Not only are teachers paid too little, but the majority of states are decreasing the average teacher's salary as time goes on. According to "Rankings of the States 2012 & Estimates of School Statistics 2013" (http://bit.ly/15C46Bn), 32 states have seen a decline in the average public school teacher's annual salary.
According to a Washington Post article written in December of 2013, the average public school teacher's salary in the United States is $56,383. This pay does not reflect their importance, and it is leading to a decline in quality of public school teachers.
Education is extremely important, and this decline is teachers' pay and, concurrently, the decline in quality of public school teachers needs to be rectified. The average salary should be significantly higher than it is now.