Re: “Why are athletes so well paid but teachers aren’t?,” Dec. 18 letter to the editor; and “Compared to athletes, are teachers paid too little?,” Dec. 22 letters to the editor.
I found your recent letters commenting on teacher vs. athlete pay lacking in some basic understanding. They vacillate between acceptance of the situation and angst, but all seem to agree that our society values athletes more.
With little space to pontificate, I recommend any interested parties read up on the term “economic utility.” An athlete may provide me with $5 of utility (i.e., enjoyment), while a teacher provides my child with $2,000 worth of utility (i.e., education). By this measure, I clearly value the teacher’s contribution more. The difference is the athlete can provide enjoyment to millions while a teacher can teach only 30 children at a time. This applies to movie stars as well.
If there were “superstar” teachers who could command audiences of millions, they would be paid just as handsomely.
Steve Schow, Lakewood
This letter was published in the Dec. 28 edition.
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