They are 'heroes' because they are trying to teach the most impossible, intransigent, terrible students in a nearly hopeless scenario.

Most of them could quit and just go elsewhere - often they do the work because they view it as a social responsibility.

Everything they do beyond 'showing up and teaching' is beyond their duty, and most of them do.

This whole bit about 'rubber stamping to the next grade' is a misunderstanding of the situation -> they don't have the power to fail students en masse.

I suggest >80% of teachers would be happy to 'fail' students if that were allowable. They'd probably love to have classes of 8-10 students which is probably the necessary level of attention required.

If teachers acted rationally they would quit and leave - frankly I think they should, let the communities deep problems be exposed for what they are.

Do you know teachers who work in these sorts of schools? Many are there because they are barely competent and were reassigned because they can't be fired. They are there because it keeps them employed but gets them out of the better schools and into a place where the parents won't complain about them (because the parents are are totally disengaged). Or, they are teachers who once cared but have been there so long that they are totally jaded and are just counting the days until they can take their pension. You simply cannot work for years in a totally disfunctional, hopeless situtation and keep trying, unless you are a very rare individual.

What does "trying to teach" mean in this context? Standing in front of an empty classroom and giving a monologue?

exactly. from my experience, it's also the same monologue the prior class would get, and the next one

They are much heroes as anyone who does a hard job is a hero.

It’s quite rationale to stay in a position and get paid in order to pay bills, manage life, etc.

You are missing an important part of their argument. They are saying that the teachers are heroes because they stay in a crappy job despite better options elsewhere. In other words, that they are sacrificing their happiness for the benefit of students.

I think that’s romanticizing too much. They stay in the crappy job as much as many other crappy jobs that exist. It’s a living, it pays pretty decently. Perhaps they could get better jobs, but it’s silly to think there’s something especially heroic about teachers over tons of other professions.

In this case it’s not really to the benefit of their students, so they are sacrificing their happiness in vain.