I am a retired teacher, and I never whined or cried about my pay check. And I have wonderful medical and prescription drug plans,etc. Why? Because my husband retired from GE, that's why. He also feeds me because my pension wouldn't feed our cat and fund much else too.
Regardless, I loved to teach kids and my own kids are now teaching and they don't complain either about the pay. My daughter who teaches third grade does gripe sometimes because parents came or something else happened during her 30 minute planning period and she didn't get to go to the bathroom all day.
I am disappointed that so many of you have no concept of the reality of a teacher's job today. Try teaching a child who has had no sleep and is crying about the "new daddy" of the day and their brains can't concentrate because their mother abused drug and alchohol before they were born.
Children are not machines and school is not a business. Most teachers do a great job and the majority do not belong to the NEA.
Bless your heart.