10 Reasons Teachers are Undervalued in America

Education is critically important to having a fair and prosperous society. Uneducated and undereducated people are much easier to misinform and be controlled by a powerful elite. Why is it then that teachers are so undervalued in America? This is a serious problem with no easy solutions, so let’s look at some of the reasons teachers don’t get the compensation and respect they deserve.

1. Taken for granted – In America every child is required to get an education. Although some are home schooled or go to private schools, most attend public schools. This system has been in place for generations and people are now to the point where they just take education and teachers for granted.
2. High expectations – Besides being taken for granted, teachers are also held to pretty high standards by the general public. They’re expected to perform their jobs without complaint and any failure by the students is also reflected on the teachers.
3. Glorified babysitters – Many teachers feel that parents expect them to raise their children for them. They place an unrealistic burden on teachers who, even if they have the desire to, don’t have the authority to provide the discipline that all children need.
4. No respect – All this leads to the total lack of respect teachers receive from the general public. Many teachers feel they are in a thankless job and don’t get compensated enough for their efforts.
5. Public employees – Teachers who work for the public school system are public employees and have little control over the terms of their employment. Taxpayers, elected officials, school boards and public employee unions all have a say in compensation and job requirements, leaving teachers fairly helpless.
6. Bad apples – Because of tenure and other union rules, bad teachers are nearly impossible to fire and that reflects poorly on the majority of teachers who are trying to do their best. Seniority, instead of job performance, determines who gets laid off when employment cuts are made.
7. Education system – Teachers who are trying to do the best for their students are stuck in a seriously flawed education system in America. The maze of bureaucracy involved makes it nearly impossible to get any meaningful reform and teachers often end up the victims.
8. Unions – The teachers unions are not without blame for our undervalued teachers. In many states teachers are required to join the union in order to get work. These unions claim to have the best interest of the teachers, but this is not always the case.
9. Low test scores – It’s difficult to give teachers the credit they may deserve when test scores in America have not improved significantly since 1985 despite a 138% increase in funding for education. There are plenty of areas to spread the blame, but unfortunately teachers are the easy target.
10. Government mandates – As teachers struggle to do the best they can in a poor situation, government mandates only compound the problem. As American taxpayers demand solutions to our educational problems, the government comes up with answers that often only compound the problems.

Teaching is a noble profession and America’s teachers have great influence on our country’s youth. Today’s young students are the future of our nation and good teachers should be held in the highest regard. Unfortunately, an education system that doesn’t adequately reward our best teachers while getting rid of the worst reflects poorly on the whole profession. There are no easy solutions, so try not to blame the teachers for such a seriously flawed system. Hopefully, solutions will be found so that teachers can receive the compensation they deserve.

Taken From Aupair