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Dave Barry, do you honestly think that 70K to educate our children and ensure our future is too much for the work that teacher's do? I am sure that teachers wish that the schedule were just 6 hours a day 180 days a week. Much planning occurs outside of school hours and often during the summer. Grading is done outside of school hours. I cannot tell you the number of times I have seen a teacher/parent grading papers at his or her child's sporting event. In addition, teachers have to be certified and pay to maintain their certification, they have to continually educate themselves on their own time. Personally, I do not think that 70K is too much to pay someone who is responsible for educating my children, the most important part of my life. In fact, I think it is rather low when you consider the amount of education a teacher is required to have or how long a teacher must work to obtain this 70K that you list. Why would anyone who spends 100K on education want to settle for a position that starts so low when for the same level of education they can get a job in the private sector for more pay? I think we should try to attract the best and the smartest into the teaching field. It is an investment in all our futures and yet we continue to vilify teachers rather than offering encouragement. In parts of this country there are teacher shortages. I understand why after reading comments like yours!