“It’s often said that teaching can feel like a thankless job. The new TIME magazine cover story series shows just how thankless being a teacher in America is — and the stories featured are a sobering reminder of how deeply we fail our country’s teachers, every single day.

High school history teacher Hope Brown donates plasma twice a week and regularly consigns her clothing to make ends meet. NaShonda Cooke, a middle school teacher in North Carolina, says she often skips doctor’s appointments to save on high co-pay costs and struggles to pay utility bills. The thing is — this is the daily reality for many teachers across the country. Living on meager salaries, shelling out crippling amounts of their own money for classroom supplies, and struggling to make ends meet. Even though they’re working full-time jobs and pulling in more hours than the average American worker, not to mention shaping the minds and lives of our youth.”