The idea of the teacher as the caring, committed, grossly underpaid angel you describe is so hard to fathom...on that note, however, 70K is alot of money! A teacher "barely making it" on 70K needs to learn how to manage their money.
Homeschooling was a god-send for me. The attitude of teachers who walk around saying I'm only here for one more year then I start drawing a pension, is reflected in poor student performance.
In your last remark you seem to say that those who don't know shouldn't critisize...why then you and your anti-libertarian pals should take heed of your own advice! Sadly, I do not think you will!
Do as I say, not as I do...
My late wife was a public school teacher in inner city Chicago for years and the reality of her job and your ignorant caricature of a teacher only reveals your lack of knowledge. The hours and work load would kill a horse and I repeated told her to change jobs and go make some real money. She was, like those you mentioned, willing to forgo more money for love of her children and they loved her. And was a rare gleam of light in their bleak lives.
Not all teachers are like her certainly not enough but far more are the time servers you describe.
I am glad home schooling worked for you but it is not a viable alternative for many people because of the (opportunity) cost involved and the foregoing of specialized teachers. There is no way my parents could have provided home schooling for me with anywhere the depth I was able to obtain at high school. But I enjoyed school and had fun, too. Sorry more people don't have that experience including my sons. One was schooled in one of the finest public schools in Chicago and hated it. The other in one of the finest private schools in Chicago and he hates it. So go figure.