It says a lot by how under rated and under paid our public school teachers are treated/paid. How sad is it that we trust so much in these folks to literally raise our children (since so many parents won't) and yet do not give them the respect and pay that they deserve. It's no wonder there is a teacher shortage.
In my way of thinking, this is where the nanny state begins and festers into full blown liberalism (ie, a life time of the victimization mindset). The welfare child is not raised at home, learns no self respect and therefore shows no respect for others. Children thrive best when given limits and boundaries. It's a continuous full circle of cluster f*ck.
What is worse is that most young teachers-we're talking teachers who are fresh out of school or who have only been teaching a few years-are the ones most likely to burn out the soonest. So while there are people who want to be teachers, they burn out within 5 years.
I know that at the school I was at, many teachers left not long after I did. Some of them were veteran teachers, but some were second or third year teachers, and they were like...f**k this, I'm going into the private sector. Who wants to stay in a place where you get no respect, are in constant fear of violence, kids bring weapons to school, and get really crappy pay and few breaks? The kids get better treatment than the teachers!
I had a student cuss me out repeatedly, and threaten me...and he was sent back to my class. My principal said it was my problem. So, I up and quit mid-year. Then it became his problem.
