Do you feel that you are paid enough for the work you do?

An overwhelming majority of teachers feel they are underpaid for the work they do and by contrast, only a handful of respondents feel that they are overpaid. Teachers definitely work hard for their wages and often take work home to complete after school hours. Ask almost anyone if they would want to spend their day with a room full of children and most of them would answer with a resounding "no".

It's not just the children that teachers need to deal with, it's the parents. Sometimes parents can be more unreasonable and difficult to deal with that the students themselves. Throw in co-workers, administrators and the school district and it's easy to see that teachers have a lot to contend with.

People from all walks of life and in many different careers also feel that they are underpaid. It's a fairly universal feeling among employees. Employees are often asking their bosses for a raise but when was the last time that you heard of someone asking for a pay cut? It just doesn't happen. People's time is valuable and they want to receive fair compensation for that time. Factor in increased housing costs and the general cost of living and it adds up to the fact that people often need more money than they earn. Recent statistics reported by Money-Zine.com state that consumer debt in the United States is $2.4 trillion. This equals $7,800 for every man, woman and child in the U.S and doesn't include any debt owed for real estate. People are having a hard time living within their means.

All jobs serve a purpose to society, but it can be argued that teachers are near the top of the list of important jobs. Teachers are charged with educating the future. The students in school today will be the workers of tomorrow. They will be the inventors, the educators, the litigators, the protectors, and everything in between for the next generations. They will help care for us in our old age and prepare the country for the next century. It is a pity that those people in charge of our students, and thus our future, don't feel compensated for the work they do. There are definitely worth every penny and more.