Teaching: a letter to the NY Times says it all

To the Editor:
As a mechanical engineer whose salary dropped by two-thirds when I became a physics teacher, I have developed a test to see whether Americans are really concerned about public education.
Just examine the cars in the student parking lot (excluding the "clunkers" - believe it or not, some responsible parents still insist that their children buy their own cars). Now compare them with those in the faculty lot.
When the average value of the teachers' cars equals or exceeds that of the students', you will know that Americans have finally gotten serious about education.
Mark Jander
Gig Harbor, Wash., June 27, 2005