The idea that summer vacation is a paid two-month break for American teachers has a lot of holes in it.
Nearly half plan to work a second job and 76 percent plan to do some kind of professional development, according to a recent survey, but not all are paid by their school districts over the summer.
“The full reasons why teachers take on second jobs are unclear, but one factor in their decision may be financially related,” said Emma Garcia, research manager at the Learning Policy Institute.
Garcia noted that a survey conducted by her organization found that six in 10 teachers had taken out student loans to pay for their education, and 36.7% reported working multiple jobs to pay off the debt.
“The percentage of teachers who worked multiple jobs was higher among teachers with larger monthly repayments,” she said.
A We Are Teachers survey found that 49% of educators plan to start a side job this summer, and 90% of those will be in an education-related field.
According to the poll, 37% said they would work in summer school, 25% would tutor and 28% would help develop the curriculum.
“The majority of the reason educators work is because it’s a means to an end, and I think that’s enough to make a big difference. Financially, we don’t make enough to survive a month or two without a salary,” said Tatiana Rivadeneira, director of teacher certification programs at Alliant International University. “So the majority of educators work because it’s an economic necessity.”
And the current state of summer employment finds itself at an interesting crossroads: The total number of summer jobs in 2024 is down 17 percent from last year, but still up about 25 percent compared to 2019.
“While it’s declining, it’s still pretty strong because a lot of these summer-only jobs are in in-person services, leisure, hospitality and education, like camp counselors for kids who go to camp,” said Nick Bunker, director of economic research at Indeed.com.
In addition to summer jobs, many teachers also spend time doing some sort of professional development to keep up with the latest changes in education, like the science of reading or adapting to AI.
How teachers are paid typically varies by school district: Some schools only pay for 10 months of the year, while others allow teachers to choose whether they want to be paid on a 12-month or 10-month cycle.
“For example, I did that,” Rivadeneira said, “and I received a large amount for the 10 months I worked. [at the end of the year] And what I end up doing, 9 times out of 10, is taking another teaching position between spring and fall.
“I go into this profession knowing that I’ll be working in some capacity over the summer,” she added.
The National Education Association, one of the nation’s largest teachers unions, released a report last year on summer pay disparities and encouraged teachers to create budgets or set up separate savings accounts to prepare for the two months they won’t be paid.
“If you’ve tried all the ways to cut expenses and still don’t have enough money, try balancing the costs (child care, for example) and benefits (extra income) with short-term, part-time work. You don’t have to grill burgers. Maybe your friend’s lawn care company is short-staffed for the summer. Maybe your neighbors are on vacation and need someone to pick up the mail and newspapers, harvest their garden or take care of their pets,” suggests the NEA.
Educator pay is a major factor in the teacher shortage that spread across the country during the pandemic and continues to this day, deterring many from entering the field.
The NEA report found that, adjusted for inflation, average teacher salaries have fallen 6.4 percent over the past decade.
“It’s worth noting that in 2022, teachers earn an average of 23.4% less than their college-educated peers, with an average starting salary of $44,530,” Garcia said.
A study by the Learning Policy Institute found that 17.1% of teachers have second jobs while the school year is in session.
Garcia said such side jobs typically take place within the school system, such as coaching, teaching night classes or mentoring other educators.
“Education has not kept up with the economic demands of life,” Rivadeneira said, “so when I was a teacher I was working part-time elsewhere.”
