Are our teachers in the country underpaid and unappreciated?  One man thinks so.

Our classrooms are crowded and unruly. Students speak to teachers as if they were dogs. There is no respect, and in some cases, not a lot of learning going on because of the constant disruptions in the classroom. Yet, many people today do not realize that our teachers are completely underpaid and unappreciated. With most teachers not even making $30,000 a year, they have to contend with many unrealistic expectations. Many teachers are leaving the education field to take jobs in administrative offices or other more profitable fields.

What do we do about it?

Well, one man, Zeke M. Vanderhoek, has come up with his own solution. He is opening his own school where the teacher's starting salary will be $125,000 per year. He believes that money signifies the value of a position and as of this point, our teachers have not been valued. He believes offering this salary will help begin to show our teachers that we do appreciate and value them.

His screening and application process is rigorous and not just anyone can become a teacher at The Equity Charter Project School. He will not be hiring first year teachers and says that he's seeking a "very veteran staff".

Will this be the beginning of more of these Charter schools popping up across the country? Can this one school help get the idea into the minds of Americans that we need to appreciate our teachers and support them? After all, without teachers, our country is doomed, because without our teachers there will be no education. Without education we will have an even more educational challenged country than we do now.

So, does Mr. Zeke M. Vanderhoek have a good idea here? Who really knows, but the future of this school should be interesting to watch.

Story in The New York Times March 14, 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/14/nyregion/14lives.html?ref=education " A Product of Private Schools Advocating For Public Education"