Do Teachers Need "High Risk Pay"?

I used to be an inner city elementary school teacher.  I loved my job.  I loved seeing students' faces light up when they learned something new and I enjoyed going to work everyday knowing that I had the opportunity to make a difference in the world.  

Here is what I didn't love about my job though and what I have been pondering how we change for the last ten years. I didn't love it when sixth grade students would bring guns into my classroom and wave them in my face (this really happened on multiple occasions).  I didn't love it when I had angry students that would throw pieces of furniture around, traumatizing others students and myself..  I certainly didn't like it when students would verbally abuse me with little or no consequences from administrative officials.  

Now that I am not teaching and am focusing on issues of health and safety I have looked back at my teaching experiences and thought about how much risk I had to incur in the classroom each day.  I understand that most of the students who put me and other classmates at risk came from extremely difficult circumstances - but I am wondering if the solutions currently presented for standard classroom procedures are really working.  

Last week MySafeWork spoke to health and safety representatives from the Toronto School Board and the issues are much the same as they were a decade ago.  If we think that teachers are important members of our society don't you think it's about time we brainstormed some creative solutions - so that the brightest and most innovative students can come from our own ranks?  

I'm not saying I have the answers - but I do think that we can do better than having teachers frustrated and unable to cope with the lack of safety in our classrooms.  

Thoughts?