Respect for the Teaching Profession

According to the chapter "Homework X 2=The American Dream," in some of the world's best-performing school systems, most teachers come from the top 10% of their graduating classes, teaching is viewed as a top career choice, teaching is seen as a competitive field, and starting salaries for teachers are similar to other graduate salaries.  To me, it seems that a key difference between these cultures and ours is the way the teaching profession is regarded and the esteem held by teachers.  From the description given, it almost seems as though teachers in these high-performing countries are viewed with the same respect as doctors in the U.S.  I think that many Americans tend to view teaching as an "easy" profession to get into, and while many people acknowledge that teachers work hard, the profession is certainly not seen as prestigious in our country.  If the teaching profession held the prestige here that it holds in these other countries, I believe that the overall quality of educaton would improve; however, this seems to be a cultural difference rooted in the way each country regards the importance of education.