re: I respect teachers and educators

I respect ALL people who go to work and provide for themselves.

If I rank them in order of respect, teachers would be fairly low on the list. It's a job with:
1. tons of flexibility- leave to have kids and then come back
2. Very little hours in a day. (Off by 3pm?)
3. Tons of vacation
4. Tons of paid time off including every holiday imaginable.
5. Tons of benefits.
6. Solid pay given the ACTUAL number of days they work.
7. Get to go home if there is ice on a bridge in a neighboring county or if it is really windy.
8. Get to start work late if it's really cold outside.

Given all of the above, they still complain unmercifully about how "bad they have it". Yes, kids are disrespectful. Yes you are not appreciated. So what? Who is? Have you seen the was people talk about their bosses wherever they work?

I would never vote to increase any teachers wages until we first start year round schooling. No more 2 1/2 months of summer, no more 2-3 weeks at Christmas. Then we can start talking.

If you want to be treated like Mother Teresa, stop working hours like you are part time retired.

Your list, not surprisingly, isn't truly accurate imo. Here is my take.
1. True
2. Nope, MOST teachers I know are knee deep in grading papers non-stop. Throw in coaching or whatever and 12 hour days plus (15 or more for coaches etc in season) are the norm. Ironically, the extreme vocal minority that bitch the most don't do shite outside of class.
3. ( and 4 ) are the same but IT is true
5. Nope. The 'benefits' (medical etc.) are paid for and consistent with private practice. It, like all benefits, is a numbers game.
6. True, teachers that bitch about the number of days they work probably hate life in general.
7. and 8. GTFO. You obviously have been browsing the 'we only got out of school due to fire and brimstone' thread. In 20 years I count 6 non hurricane days that school has been cancelled and 2 of those 6 were in the last 2 weeks.

Teaching year round I have no issue with. That being said, if that happens then imho teachers would deserve more money (Nobody outside of a moron works more hours for free. I have a small business that I put tons of 'free time' in but I wouldn't do it unless there was a chance at a payoff in the end.). FWIW, there have been ZERO pay raises statewide in the last six years. Actually, teachers are making less every year due a myriad of things. I find some of them bitch about everything, most don't in my experience. As with most things like this in life, LOUD gets noticed. Whiners are loud in this field. These types would be loud whiners in any profession. It must suck to be miserable.

As for your list, if you want to be treated like someone who is informed, well, become enlightened.

Most teachers, BTW, attempt to enlighten others all the time.
The more you know...
Knowledge is power...