“The people teaching in colleges today would have been selling shoes at the five and dime 50 years ago.”
Makes me wonder what middle school teachers would have been doing. Taking tickets at the swimming pool, maybe.
The problem is that that situation existed because of real sexism - a level of discrimination not acceptable.
Women who today run companies - - and represent us in legislatures around the country - - back then were restricted to 'teaching or nursing'... Lots of high level talent very cheap - - an early sexist version of the CHEAP LABOR EXPRESS.
A modern day solution might include raising teachers pay to $80,000 a year and having schools open year round with students allowed to choose the 3 months they take off for 'summer'... That would weed out people who see teaching as a 'side job' or hobby. It would also open up teaching slots to higher quality citizens. Also teachers should teach within a field... not be 'education majors'. But that's a different subject.