I come from a family of teachers and they are quite frankly spoiled. Pensions (nearly a thing of the past for most of us), benefits, summers off, home by 4:30, no fighting traffic, paying parking down town AND they want a 6% raise. I wonder what it's like in Never Never land where it's always sunny and you never grow up. "Other discricts pay more." Well go there, my boss would say. My biggest gripe is that they say this is all about "attracting and retaining" quality teachers. I know about 20 young graduates DESPERATE to find a teaching job. they are lucky they don't work in the business world. I don't have the luxery of striking and if it were up to me....get back in the classroom or we'll find someone who will. Don't like your situation....find somethign better. Don't demand it from tax payers. Teachers...you're not creating a whole lot of sypathy for yourselves. As one other poster said....take a look in the teacher parking lot. Trust me....they're not struggling too hard. Lotta Trailblazers, SUV's, large trucks. those that produce the revenue, should decide how to spend it. I feel terrible for the parents that are sacrificing vacation time (most of us don't get the summer off....we get two weeks) to watch their kids as they bicker over 2%. Drop your signs and do the job you were hired to do. If you're not happy...quit. You chose a secure, safe, public job. Do it and quit compairing yourself to people that make more than you. You chose your career, and it has many perks that the rest of us do not enjoy.