from being out of the country for 2 years and got a job immediately in an inner city middle school. I can remember striking at least once but we were affiliated with AFT. The profession was still dominated by women and I can remember the arguments from negotiating teams that we should accept the poor wages, because after all, we were not primary bread earners!
I remember the amazement I felt when I saw teachers being treated as lackeys by admin, parents and press. I had grown up in a poor neighborhood, but utmost respect was always given to teachers. By the early 70's many news articles became derogatory--especially at contract times. I've been acutely aware of teacher-press relations ever since.
I also remember in undergrad school, the people who couldn't hack the regular curriculum went into business or home ec.--the two most disparaged and least demanding majors. Teaching was still considered an honorable major. That changed by the 80's so that business became the most selective major. So now, with teaching hitting the bottom of the barrel, I guess fewer and fewer want to waste tuition on a low-esteem, low-paying job.
After 4 years teaching middle school I left to get a grad degree and ended up in university teaching--where I saw exactly the same process occurring--only slightly delayed. They loaded up on admin and started taking away shared governance, curricular control, tenure track positions and any sense that professors were professional. By the time we got the right to bargain, Scott Walker came in and crumbled what hopes were left. I'm retired now but soon university professors will be in the same boat.
First they de-skill the jobs and then they take away benefits and turn you into a contract hire with no say and no tenure. Who needs an advanced degree for that?
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