Had my macbook pro for 8+ Years, no problems at all. I ran it all the way through my student teaching and now afterwards.
I did all my computer programming, web design, marketing, and accounting work on it with ease. It could last all day in a classroom without the battery tanking.
Ant I don't know if you are partial to anything, but a Macbook is worth its weight in gold. Being a teacher you want something that is durable, long lasting, and gives you what you want. Not to mention you could customize something and then pick it up local at an apple store if you have one. You can call in or request one online. I asked to upgrade my RAM and processor speed and I have had nothing but success with my laptop.