After reading many posts on this web page I felt I had to clarify some things about many of the comments posted. First as a person who has studied and understands economics it bothers me when people continue to bash teachers by saying "we the taxpayer pay your salary and benefits." This tells me that you do not understand how the economy of this country works. You apparantly don't realize that yes indeed your taxes pay the teachers but that the teachers actually pay ours and everyone elses salary as well. When you pay your cable bill you are paying the linemen,the office workers, and all the other employees wages and benefits. This would be the same for all your utlility bills. These bills are probably higher individually than your monthly school taxes in most districts. When you purchase a product you are paying the store workers, the truck driver, the store owner and the company and workers who made the product. So in reality you are paying the salary and benefits of your friends, neighbors, relatives and everyone around you. In fact the funny part is that without a doubt teachers are paying your salaries by paying for the products your company makes or the service they provide. The fact is that no matter what you do for a living other people are paying your salary. Hey I don't like my high cable bill but I want cable so I pay for it. My electric bill keeps climbing but I have to pay it. I want my kids to have a good education so I pay my taxes. So lets drop the rhetoric about tax payers paying teachers. They are paying our wages too.