Ahhhhhh... but making the profession higher-PAYING does result in smarter people seeking it out-- as opposed to the current state of affairs, in which it is all too often the case that those who can't do wind up teaching it instead.
Private school teachers have higher test scores and genearlly earn less than public school teachers. A huge part of the problem is a system that refuses to reward based on merit and instead pays on seniority, and that alone.
Not to mention that teachers in California are pretty well paid.
Average salaries in California are $68,000 (plus pensions and other benefits). In my district, it's over $75K. That's a lot of money for working a 180-day year plus a couple days tacked on at the beginning and end, especially given the fact that teachers overall have generally very low qualifications.
Not to mention that school here ends at 2:20 except on Wednesdays when it ends right after lunch and on other "minimum days" (three or four in the next couple weeks here, for example).
How much more do they need for so few hours worked compared to people who work 40+ hours per week on salary for 49 or 50 weeks of the year (that's 245-250 days, 9-5 or later!)? And why do people let them get away with claiming they're underpaid, when the reality is that they're not?
