Can teaching be a permanent career?

Clearly it can because teachers are putting in 30 year careers all the time. But what about the next generation of teachers? In line with the current trend of changing careers multiple times, teaching is currently viewed as a temporary, especially with the low pay, paperwork, educational bureaucracy and behavioral problems. Is it too late? Will the best minds bypass a teaching career? Why do others stay? Why are teachers leaving? Do Districts and State departments care about teacher attrician?