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Public school teacher vs head teacher

The differences between public school teachers and head teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a head teacher has an average salary of $51,715, which is higher than the $42,231 average annual salary of a public school teacher.

The top three skills for a public school teacher include public schools, classroom management and K-12. The most important skills for a head teacher are classroom management, child care, and creative curriculum.

Public school teacher vs head teacher overview

Public School TeacherHead Teacher
Yearly salary$42,231$51,715
Hourly rate$20.30$24.86
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs79,47173,756
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 65%Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age4242
Years of experience--

What does a public school teacher do?

Typically, public school teachers prepare lesson plans and give instructions to students in their assigned school. The teachers establish and implement grade appropriate course work to align the academic requirements of their students. They evaluate and monitor the performance of the students as well as assess and document their progress. Most often, they are exposed to complex tasks within the function of their job. Also, they may take part in the implementation of individual education plans for certain students.

What does a head teacher do?

A headteacher is responsible for monitoring the students' overall learning process, managing and evaluating the performance of school staff, implementing effective learning strategies for the students, encouraging them to reach their maximum potential, and gain self-confidence. Headteachers often lead meetings, especially discussing school activities and the child's performance to their parents, implementing safety policies, and enforcing disciplinary actions for policy violations. A headteacher must have excellent leadership and communication skills to handle the students' needs and support their high-quality performance.

Public school teacher vs head teacher salary

Public school teachers and head teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Public School TeacherHead Teacher
Average salary$42,231$51,715
Salary rangeBetween $34,000 And $52,000Between $32,000 And $83,000
Highest paying CityBaltimore, MDBoston, MA
Highest paying stateMarylandMassachusetts
Best paying companyBaltimore City Public SchoolsGrand View Health
Best paying industryEducationRetail

Differences between public school teacher and head teacher education

There are a few differences between a public school teacher and a head teacher in terms of educational background:

Public School TeacherHead Teacher
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 65%Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common majorEducationEarly Childhood Education
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaNorthwestern University

Public school teacher vs head teacher demographics

Here are the differences between public school teachers' and head teachers' demographics:

Public School TeacherHead Teacher
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 39.3% Female, 60.7%Male, 13.8% Female, 86.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 3.7% White, 69.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 3.7% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between public school teacher and head teacher duties and responsibilities

Public school teacher example responsibilities.

  • Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
  • Modify curriculum to meet the needs of ESL students.
  • Work with ESL pupils in addition to mainstream students.
  • Participate in annual IEP meetings for individual students
  • Deliver language arts instruction through a variety of literary genres including classic literary texts, creative nonfiction, and contemporary fiction.
  • Plan and deliver instruction for ESOL and ESE reading groups
  • Show more

Head teacher example responsibilities.

  • Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
  • Plan and implement cohesive, age-appropriate curriculum for severely disable children in Pre-K program.
  • Develop and implement age-appropriate curriculum for toddler program, ensuring that appropriate opportunities are provided in order to maximize learning potential.
  • Set up the physical environment to meet the changing needs of infants and toddlers in accordance with ECERS and ITERS-R assessments.

Public school teacher vs head teacher skills

Common public school teacher skills
  • Public Schools, 20%
  • Classroom Management, 16%
  • K-12, 7%
  • Student Learning, 4%
  • Language Arts, 4%
  • K-6, 4%
Common head teacher skills
  • Classroom Management, 26%
  • Child Care, 13%
  • Creative Curriculum, 5%
  • Language Arts, 5%
  • Pre-K, 5%
  • Mathematics, 5%

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