Spot on. Both of my parents were high school math teachers (for most of their career). They essentially forbade me from going into public education, which is what I thought I wanted to do when I was in high school.

Boy, am I ever glad!

I am much more financially comfortable, enjoy the hell out of my job, and don't have to deal with the annoyances and politics of being a high school teacher. Would I be technically capable? Absolutely. Would I be good [enough] at it? Probably. Would I do it for a mid (or even high) five-figure sum, even with the good retirement package? Not on your life...

Yeah, the line in the article about demand for calc teachers outstripping the supply suggests an obvious remedy...

Unfortunately, the fragmented (ie, redlined) us public school system means that higher teacher play is impossible in lower income areas. So private schools will pay more for the calculus teachers, and the low income public schools will continue multi-classing pe teachers for the task. And in another twenty years we will continue to lament the increasing lack of social mobility in this country...

> Unfortunately, the fragmented (ie, redlined) us public school system means that higher teacher play is impossible in lower income areas.

The lowest-income school districts around here pay higher salaries than the nicest districts by a solid 20-30%. Most teachers with options still won't work there because the environment is frustrating, unrewarding, dangerous, and toxic.

the other criteria that kicks some people out are the requirements for a K-12 "teaching certificate". if you don't get a degree in education, it can be difficult and time consuming to get a teaching certificate. a friend of mine some years back desperately wanted to teach high school math, and had a bachelor's in pure math, tutored for years and was well loved, but couldn't surmount the teaching certificate hurdles. so now he works in software QA.