Contract negotiations are always a challenge for school boards. On one hand, we all want to honor teachers for their dedication and hard work. On the other, we have an obligation to taxpayers to work within the financial realities facing our families and our nation.
Recent years have been particularly hard economically; many, if not most, local citizens haven't seen a pay raise in years and many have lost jobs during the recession.
Across the country, workers have been forced to pay an increasing share of health benefits, and few, except the very wealthy, have seen any real increase in wages or benefits.
At the same time, Vermont teachers have continued to see annual pay increases of up to or above 5 percent each year, with average teacher salaries up over 50 percent in the last decade.