It's no wonder that teachers are leaving education for jobs at Costco.

The average annual salary for a starting teacher is less than $45,000. And the national average pay for all teachers is less than $70,000 a year.

That's not much compensation when compared with the responsibilities, expectations and even dangers we ask our children's educators to accept.

Teachers have tremendous demands and pressures placed on them by government policies, school districts, school leadership, parents and students. They have to teach a jam-packed curriculum, protect students from harm, support a classroom often with little financial assistance outside of basic materials, and address parents' concerns and expectations for their students.

When I walked into class on my first day as a teacher, my classroom was empty. Well, not completely empty; there were tables and chairs. But as an elementary school teacher, my expectations of........

© USA TODAY