According to the AEI paper, teachers "make total compensation 52 percent greater than fair market levels, equivalent to more than $120 billion overcharged to taxpayers each year."
Starting salaries for a teacher in California should be $17,164/year, or about $12/hour. The average hourly wage for a janitor with 1-4 years in experience is between $7.26 and $14.10.
And how did they arrive at the "52% overpaid number"? They arrive at this number in no small part by calling summer months off "paid vacation". I don't find this convincing. Many teachers spend their "paid vacation" during the summer doing various jobs to supplement their income. By their logic, If I work 4 jobs every year, each one lasting for 3 months, then I would have 36 months of "paid vacation" in 2011, and I would be 300% "overpaid" relative to someone who works just one job that pays the same hourly wage.