In the long course of history, teachers are always a kind of job which is got highly respect and appreciated. However nowadays  as the society evolve, the educational ways has changed a lot. Teachers are not that appreciated as past.So I strongly agree with  this statement.
Firstly, back in the ancient time,only children from upper social class can accept the eduction.Therefore, teacher will be away less than today. Since there are only have that much knowledge, these group of teacher will be adore. For example,  Aristotle in Ancient Greek. He was a philosopher and also a teacher. Although we know his theory are not correct at most of the time, but since he is the only one who think deeply so he got people's appreciation.However, in modern society, to accept education  became people's right and obligation. Almost everyone have chance to absorb the knowledge so teacher also became a normal jobs . People even have chance to doubt teacher's authority. Therefore, teacher are not the "sacred".
Secondly, the educational pattern is much more different than before. Teaching was more serous in the old time. Because it is valuable