Where are the teachers?

This week is back to school almost everywhere in the United States. I was listening to a radio report complaining that most American school districts are having a tough time recruiting teachers this year. If the reasons for that shortage didn't seem to clear to the reporter who had worked the piece, they are pretty obvious to me.

For one thing, the job is hard. Blatant permissiveness in the way children are educated is bringing more kids that have no respect for their teachers, parents don't feel like they should coach their kids in their homework, parents also are too quick to blame schools and teachers when there offspring don't perform.

To make things worst, the profession is constantly vilified by politicians, the public school institution is the target of systematic attacks and teacher's salaries are pretty dismal, when compared to most other good jobs, not to mention top athletes, artists and CEOs.

When these issues get fixed, we'll have people willing to teach.