THE STATUS OF TEACHERS

THE STATUS OF TEACHERS
The status of teachers in America certainly does not commend itself to college students as a viable career choice.

Much is expected of teachers. Anyone who has more than a nodding acquaintance with the profession realizes that teachers spend most of their waking hours preparing for or evaluating their students.

They realize that teachers do not have summers 'off' as widely believed but spend most of their summers obtaining the necessary course work to maintain their professional credentials.

Teachers are not well remunerated financially for their labors. Many non-professionals, blue collar laborers, receive far more in monetary recompense for their work than do teachers.

While teachers are not motivated by temporal gain, they are driven by a desire to guide and nurture the children in their charge. They are not contriving their feelings when they refer to the youngsters in their classrooms as "my kids." They love the children entrusted to their tutelage and endeavor to teach them to be prepared not just for academic success but also for success in life.

Perhaps it's time for communities to reassess their policies regarding the payment of teachers' salaries. It would be most unfortunate if the meager salaries of these essential professionals were to force them from the labor they love to a job they can live with.

TIME