From Dawn to Decadence by Jacques Barzun (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
“Teacher Appreciation” featured photo. Place unknown. Probably a Kindergarten or Special Education teacher insturcting a student. According to the US Census Bureau Facts for Features, as of 2004, there were 6.2 million teachers in the US and the 71% of which were women. The national average for annual salary for public elementary and secondary school teachers was $44,700; With the highest average of $54,300 in California and the lowest of $31,300 in South Dakota. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
“Teaching is not a lost art, but the regard for it is a lost tradition.” — Jacques Barzun
(I think, here in the United States, part of the problem may be in the demonization of the teacher’s unions. As a progressive liberal, with a more than a modicum of libertarian views, I’ve always been in favor of labor unions. But, that being said, there is also the problem of too much of a good thing. Many many educators are underpaid, but many educators make very good money these days, and there is just a lot of stuff tied up with the issue of tenure. Sometimes things designed to be a kind of safeguard can end up strangling the system. I’ll always be pro-teacher, and pro-union, but some of the – for lack of a better word – excesses need to be re-evaluated and adjusted. The same goes for cops and civil servants, what have you. Judge teachers as you’d judge anyone else, on an individual basis. Be well and do good, friends.) — YUR
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Unclerave's Wordy Weblog 
I am a conservative and have a totally different view of labor unions than you but I won’t get into politics. My daughter was a public school teacher and was required to join the union, which I think is wrong. Although he is not my senator, I like Rand Paul’s views.
I try to be an equal opportunity blog master, Pat. As I stated before – maybe not so clearly – I like the unions much more in principle than how many of them have (over)grown. No need – or time – to debate the merits of such. I too do not like the mandatory nature of most unions, but I can understand the need for it. I see the union issue much the same way as I see the deregulation issue. Initially, a lot of the loosening of various regulations seemed to benefit almost everyone. But, like I said about *too much of a good thing*, it eventually got out of hand, and only a select few benefitted, to the detriment of the rest of us. I prefer many of the views of the father (Ron), but obviously, coming from a liberal perspective, not all.
— YUR
But Ron has retired from running for president and I think Rand is next up. Not sure he will be my choice but will know when the time comes.
Sadly, the pendulum has swung so far in the opposite direction recently here in Jersey that the ”best of the best” will no longer stay in the profession and the new ones they hire will not be the “best of the best.” The testing debate continues, the politicians make demands, morale is low, and kids will suffer for it. I am posting this quote on my FB page!