@Inara27 I’d like to see proof of that. My girlfriend was making just about $45k a year as a teacher in MI when we were about 5 years out of college and when she complained about her salary I came back with my usual, “but you only work 9 months a year,” and then I added, “so if you annualize it you make the equivalent to $60k.” Her response was, “we do get paid over the year, I only get $45.” My response, “It doesn’t matter if it’s paid in one lump sum or all year it’s still 9 of work.” She didn’t get it. She didn’t understand. She is teaching our (the big our) children.
I now say teachers teach 10 months, because I understand they do some preparation before and after the school year.
So, I question your possible interpretation of an annualized number. I can’t imagine the governments are posting annual salaries that are actually cut back based in the time the teacher actually works.
My girlfriend makes much more now, she graduated in ‘91 and got her masters a few years later. I don’t know if Michigan retirement is 20 years, it might be longer, but I doubt it is more than 30. I definitely know MI teachers who retired before the age of 60. Rules might have changed since.
My grandma got a pension from NY and she didn’t start teaching until her late 30’s I think. She taught/counselor in the same county as @jca I think, or maybe she taught in The Bronx, I don’t remember exactly.