TEACHERS HAVE IT EASY: The Big Sacrifices & The Small Salaries Of Our Children's Teachers

Many teachers today must work two or more jobs to survive; they can't afford to buy homes or raise families. Why are they paid so poorly? How is this related to student achievement? And how can we find ways to treat them like the professionals they are? This book examines how bad policy intersects with teachers' lives. Interweaving teachers' voices with facts and figures, the book is a clear-eyed view of the harsh realities of public school teaching, without any chicken-soup success stories. With a look at the problems of recruitment and retention, the myths of short workdays and endless summer vacations, the realities of the work week, and shocking examples of how society views America's teachers, it explores why salary reform may be the best way to improve public education and examines how innovative compensation plans can transform schools.--From publisher description.