"Recently, the School Board gave a raise, and then hit the teachers with a huge increase in what they had to pay for their healthcare and copays."
Those increases have hit our system as well, Xavier. The "raise" ends up being a clutch for scraps.
And, teaching assistants (EA's) get hit even harder each year.
They work so hard right along side the teachers. As it is, educational assistants are used as substitutes when the "Sub Well" dries up.