The showdown over collective bargaining rights between Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and public sector unions has drawn the nation's teachers into a battle over their reputations, reports the New York Times. As state governments around the country consider slashing education funding to help balance budgets, teachers have found themselves subject to criticism from both the public and legislators and increasingly see the calls to cut their pay and benefits as not just attacks on the livelihoods, but as an attack on their value to society at large.
