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The idea that all teachers are leeches and are to be scorned is absurd.

That is absurd, there certainly are plenty of excellent, dedicated teachers. My experience though, with the teachers my 2 children had through 9 years of public school, and the friends and neighbors I've known who are teachers, is that those are few - maybe 10-15% of teachers. My old neighbor told us bluntly she chose teaching (elementary) because she wanted a job with summers off, and so when she had children she'd be off when they were. She taught at the elementary school down the street from me, where the teachers left before the buses were gone (to avoid the slow traffic) and arrived 15 minutes before school. She didn't grade papers at home, she did them during her free periods or had her aide do them. I have a friend who would have been an outstanding, dedicated teacher, but when she was offered a job in our district teaching high school biology (she had degrees in both biology and elementary ed) she said no, she wanted to teach elementary. They've used her as a substitute teacher for over 20 years, but wouldn't ever give her an elementary job because she refused their offer. That's how life is, and I understand it, but hundreds of children would have been better off with her as an elementary teacher than they were with the drug-head my son had for 4th grade...

My old neighbor told us bluntly she chose teaching (elementary) because she wanted a job with summers off, and so when she had children she'd be off when they were.
What, exactly, is wrong with this? Don't we want mothers to be home with their children as much as possible? I would think that there was something wrong with her if she didn't want to be with her children. It sounds to me as though she's planning her future with her future children in mind. Sheesh.
She didn't grade papers at home, she did them during her free periods or had her aide do them.
Again, what's wrong with this? If the schools are set up so that she has free periods [I'm jealous], why shouldn't she use them for grading papers? It's obviously part of her job. What would you have her do during her free periods?
They've used her as a substitute teacher for over 20 years, but wouldn't ever give her an elementary job because she refused their offer.
That story doesn't pass the smell test. There are some critical details missing.