Neville, and all the others here who think that teachers “have it easy.”
I know rebbeim and girls’ school teachers, and I can tell you that the average teacher works close to a full day. Besides the actual class time there are many, many other responsibilities. A teacher must prepare lessons, mark or evaluate students’ work, prepare written lesson plans and class rosters, plus other paperwork. They have to continually evaluate their students’ emotional wellbeing, and recommend them for special educational help or counseling.
And most important of all, a rebbe or teacher must be there 24/7 for his/her students. They think about their students and their problems when most people are relaxing at home or schmoozing after the daf yomi. They hold events for the children at their homes. I live on a block with two rebbeim, and both have gatherings at their homes for their students. They also give personal advice and encouragement. And frequently this intrudes on the time they need for their own families.
And then we must talk about how much time and effort they must spend interacting with parents. They respond to parents’ concerns, and frequently weather their (frequently unwarranted) criticism.
And then some of them spend money out of their own pockets for things for class, or spend hours online searching for and printing out new classroom material. Do you know that there are special internet sites sponsored by frum teachers groups (try Torah U’Mesorah) to provide supplementary materials for teachers to access on their own?
We put the future of our children and all of Klal Yisroel in the hands of our teachers. Shouldn’t we at least pay them a living wage, so they can concentrate on their jobs instead of wondering whether they’ll be able to pay the rent?