If a teacher makes 65k a year and pays 10k for healthcare, 4k a year in pension contributions, taxes both NJ and Federal and Social Security the take home every two weeks is about $1400. Thats somewhere around $700 a week, they do not get payed on summer break. I'm not saying it's bad but I wouldn't say it's a lot of money for a college education plus a masters degree. Im a janitor in a high school, retired military. Believe me, teachers are not rolling in cash as people think.