The money was supposed to be ear-marked for salaries and School Districts see it as a cash cow to promote whatever pet project the school superintendent and or board decides. My oldest friends wife is a teacher, they are still on strike, 1st offer if you can call it that was a 1% pay-raise, some districts want to pay the oldest and youngest teachers more but also eliminate special pay for certain qualifications and changes in Medical costs that leave core Teachers in the middle of the pack worse off then before. My stance is "Pay the Teachers" and cut the administrators or their big salaries. As an example our Governor makes $172,000 (CEO to largest workforce in state) here is just a sample of Superintendent salaries:  Full Salary Sched here:

http://data.spokesman.com/salaries/schools/2016/job-titles/browse/?job_title=Superintendent

Those numbers are obscene and the reason many folks (including me) vote against local initiatives for "education" funding.  Thats worse than the not for profits where a penny on every couple dollars goes to the cause.

I should have been a school superintendent.

Wow, what salaries.  I have always thought the rule should be that teachers made more than anyone in any type of admin position. But then I have always been an outlier.

The teachers aren't doing that bad either. Here's a quote from the local Seattle newspaper: "The raise and other benefits in the new agreement would be retroactive to Aug. 31, when the current contract expired. Under the 2015-2018 contract, Seattle teachers earn between $50,604 and $100,763. A 10.5 percent hike would change the salary range to $55,984 to $111,343.7 days ago". And all for 180 days/yr. work, or 311.02 to 618.57 per day. Most of us worked 250 days/yr. or more for a heck of a lot less. 

Maybe they should consider rolling back things like tenure.... Those salaries further anger me about teachers striking, selfishly hurting childrens education.  If I was in high school and someone earning in that range were to strike and delay my graduation I'd loose my mind. 

Those previously near, and now maybe slightly above six figure salaries as teachers ... Those have 16 to 20 years experience and a PH.D (or equivalent masters with 90 credit hours).  It's not all that common.    It's a stretch to call a PH.D with two decades of experience in any field selfish for wanting to get paid.   

I think I understand the anti union sentiment, much I agree with.  But the jealousy of teacher salaries and benefits I'll just never get.  They aren't paid that well.   

If your graduation were delayed 4 days, go ahead and lose your mind.  Never-mind (haha nice pun!)  that snow days, and the Washington State legislature, and the school board (who should have settled back in April when the teachers wanted) had more to do with your potential graduation "delay" than any teacher or union. 

B&K I think this conversation is done, the last two districts in my County have tentative agreements as of today.  We've all said our piece.  I can delete or you can lock.

DK