Clearly, policymakers have little respect for the professional judgment of teachers. All too often teachers work in abominable conditions. When we require them to teach overcrowded classes in crumbling facilities with inadequate resources we demonstrate our lack of respect for them. One disruptive student can prevent a teacher from effectively teaching the rest of his or her class. When such a student is allowed to remain in class it illustrates that administrators have more respect for the rights of the disruptive student than they have respect for the teacher.
Parents can contribute to the disrespect for teachers.
When they allow their children to miss school for trivial reasons they are teaching their children that education is not really very important. When they verbally or even occasionally physically assault teachers for daring to give their children well deserved poor grades or when they prevail on a principal to change the grades they show disrespect for teachers. The media erode respect for teachers. Television shows, such as the currently popular Boston Public, portray various teachers as racist, senile, incompetent or as sexual predators, and newspapers feature the transgressions of a few teachers while virtually ignoring the contributions of the vast majority of teachers. I could go on and on with examples of how we are all complicit in this lack of respect.