Every time you say that teachers don't deserve the appallingly low salaries for the work they do please do the following mental exercise:

Think about the best teacher you ever had. The one person who inspired you the most in school to be the best you can. The person who taught you those life-lessons beyond the classroom. The person who got you so excited about the subject that homework was a challenge, not a chore.

Now think about that teacher being told repeatedly that it was their choice to be paid so pitifully low. They did it to themselves. If they don't like the wage they should quit.

Now imagine they heeded that advice prior to you taking their course. Imagine you instead received instruction from someone who cared so little about the students, and did the bare minimum to receive a paycheck and keep from being fired.

Wouldn't you do anything you could to keep the inspiring teacher in the classroom?

Then why don't we?