The NY Times has gathered a group of academics to debate the question of whether public school teachers get paid too much, or if they deserve more. The introduction:

"In the private sector, people with SAT and GRE scores comparable to those of education majors earn less than teachers do. Does that mean teachers are overpaid? Or that public schools should pay more to attract top applicants who tend to go into higher-paying professions?" 

On one side, associate psychology professor David Hambrick notes that a bartender where he lives can earn double the amount as a teacher. "Which job is more important?"

On the other, Andrew Biggs of the American Enterprise Institute and Jason Richwine of the Heritage Foundation observe that fringe benefits push teacher pay almost 50 percent above that of their private sector peers. "Public school teachers already are compensated above fair market rates. To those who say schools need to pay more for recruiting purposes, we say: The extra money is already there, but teacher quality has not risen to match it."

There are other positions too. Read the debate. Then weigh in on the key question: Are teachers overpaid?