I'm required by my contract to be working, on my own time, summer and evenings and at my own expense towards additional certification, advance certification and a master's degree
I have no sympathy for the above. Plenty of other professionals have to do the same thing at thier own expense to. In the end it reeps it's rewards by maintaining a job and getting promotions and raises for advanced degrees--so what he has to do it on his own time, so do most other people!
As for starting salary I have to disagree. Most teachers I know go into the profession before they have started thier own families or even married and the ones I have known started a few thousand more than other licensed(certified) professionals I have known(having been one of them too and knowing a number of teachers) and as one of them(licensed professional) and a single person at that time, I would not have qualified for any federal assistance. I think that's an exageration unless of course he's assuming every teacher who starts does so with a family of four. In fact, I just looked at starting salaries in our area and most, except in the very rural areas, are over 30k. I'd say that's not that bad of a starting salary particularly considering what it was only 10 years ago.
I have to say that I am a homeschooler and I'd probably respect this rant a little more if the teacher's as a whole would dispose of thier corrupt union and fight to return things to a local level. When I see that they are on the parent's and the kid's side, than I'll take another look at this man's rants.
I would not want a teacher who is in it for the money or a lawyer who is not.