== This entry is pathetic. == 

 This article needs to be completely wiped out and rewritten by someone who actually knows what they are talking about.  I and other teachers around the world would be hard-pressed to endorse this entry as a credible authority on the teaching profession.  Teachers, remember this:  Future teachers are likely to come here to seek information on the profession.  Let's keep it apolitical and objective.   

 From reading the discussions taking place on the talk page, I can see that there are many (primarily Eurocentric and anti-American) biases at work and find it deeply concerning ("What the hell is the apple about?" etc.).  Considering this is an article about TEACHERS and not about international benchmarks of student performance, it is incredibly dubious to include Alan Greenspan's speculative suggestions for better student performance in the United States.  Also, Greenspan is NOT a pedagogue  he is an ECONOMIST.  He is not a reliable source of information on the teaching profession.  A good teacher knows what a good source is, so let's try to find a couple of good sources and leave Greenspan to his book-keeping.  It is for this reason that I am compelled to remove the Greenspan paraphrase/passage. 

 What we want to show here is WHAT a teacher IS and WHAT a teacher DOES, which is for the most part universal across the board.  This childish nitpicking over what this country does and how poorly or well this country does and how well or poorly teachers are paid is out of order.  Leave the misguided politics in the pubs and teachers' lounges.Bold text  It is impossible in this entry to do justice to the teaching profession in all of these diverse nations, each with unique educational landscapes and concerns.