Adults are just virtue signaling when they say they respect teachers.

They do NOT respect teachers at all, but they know they should. They think that their qualified to tell us how to do our "easy" jobs.

I had a parent teach one subject out of 7, one day. So basically he did 1/28th of the classes I had per week. This did not include grading, conferences, planning/scheduling, meetings, studying the yearly reinvention of education because gov't is involved and have to have a reason for existence. He paid the kids with candy and turned to me and said, "That's how it's done." What a pompous prick, but I got the message.

No, the public doesn't respect teachers, nor do they respect our training and degrees. In fact, they think they could do a better job.