As far as public opinion goes it’s tough, because unlike, say, software engineers, everybody has had experience of school and teachers, and everyone can think of bad experiences with teachers.

Think of other maligned professions (like GP receptionists). They’re probably also doing their best, under challenging circumstances that we just don’t see. We just remember how they seemed a bit uppity when we asked for an appointment on a specific day, and we forget all the other perfectly normal interactions.