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When all is said and done, teachers are not the problem here. But I have another quandary for you...perhaps you can do the math on this one... In the private sector, the average family medical insurance plan is $12,000.00/year. In the public sector (school districts, for example) that same insurance plan costs between $20,000 - $24,000/year. Did the teacher negotiate with the insurance broker for this premium? No. The school boards did. The NJEA did. Now, whose brother owns an insurance agency and got a sweet deal on that one? How much money is the difference between those two numbers if you are looking at 200,000 members of the NJEA (assuming they all receive benefits). I'll do it for you...$2.4 BILLION!!!!! That is the friggin' cost differential. So, instead of attacking teachers, start going after the true cause of the State's problems. I haven't even gotten into the administrators making 6-figure salaries or the school districts with 9 superintendents making 6-figure salaries each. Just the health benefits alone are worth $2.4 Billion. This is a no brainer. The teachers are educating your kids...and they are considered the best teachers in the entire country. NJ consistently ranks in the top 5 public school systems in the country. The highest paid teachers in the state don't top $100K a year after 25 years of service...keeping in mind the years of education and countless hours they put in to ensure your child receives a quality education. Start looking at the people who are really bankrupting you and stop scapegoating those who aren't. And really....comparing teachers to garbage men...I have all the respect in the world for those guys but they make as much or more than teachers and they are no where near as educated and don't have nearly the responsibility of teachers. Picking up garbage vs. teaching children...really??? That is a pretty disrespectful comparison.