That's not as relevant as you'd think - the "customers" of teachers are, arguably, taxpayers and not children. Alternatively it's parents, or perhaps politicians who set the budget.
Focusing on children is the more pro-social preference, but children who attend schools famously don't have jobs in functioning societies.
More importantly, the teaching system is basically un-incentivized by incentives - teachers in the US (focusing just on the US for a sec) are incredibly underpaid, and basically rely on masters-degree teachers putting in effort completely disproportionate to the pay. Everyone accepts this state of affairs specifically because we're all ignoring market incentives in favor of the good of society (i.e. the quality of childrens' education).
So, let's suppose we judge teachers based on how well they appease politicians and parents who support their funding: they pass all students, regardless of how poorly they do on tests and how badly the children need to just repeat the year. This is a terrible outcome, and yet you're implicitly endorsing it.
I assure you that being allowed to teach well would greatly increase the pleasantness of life for a hell of a lot of teachers.
Nobody gets into teaching for the money—and, for that matter, there’s not a clear connection between doing it well and any kind of rewards at all, as it stands.
Teaching is a good example. When you teach in public schools which is basically where the "people own the means of production" since the school is paid for by the taxes collected by an elected government, you're absolutely right. No rewards for quality teaching basically at all.
However, if you're really good at teaching you can teach at a private school and reap a lot more rewards. Better pay, better recognition, a better work environment this list goes on and on.
/wife is a teacher and has taught in both public and private highschool
Yeah. Depends—fancy upper-middle-class and higher private schools are like that. The majority aren’t that sort, and both pay and perform on a similar level to public schools, if not worse. But the good ones, the ones people really think of when they say “private school” (but not the actual majority of such schools) do pay better and often have really good perks (the PTA-equivalent Christmas and end-of-year gifts you get at some private schools—damn!)
As a bonus, private schools are usually way more willing that public schools to tell annoying parents to get bent. Which is a pretty big perk on its own.
Focusing on children is the more pro-social preference, but children who attend schools famously don't have jobs in functioning societies.
More importantly, the teaching system is basically un-incentivized by incentives - teachers in the US (focusing just on the US for a sec) are incredibly underpaid, and basically rely on masters-degree teachers putting in effort completely disproportionate to the pay. Everyone accepts this state of affairs specifically because we're all ignoring market incentives in favor of the good of society (i.e. the quality of childrens' education).
So, let's suppose we judge teachers based on how well they appease politicians and parents who support their funding: they pass all students, regardless of how poorly they do on tests and how badly the children need to just repeat the year. This is a terrible outcome, and yet you're implicitly endorsing it.