Teacher Once Claimed He Fantasized About Being A Barista
Three years later, he's making $9,000 more a year
Birmingham Public Schools teacher Benjamin Briere was featured in a 2013 article by Bridge Magazine about the difficulties young teachers have in starting out in Michigan classrooms.
“Some days you go home and your brain’s fried but you have work to do. I have fantasized about being fired and working as a barista,” Briere said.
Briere’s salary was $46,085 in 2013-14. Within three years, he was making $55,332.
A barista makes $10 an hour at Starbucks, or $20,800 annually, according to Glassdoors.com, a website that tracks salaries.
Over the past few years, many media outlets have portrayed the teaching profession as plagued by stagnant or declining pay. Michigan Capitol Confidential is periodically reviewing the status of teachers who were featured in the media and looking at how their salary has progressed since their article was published.
Briere was featured in the Bridge Magazine article about "rookie" teachers. Birmingham Public Schools refused to release how many years of experience Briere has compiled.
Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.