I retired form a 46 year career as an embedded engineer, where I designed microcomputer based instrumentation, and then wrote the software for it. Often I wrote the software that ran those instruments from PCs. I started with Skylab, and have made equipment for medical equipment to landfill equipment, and most everything in between. After all of that action, retirement was a dangerous letdown.
I started teaching a digital logic class in the evening Community School, eventually taking an Embedded Computing class in the local high school. I teach one class each day for $28 per day. This is the most difficult job I have ever had. Since it is a totally new class in the State, I have to create ALL of my class content as well as all of tests. It is a eight to ten hour per day experience, not counting all of the training sessions and other red tape.
I have seen first hand the administrative crap teachers are forced to endure, and they can't seek another job simply because a principle can pull their teaching certificate for almost any reason. They are not paid anywhere as well as you seem to think, and are forced to maintain numerous copies of all test so that students can retake tests as often as they wish or because they skipped class when a test was administered the first time or because they did poorly.
I have seen up close and personal that teacher's hands are tied in almost anything they do because the administration makes rules that placate the parents of lazy or brainless kids. Your view of the school system is terribly incomplete. I have worked harder as a part time teacher than anywhere else in my life, including to ever-present eight hour weeks in the engineering field.
Most of the educational rot is caused by parents who sue the school system because their child can't make good grades without such intervention. Since high-level administrators are political animals, they acquiesce to parents demands no matter foolish those people happen to be. Oh, and they think nothing of throwing teachers under the bus. It is a hostile work environment.
‘Teachers attend mandatory training meetings and seminars. In order to advance, teachers must constantly attend classes in college for additional degrees.’
this is not unique to the teaching profession; many other professionals are required to do the same, and are expected do so within a more limited time frame...and perhaps you can name a bona fide profession which enjoys more time off than teachers...
‘I have seen first hand the administrative crap teachers are forced to endure’
sorry, but again, this is not unique to teachers...
‘They are not paid anywhere as well as you seem to think’
I seem to think they are paid a wage commensurate with numerous other professionals needing certification of some sort; is that an incorrect thought...?
‘Your view of the school system is terribly incomplete.’
don’t know about that, but one thing we do know, my view is one you don’t like...
‘It is a hostile work environment.’
many other workplaces are hostile; are most of those who work in these other hostile situations government employed, unionized workers who up and walk off the job when something doesn’t please them, thus extorting taxpayers to come up with redress of their grievances...?