Think of Catholic priests: Noble vocation, ought to have enormous respect. But when an important proportion of the group is pedophiles, respect for the whole group diminishes.

As a population, on average, teachers simply aren't that impressive. Teaching is a noble vocation and ought to have great status. But when the average teacher simply isn't that good, people aren't going to extend much respect to the profession.

And the unions contribute to that condition by resisting efforts to improve the quality of the teacher population.

I think you need to check what you type before you post it, because those are some pretty baseless claims that are also offensive. I know many Catholic priests and lots of people respect the priesthood. Where are you getting this "important proportion"? What is that proportion and how did you determine it?

To extend that to the teaching population is madness. Where are you determing "the average teacher simply isn't that good"? How are you making that conclusion? Because it sounds like you just pulled it out of thin air, or it's just a personal view you have.

To say that teachers don't deserve a higher status because "some [imaginative] proportion" are "simply not good [according to you]" is laughable.