i had to go back to school after an injury. i'm going to be a middle school math and science teacher. i have a 4.0 gpa, which includes calc2, calc based physics, chem, biol, discrete math, etc. i am by far and away the smartest person in the education department at the university i attend. the starting pay in NC is $24,000. i can make more than that making strings and cables, by a long shot. that may be more than you make, but i'll tell you this, it is not good money, and anyone who is smart and works hard during college can end up making much more than that, and that's what they do. i would say that 85% of the people in the education department aren't smart enough to teach your kids. they may care, but caring doesn't get it. student success is directly related to how competent a teacher is in their subject area. if you want better schools, you need better, and by that i really mean smarter, teachers, and without more $, you won't get better teachers. the smart people are going for the $ - except for a few of us.

oh, and by the way, in NC, in the rural school districts around here, our classroom budget for supplies is $100 per year. that's why you have to buy your kids stuff and why there is fund raisers. wish some of you had a clue.