Teaching, in any capacity, is a challenging field.  Teachers are faced with a myriad of students and situations, requirements (from administrators) and requests (from parents).  Every day in the classroom is different from the one before or the one to come.  Nothing is predictable.  Nothing, that is, except the pay.  You can expect your pay NOT to increase based on your performance, the number of hours you put in, or the rate of student success in your classroom.  Instead, all teachers progress at the same rate of pay based on the number of years they have put in.  For example, I recently left teaching after eight years, were I to apply for a teaching position, I would re-enter on the same pay-level of eight years of experience.  My pay would not be based on performance.  I could have been a terrible teacher but my salary wouldn't reflect that.  I have seen some terrible teachers slip under the radar and enjoy a decent pay for not-so-decent work.  On the flip side, for teachers who are constantly innovating and reaching their students there is no financial incentive.  There are some life-saving teachers out there that never get financially rewarded for their service. A Richmond-Times Dispatch article describes some awards that were given to Richmond area teachers for excellence in the classroom.  These substantial awards, though only to be used for further professional development, are certainly a step in the right direction.  Although teacher pay has come a long way over the last fifteen years, I believe the whole experience-based pay system needs an overhaul.