This insane teachers strike just really feels like the last straw. Something has got to change here or I am putting up a For Sale sign soon. In Lake Bluff our school taxes are even worse than LF. I am very upset, as much so as 9/11, Don't wish to feel this way, but it is how I feel. I am astounded by learning how much the high school teachers are making, and how much more they have demanded. They seem like they are brainwashed and brainwashing the kids into a weird cult.

Whatever the agreement was that was worked out, I feel actually ill, like a victim of a scary crime. Extortion I think the name of it is. By a mob. Sorry teachers, to feel like this, but it is how I feel and I am crying and not even walking the dog today.

I hope for peace in Lake Bluff, but this is not the way to get there, by this method of extortion towards us taxpayers.

I agree with @Cathy - just really sick to my stomach. To see grown men and women picketing in LF, facebooking with students, encouraging a candle light vigil, and playing the victim card is quite unsettling. 3% increase not good enough, fully funded health insurance not good enough, defined pension plan for life not good enough....and all just because they work in LF and those in the "big houses" (as Gress said) can and should afford it.

This is Obama's America everybody. Better start stopping it come November 6.

The question is how do we get rid of the union before the 4 years are up?

First of all, I need to know the details of what exactly was agreed to! Why the silence?

Regardless, if the teachers want to start mending fences at all, I would recommend that the union take down their Facebook page. I think it was extremely inappropriate and manipulative to provide a forum for students and teachers on strike to interact in that manner as well as for individual teachers to re-post sympathetic emails supposedly received from students. And now, the gloating and offers of "congratulations" is making me sad and angry.

I feel for these teachers at LFHS, they work 9 months out of the years, sit in air conditioning sipping coffee, and have the intense work of teaching basically the same lesson plan year after year. Add in the brutal labor of putting scantron sheets through the machine and reading some short answers to questions and it just seems unbearable. I mean I only work 50 hours a week 11.5 months out of the year with no benefits so I can totally relate to their struggle.....
-Pissed of former student who first hand witnessed the "hardships" and the "unfairness" of being a teacher at LFHS for 4 years.

I thank God everyday that we chose NOT to send our child to LFHS. Paying tuition for her private school education has been worth it.

@think - so your message to 3 seems to be that if you see something and you believe that it is wrong, rather than becoming active and trying to fix it by bringing it to the general public's attention, instead, you should jump on the gravy train yourself. That just seems so contradictory to Democratic morals.

That would be like Warren Buffett saying that even though he thinks taxes are too low, instead of raising his voice about it, instead he will just keep his head down and enjoy the ride.

time will heal these wounds and soon it will be old news. carry on.

My kids game home yesterday and were sickened by the the fact that the teachers were discussing the strike, how they had no choice, how stressful it was and how sorry they were. Both my kids felt that their apologies were empty . I do believe that this will have a larger impact on teacher /student relations then most of us think. THey kids feel that the teachers really don't care about them, which is sad because up until now they preached the teaches praises .

I won't share much here my response to my overall feeling was spelled out in the candlelight vigil thread. I will say that when my sons told me their teachers had shared their position & rational for the strike my husband & I asked if any of the students had made the request to hear it and were told "no they just told us anyway" more poor judgement, poor choice, poor example setting...... faith gone

The teachers held our children as economic hostages. Plain and simple. They could have dealt with his over their long summer break but waited until school started to inflict maximum pain. They have tainted our community, our brand, our schools reputation. It is reprehensible. To see them picketing out their was just pathetic. A bunch of highly educated white collar professional with graduate and masters degrees make six figure salaries and pensions that allow then to retire in the eary t eat to mid 50's was just so sickening.