Letter: Teachers should be paid more

Wednesday, July 21, 2004 | 8:43 a.m.

What is a good teacher worth?

It is a fact that in the American culture, teachers are regarded with the lowest of esteem and value. Some media sources highlight the negative aspects of the teaching profession and continually wail about the few poorly equipped for the job. In America a professional baseball player can make more money with three at bats in a game than a young, new and highly talented teacher can make in a year. I don't believe there is another country that equals America's low regard for its teachers. While America may spend more money on education than any other in the world, the quality of pay for outstanding professional work is among the poorest on a per capita basis.

A good teacher is many things to a student. A teacher is often a parent figure, a counselor, a confessor, a guardian, a personal adviser and a trusted friend. Teachers can be like drill sergeants, demanding quality work, excellence, effort and student initiative. Good professionals strive to give their students strong values and a love for the learning process. Good teachers are invaluable assets in the education of our children and youth and worth more than what they are paid today.

No one enters the educational profession with hopes of riches and fame, but a wage comparable to other national professional jobs should be the minimum standard.

VIRGIL A. SESTINI Editor's note: Virgil A. Sestini is a retired biology teacher.