The Old American Heros.

Thank you, Berke Breathed. That was beautiful.

Thank you Berkeley for this. Too often our society forgets public shool teachers who work long hours under hard conditions for little pay and even less appreciation from those of us who can read and write and add and appreciate literature, science, and so much more. They truly are heroes, and they deserve more.

A question that occurs to me is how long it will take some "conservative" to show up to bash recognition of what they see as extortionist union members and bureaucrats in socialized education who deserve even less pay and recognition. Sadly, they are out there, you know...

Have you seen what teachers have been producing over the last 20 years? No, I won't be kissing a teacher anytime soon, they get a great health plan, work less than bankers hours, and that's during the school year, they get a 3 month long vacation, and all of this is made possibell by our tax dollars, and they have the nerve to say they are underpaid, if anything, they are overpaid.

That answers that question.

This one wasn't bad.

...that teachers have a three-month "vacation" in the summer. Every year when my mother was teaching, I would help her figure our how her 19 paychecks could be allotted through the 26 two-week cycles that made up the "school year," including that UNPAID summer period. It might be different for those that teach year-round, but for my personal acquaintances they are paid the old-fashioned way.

I suggest those that quibble try managing your money that way.

A counter to Anonymous:

First, I'm not a teacher.

Second, teachers work with what they are given. They are there to primarily to educate children, and hopefully teach one or two to think. They are not there to raise them. That job is the responsibility of the parents.

Third, teachers work much longer hours than bankers who can leave their work at the office. Teachers must grade on their own time (or did you think that planning period really provides adequate time?) and prep on their own time and supplement on their own dime.

Fourth, two months off? Most teachers have to use that period to supplement their income which has not kept pace with inflation in real dollars. Besides which, you try working with children 5 days a week for moths on end and see how much downtime you need.

Teachers taught you. Too bad no one taught you a sense of gratitude.

My old roommate was a teacher and she had the choice of her salary being paid for 9 months or being distributed over 12.

She didn't just work the hours the kids were in school either, though I imagine there might be a crappy teacher or two (out of thousands) that do.

Thanks Berkeley, teachers are much more beneficial to society than a hedge fund manager.

I don't know where these mythical teachers are who have to work sacking groceries during the summer to make ends meet. Where I live in New York teachers have lengthy paid vacations, excellent benefits including top-shelf family heath care, dental, vision, life, disability, credit unions, tenure, strong unions, and more. On top of that they get into six figures after ten years or so of experience. Plus they get to whine non-stop. Not a bad deal.

Last week we got the oh-no-he-di'n't one about airline service. Now we're getting a makes-ya-think Comment For the Day: teachers aren't paid enough for their important role in society. Gosh, Berkeley, I'd never, never considered of that. Or rather, as a teacher, no one has ever told me how important my job was. Never.

This is the wheeziest sort of sentimentality. And I say sentimentality because while everyone likes to take the two seconds to assure us of our great importance, no one makes the slightest damn effort to help us improve our lot. Do administrators seek higher raises for their staff? Do parents storm PTA meetings asking for an increase in salary for the custodians of their kids? Do state officials consider alloting the public school systems larger budgets to compensate their oh-so-valued employees? Why should they? They've accomplished something already, haven't they? They've complimented us!

I don't want to read a self-righteous strip and then have a lot of people cooing over the shame. I want better pay.

Up at 5 a.m. Home at 9 p.m. I bought food and clothes for my students who came to school without cereal in their bellies or socks on their feet in January. I bought Christmas gifts and paid to have their teeth fixed. I did this for 23 years and it was a great life. I would enter a room full of parents and everyone would whisper. Who gets to have a single Atticus-Finch-exiting-the-courtroom moment? I had countless ones.

I look at people with their McMansions and I think, "Small dicks. Smaller souls."

I know several. I also used to be a faculty member at a teacher-training college. I didn't certify new techers, but I heard plenty about the process. It takes a dedictated student to choose teaching as a profession.

Some work harder than others, some are better than others. Some are lucky enough to work in high-tax districts. Most are well-meaning, well-educated, hard-working and over-extended.

And most (all?) are treated like the hired help. And to take the blame for any kid's failure to get into the ivy league.

Is this a first? Opus finally growing on you, ya think?

Here in Texas, a new teacher gets $27,320 from the State. If the local school district has some extra fund, they can supplement that. Needless to say, the poorest districts can afford to supplement the least. Fair to middlin' insurance. And most spend their summers going back to college to get you masters degree, or a new subject matter certification, so they can make a bit more money. One third of new teachers leave the profession after three years. Half by five years.

I don't know about you, but for $27,320, I don't think that's overpaid. In fact, I don't think that's enough to attract even marginally qualified teachers.

So take all your bullshit about how high teacher's salaries are and stick it where the sun doesn't shine. Of shut you damn mouth and let's see you sign up for $27k a year.