities. "Lately, at the end of the week I've been feeling deflated," she said. Once school is out for the summer, Head can pick up more shifts so she does around 20 hours a week instead, and then an additional 16 hours a week babysitting too. During the winter, she will work between six and 10 hours as a server, but that increases to 18 hours a week in the spring. I live on my own with my 6-year-old son, and my income is the only one in the house."Īfter spending 43 hours a week teaching, the shifts that Head works as a waitress vary depending on the time of year. Paying for rent, weekly groceries, and of course the expenses that come up when something breaks or needs repairing.
"I have faced all types of financial difficulties. I am also currently working on my master's degree," Head said. "I have always held at least two jobs, as I currently teach fourth grade, serve at a golf course, and babysit occasionally. But even with three jobs, making ends meet still isn't easy. Cassie Head 'It Feels Like I Work Non-Stop'Īside from teaching, Head also works as a waitress and picks up babysitting jobs when she can fit that in, too. Head has been dismayed by the low income she earns as a teacher since she started. Newsweek reached out to the NEA about the financial difficulties of many teachers for comment.Ĭassie Head, 25, in her fourth-grade classroom. The NEA says that pay has failed to keep up with the rising inflation, and despite the increases, teachers in 2023 earn $3,644 less than they did 10 years ago. That is slightly above the national average for teachers in the United States, as the National Education Association (NEA) estimates that the average starting salary in 2023 is $42,844.Ī lot of teachers, including Head, have seen a slight increase in their salary to try to keep up with the cost of living, but for many that still isn't enough. Head's teaching salary is currently between $45,000 and $49,000 per year, meaning she takes home around $700 a week once deductions are taken. Head chose the latter to ensure that she still has her teaching income when school is out. Many teachers are offered the option to receive 21 paychecks from the weeks worked, or they can spread the annual salary into 26 paychecks. So, unfortunately, it was immediately difficult to sustain a living." "I had just studied and worked extremely hard in college, to be offered $37,000 as a full-time fourth-grade teacher with a bachelor's degree. As soon as I was offered the job, sadly the salary I was given felt like a punch in the gut from reality. Head told Newsweek: "When I was offered my first teaching position, I quickly realized that as a single mom, it was going to be extremely hard to pay my bills and live on my own. Cassie Head / Ashley Rocketfield 'Felt Like a Punch in the Gut From Reality' They both have multiple jobs to make ends meet.
Cassie Head (L) and Ashley Rocketfield (R) spoke out about how their teaching salaries aren't enough as an income.
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