"So I don't know whether it's too high or not. I know our teachers have not really had a good raise since '93."One, if you believe teachers have not been given a raise, you're not paying attention. That's a deliberate attempt on the superintendent's part to divert from the issue with a deliberate falsehood. Two, if he doesn't have a concept of whether or not the teachers are getting a lot better deal on their health insurance than the taxpayers that pay for it, Benfield does not belong in the position of responsibility he holds.
Clearly the teachers' health insurance and benefits packages are far better than the work benefits of most of the taxpayers in the district. Most employers would tell you they could not succeed against their competition weighed down by the benefits received by teachers' union members.
If the district is truly at a financial crisis, it's time management asked the labor force to contribute to the financial adjustment to the new fiscal restraints facing the district. That means benefits and even salaries need to be looked at for adjustment.
Superintendent Benfield may not be the right person for the job.
