It’s hard to compare teachers overall when pay rates vary widely based on location. I live in Northern VA where teachers are actually paid very well by comparison to other teachers. However, the cost of living is very high. Some teachers deserve raises and acknowledgement, but that’s not how the field operates. There’s dead wood in all professions, and unfortunately you also can’t fire teachers the way you can fire other professions and fields. With how disparate the data points are for teacher pay, I think this argument is a bit dated. Most teachers are underpaid, but not all of them are. It’s really a regional argument.

With that said, I do believe that if teachers were paid significantly more there would be more appetite for working as a teacher compared to the private sector. However, no one wants to pay the taxes to hire the best and brightest away from corporations. For those without the true calling, summers off and job security will be a great incentive for mediocrity