Eating the seed corn

A high school teacher in Washington state, one who has earned a master's degree and has ten years of teaching experience under his belt, will earn $48,724, under the salary schedule for 2010-11. Throw in a Ph.D., and the same teacher makes $54,390.

A new lawyer, fresh out of law school with no experience whatsoever, hired by the Seattle firm of Perkins Coie, made $100,000 base salary in 2004 (seven years ago), with a first year bonus ranging from $5,000 to $30,000. Perkins Coie is one of the oldest and most prestigious law firms in Seattle, but its salary range was not atypical, and was not the highest, among large downtown firms.

To some extent, admittedly, we're comparing apples and oranges -- Perkins hires students from the top of their law school classes, while the state gives identical pay to all teachers with equal credentials and seniority. But, even so, the disparity in benefits offered to lawyers and to teachers is striking.

I've been critical -- and I am critical now -- of American education. But the educational system can only be improved when we understand who and why any given person is an effective teacher. Punishing some teachers for their students' poor test results is like punishing a trial attorney for losing a case -- it assumes that every teacher has the same group of students with similar backgrounds and motivation, and that the teachers can therefore be ranked among themselves based on those test results. It also assumes the meaningfulness of the test results If we do care about American education -- and not just in cutting costs -- we will do something to narrow the gap between salaries earned by teachers and those earned by other professions.

Few teachers teach because they hope to become rich, but in our society, salary is a partial indicator of respect. And most teachers do want to be respected. Today's New York Times carries an article discussing Americans' quickly growing lack of respect for the teaching profession.

The jabs Erin Parker has heard about her job have stunned her. "Oh you pathetic teachers," read the online comments and placards of counterdemonstrators. "You are glorified baby sitters who leave work at 3 p.m. You deserve minimum wage."

Ms. Parker is a 30-year-old high school science teacher -- her field of expertise being among the most in demand and most difficult to obtain among new teachers -- whose salary in Madison, Wisconsin, is $36,000.

Supporters of the Wisconsin governor's efforts to strip teachers of their right to bargain collectively have resorted to derogatory name-calling -- name-calling that apparently resonates with many American voters today. According to the article, "education experts say teachers have rarely been the targets of such scorn from politicians and voters."

We can't do this. We certainly can seek -- and are seeking -- more effective teaching techniques. We can work out more effective ways of eliminating teachers who should no longer be teaching. But we can't ridicule the entire profession -- the profession that educates our next generation -- and still hope to attract bright, motivated young people to enter that profession. And we can't pay teachers peanuts, and then wonder why the best and brightest young people decide to become doctors, lawyers, businessmen or architects instead.

Our nation has budgetary problems. But our schools should be among the last institutions to experience cuts in our financial support. Any farmer knows you have to be truly starving -- literally starving -- before you resort to eating your seed corn. Providing an excellent education to our kids is our seed corn.

And this nation is nowhere close to starving.