Or teachers who went to the schools and want to give back and work there. Your "certified" teachers answer to the unions and are not held to a higher standard. Good luck once tenured. Your perception on money is off base. These are not catholic grammar school salaries. Certainly not public school money. I know its unexplainable to someone like yourself that people do things that are not strictly financial driven. That is the part of the culture and experience, you will never get. It is certainly not for everyone, but it is unreasonable to say the education or educators are sub par.