High school football coaches making twice what we pay teachers. Where are our priorities?
You know the phrase: Tell me where you spend your time and I’ll tell you what you worship. Likewise, tell me where you spend your money and I’ll tell you what you value.
That mantra reverberates through the news that the average salary of a high school football coach in the Dallas-Fort Worth area is $116, 287.
At first glance, it might seem like the coaches pushing our high school boys through Friday Night Lights even earn such a high figure. Turns out, many of the coaches double as athletic directors and host early practices for ninth-grade football teams, bookended by junior varsity and varsity practices that go into the evenings — to say nothing of Friday night’s games, Sunday meetings, and working hours over the hot summers.
So, a coach’s long hours, combined with his skills teaching the game and rapport with the teams are enough, to garner a lowish six-figure salary, but there aren’t any teachers making that much. In fact, most coach salaries are double what an average high school English teacher makes.
They may not work in the school building during the summer but most of their schedules are jammed throughout the school days, with the responsibility of teaching hundreds of kids. There’s no time during class hours to grade — so that’s done on evenings and weekends.
Texans love football and football loves Texas back, although of the 39 high schools that produce the most NFL players, Texas only boasts a handful. Not for nothing are the Dallas Cowboys the most valuable sports franchise in the world. Pure enthusiasm and love for the game sustain high school boys through five-hour practices that include nauseating gassers, up-downs and 100-degree heat in layers of pads.
The same probably goes for the coaches, although a six figure salary to do what one loves doesn’t hurt, either.
It’s not that the coaches may not earn the salary — they likely do. And the market demands the figure. Economics is no surveyor of value, just supply and demand.
It’s that the salary difference between teachers and coaches, between football and math, English or history teachers demonstrates such a stark value discrepancy: Do we really value a sport over education — and by such a hefty margin?
If what we spend is a reflection of what we value, then what must we do to ensure we are communicating to our kids that while football is a fantastic venture, so is getting an A in Spanish? And to reinforce that a high-quality teacher helps students accomplish that.
As the mom of a 6’ 2”, 260-some pound defensive tackle on the local junior varsity team, I can attest to the magic of a Friday night game under the lights on a beautiful field, cheering on your boy and rooting for a win. Lessons learned and the character and grit developed in sports lasts for a lifetime.
But so does the education we get in school and the teachers we learn to love who teach us subjects that stick with us for life. Why salaries fail to reflect that is just another life lesson to ponder — and maybe even remedy.
