What's $ got to do with it?

My mother told me today what my brother's girlfriend will be earning next year as a 2nd year teacher. I will be starting my 14th year of teaching. FOURTEENTH. I have never done anything this long. And after 14 years of service, blood, sweat, tears, emotional exhaustion, countless hoops, and so on, I will be making less than my brother's girlfriend. Not much less, but still. I felt the pang that people must feel when they get passed over for a promotion or raise. My brother's girlfriend has a teaching position less than an hour from me. So you're probably asking, why not just go to that district? I mean, teaching is teaching right? Wrong. I have been at the same school for 7 years. I have a reputation. I opened this campus. I have been instrumental in developing our AP program. I have attended 100's of hours of training to be a better teacher for the students in this area. Going to another district would be tantamount to starting over. I would be the new kid. I wouldn't have the respect that I've worked so hard to earn. I would have to re-establish a reputation and working rapport with teachers, parents and students. Why is there so much difference? The state. Taxes. Complicated things I don't understand, frankly. Why don't I just suck it up and move? For one, I would uprooting my children. Second, I would be uprooting myself, even though I have many friends near my parents. How much inconvenience is $4000-$5000 worth? I just don't know anymore. Why do I even have to make this decision? I knew, from the very start, I would never make a lot of money being a teacher. But when someone with so little experience is actually making more than me, something seems horribly wrong. And it is irritating, maddening, upsetting, saddening. You name it, I've felt it. I will start this year and I will be a great teacher because I truly love what I do and want to be good at it. But year after year of being unrecognized for my efforts is starting to drain me.