max & j-man, gotta disagree with ya here. no question that teachers play a crucial role in our society but they are not underpaid (in america). i have had this conversation a hundred times with teachers i know who complain about what they make. the law of supply and demand determines what teachers make. the simple fact is, there are so many people who want to be teachers, they drive the salaries down. if teachers were in higher demand, they would have to be paid more.
to the teachers i know who complain about the fact that they only make $35-$40k/year, i ask them..."did you know what teachers make before you decided to major in education"? they always answer "yes". "then, you obviously didn't get into it for the money...right"? i ask. they answer, "no, i wanted to make a difference in a kid's life". to which i say, "if you're a good teacher, you will make a difference, but you knew you wouldn't make any money so, quit bitching about it. plus, you get summers off, two weeks in december and a week in march. i drag my ass in to work all year and get 3 weeks vacation".