OMG! I am so sick of hearing the 180 days a year excuse. Teachers "work" 12 hour days preparing, grading, planning. During the fun-filled "summers off" you like to call them, we are taking classes (we pay for on our own) to renew our licenses, paying to have the licenses renewed and keeping up on the latest researched-based instructional methods so students have the best chance to learn from an up-to-date PROFESSIONAL. If we were paid by the hour and paid overtime based on a 40 hour week, our salaries would be much higher.

Take another look: the starting rate is $20K, not $30 and the highest attainable pay for someone with 11 years experience and a masters is $36K. My bachelors degree cost me $45 at an average state school and my masters added another $15. Would you strive to achieve a salary of $36K after spending $60K on an education? And that's just the initial schooling. Every year, there are continued courses, license renewal fees, fingerprinting fees.....the list goes on. And all paid out of our own pockets. When will we start putting a value on Educators. We idolize sports "stars" who are convicted felons, rapists,....... Where are your priorities?