HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle

The Two-Million-Dollar Teacher: An Online Marketplace Empowers Educators & Lets Them Earn Big $$$

Views: 791
In 2006, a New York City public school teacher named Paul Edelman launched Teachers Pay Teachers, an online marketplace that lets educators sell digital copies of their classroom materials for small amounts of money.

"It's booming," says Amy Berner, who's the head of community and editorial for Teachers Pay Teachers. Gross sales grew from $900,000 in 2010 to $44 million in 2013. With over a million items to choose from on the site, so far teachers have earned nearly $48 million on Teachers Pay Teachers.

For public school teachers, whose pay generally reflects not their talent and drive but the number of years they've served in the classroom, the site is bringing a refreshing dose of market incentives. More than 1,300 teachers have earned more than $5,000 selling their materials on Teachers Pay Teachers, and 164 have earned more than $50,000. The top seller and the site's breakout star is Deanna Jump, a kindergarten teacher from Macon, Georgia. By selling activities and lesson plans, like Guided Reading and Writing Through The Year, along with 145 other products, so far Jump has earned $2 million dollars on Teachers Pay Teachers. Her newfound wealth hasn't caused her to quit or job or alter her lifestyle much; when she started raking in big profits, the first thing Jump did was purchase a handicap accessible van for her quadriplegic brother.

The site is so popular because its addressing a major problem in public education. Schools often fail to provide teachers with basic lesson plans, leaving them to crate their own materials from scratch, even when there are tens of thousands of other educators around the country teaching the exact same subject matter.

Through the power of a peer-to-peer community, Teachers Pay Teachers gives educators something that's been largely stripped away by union contracts and browbeating bureaucrats: the dignity of being treated like a professional.

"It's like, 'I'm actually being respected for the expert that I am,'" says Berner. "Calling it a revolution in education I don't think is overstating it."

Written, shot, and produced by Jim Epstein.

About 2:45 minutes.

Go to http://reason.com/reasontv for downloadable versions and subscribe to Reason TV's YouTube Channel to get automatic updates when new material goes live.
@ReasonVidsfollow
Thumbnail for Woman With a Car vs. Washington D.C.'s Taxi Cartel4:44
Woman With a Car vs. Washington D.C.'s Taxi Cartel
ReasonVids
1018 views
Thumbnail for Here a news story you wont hear on the news.0:56
Here a news story you wont hear on the news.
bestofsaidit
6973 views
Thumbnail for Happy Goyim Women according to Joogle.1:09
Happy Goyim Women according to Joogle.
AOU
5623 views
Thumbnail for Boom goes the birds2:45
Boom goes the birds
bestofnab
5773 views
Thumbnail for The White Man Goes on Trial8:37
The White Man Goes on Trial
AmericanRenaissance
2906 views
Thumbnail for Stop questioning numbers2:15
Stop questioning numbers
bestofvoatxyz
3080 views
Thumbnail for Welcome to the Gulag, Mr. President10:58
Welcome to the Gulag, Mr. President
AmericanRenaissance
2141 views
Thumbnail for The Truth About "All Men Are Created Equal"7:56
The Truth About "All Men Are Created Equal"
AmericanRenaissance
2265 views
Thumbnail for Holy Molly that was savage1:06
Holy Molly that was savage
bestofvoatxyz
4031 views
Thumbnail for The Taboo That Could Break America, Part III13:11
The Taboo That Could Break America, Part III
AmericanRenaissance
2906 views
Thumbnail for 3 Takeaways From the Iowa Caucuses2:17
3 Takeaways From the Iowa Caucuses
ReasonVids
881 views
Thumbnail for Well, here u go folks, the side effects of the covid are actually allergic reactions59:59
Well, here u go folks, the side effects of the covid are actually allergic reactions
AOU
1266 views
Thumbnail for The Taboo that Could Break America8:49
The Taboo that Could Break America
AmericanRenaissance
3735 views
Thumbnail for Stossel: Let Charter Schools Teach6:17
Stossel: Let Charter Schools Teach
ReasonVids
851 views
Thumbnail for Obama Kids: Sing for Change (Pyongyang Remix)2:07
Obama Kids: Sing for Change (Pyongyang Remix)
ReasonVids
824 views
Thumbnail for He Can’t Wait. 0:12
He Can’t Wait.
AOUisgay
414 views
Thumbnail for How Coronavirus Is Kickstarting the 21st Century4:49
How Coronavirus Is Kickstarting the 21st Century
ReasonVids
808 views
Thumbnail for sherri model grow | stormr0:05
sherri model grow | stormr
invidious
323 views
Thumbnail for Brain Games' Jason Silva Talks Techno Optimism7:23
Brain Games' Jason Silva Talks Techno Optimism
ReasonVids
876 views
Thumbnail for Bill Cooper on the ADL52:12
Bill Cooper on the ADL
AOUisgay
534 views
Thumbnail for this old guy is my spirit animal0:57
this old guy is my spirit animal
bestofupgoat
427 views
Thumbnail for Road raging manlet accosts big goy from queens0:41
Road raging manlet accosts big goy from queens
bestofupgoat
398 views
Thumbnail for Victory over Eminent Domain in Long Branch, NJ on FOX NEWS Hannity0:52
Victory over Eminent Domain in Long Branch, NJ on FOX NEWS Hannity
IJvids
876 views
Thumbnail for The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution:  A History13:13
The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution: A History
IJvids
868 views
Thumbnail for What We Saw at FreedomFest 20112:20
What We Saw at FreedomFest 2011
ReasonVids
829 views

points

Permalink
Reply
teacher (occupation), teachers pay teachers, paul edelman, sharing economy, libertarianism (school of thought), reason (periodical), reason tv, amy berner, deanna jump
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle