As the husband and father of teachers, I have to quote from this WaPo review of TEACHERS HAVE IT EASY: The Big Sacrifices and Small Salaries of America's Teachers By Daniel Moulthrop, Nínive Clements Calegari and Dave Eggers
The main argument is that to save our educational system teachers must be fairly compensated for the enormously important and difficult work they do. We meet teachers who are trying to save lives while working night jobs because they cannot make ends meet. All teachers will personally connect with the stories of those who have gone into debt by regularly reaching into their own pockets to finance their classrooms.One chapter, "A Day in the Life," in which a teacher's daily schedule is juxtaposed with that of a pharmaceutical salesman, is both hilarious and tragic. There are great moments here, such as when the teacher's day continues after 3 p.m., when many assume that he or she is done for the day. As the salesman plays a video game and participates in a softball game in the late afternoon and evening, the teacher answers angry e-mails, helps students with homework and finally falls asleep grading papers. As any teacher knows, there are moments when the simple of act of going to the bathroom becomes practically impossible because of the system's demands.
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