" You know I really do think the teachers are fantastic they do a job that I couldn't do because I don't have the patience. I do however have school age children and I do think my children get a great education at the county school they attend and I love all of the teachers that we have dealt with and have helped my family out a great deal. I do however have a problem with the complaint about the health care issues, health care benefits everywhere these days are terrible and we have to pay a percentage of our health care costs why shouldn't they? I honestly cannot name anyone that doesn't have to pay some portion of their health care benefits these days.
As for the comments that ValleyFan had, we are a family of 4 living on one salary, that probably is less than what you make, my spouse who also takes his work home and that is not included in his pay, which on average is probably 50-60 hours a week and on weekends so I know where you are coming from but we aren't getting any bonus this year and we pay a portion of our health care.
basically all in all times are tough right now, yes I want my child to get a good education and yes I think a happy teacher makes happy students but with how things are right now why should teachers be the exception?
I have to say that ronald said it best. "

" This is directed more toward STUDENTS PARENT more than anyone else....

I am so tired of hearing people get mad that someone else has a better job and/or better benefits than they do. And that because you took a very small pay increase and pay your health insurance then everyone else should suffer too! I really don't follow this argument and wonder just how ignorant you are? So you think our teachers should get paid less and their benefits reduced? Let's see what kind of people that would attract to teach our children! We must attract good, honest people to become teachers and unfortunately, money, benefits, and time off are the major things that attract them, like it or not, it is true. Go ahead and reduce teachers pay to 36k a year, make them pay half their insurance, and make them work all year long. Who in the world would obtain a bachelors degree or above ($$$$$) for that measly pay? Get real! You are equating their worthiness to someone who just walked off the street and got handed a job! C'mon! These people worked very hard and spent a considerable sum of money to become educated and teach our children. They put up with a lot of BS day in and day out. The good teachers put in way more hours than they are compensated for so our kids can benefit.

BTW, I am NOT a teacher nor am I associated with them in any way. In fact, I was the student that made their job much more difficult so I know what they put up with first hand! "

" To Unhappy Resident Parent,
I invite you to try and do what I do for a week! I work (including correcting papers and prepping for lessons at home on the weekends, which by the way, I am not paid for) roughly 70 hours per week. If I did not put in that much time then my lessons would be less than good and not worthy of my students time. I take this seriously as this is their education! Now, Resident Parent, try to pay a mortgage, bills, raise a child of our own, work full time and do all that I do on the salary I make! You wouldn't last a day! Your argument is weak and lets people know that you are indeed clueless! Oh yes, did I mention that I am trying to earn my Master's degree on top of everything else? Try and keep up with any teacher - I dare you! I know you couldn't do it and on the salary we earn you wouldn't! "

" Any apology is out of the question. We have the right to "walk out" especially if it's insulting! Rademacher is just like the idiots who mismanaged our money in the finacial market...looking out for himself...make him tow the line and ask him to resign. Put someone in his place who will do their job. We may not be able to control this bail out bill... lets control what goes on in our community especially when its our childrens education on the line....resign Rademacher! "

" Then, Student's Parent, you aren't obviously in the same position as a teacher. Show me a teacher that can retire at 50- it seems that the "reality" that you asked teachers to join fares better than their current situation. Not only do we pay them little for the responsibilty they hold in society, but we also require them to provide a Master's degree as well- which is not cheap.

These are the people responsible for teaching our future generation- why do you want them to be an underpaid, little respected field? Maybe if that table turned a bit, we would have the cream of the crop in this position- instead of those individuals flocking to more prostegious, higher paid jobs, ie doctors, lawyers, etc.

Thankfully, I'm not a teacher- people like you make their job hard enough. "

" To keeping it real. I didn't have a deadend job. I quit working 19 years ago making 50K at that time to raise my children. I'm collecting retirement at 50. My children are doing quite well in school. "

" Check out the new athletic fields at Henley, and no new ones anywhere else. Why is Henley so fortunate and the teachers not? Rademacher's always trying to soothe things over with laughter and "do the right thing" according to him. As a past administrator that was always his cure. Stick up for the HIGHER UPs! Wake up and pay attention to those who need it more. Maybe the walk-out needs more attention than Weldon. If the teachers are told up front they can't comment or rebut on what was going to be said, why stay? Ruder ones came first, if you ask me. They should be the ones to apologize, instead of belittling the teachers because they got guts. "

" Hey Student's parent,
With an attitude like that towards your child's education, you child will more than likely end up in the dead end job you seemed satisfied with. How about teaching them to earn some bargaining power- a lesson you obviously missed. "

" These teachers should be grateful for the benefits and salaries they receive. Both my husband work for great companies but they too are having difficulty and we did not get a cost of living nor did my husband get a raise. We also pay a percentage for health care. Maybe these teachers should look for a job in another field and see what it is really like in the real world "

" I support the school board's offer. Let the teacher's strike. My husband and I received a 2% raise this year. We've been paying 25% of our our health insurance cost for 10 years. 22 years ago, where my husband and I worked, we didn't receive any benefit in health insurance since we both worked there. We got the same benefit we would have gotten if only 1 of us worked there. Employee benefits have been getting cut for years. It's time the teacher's joined the rest of society. Figure their hourly salary and I think you'll find them more than fairly paid. I know a recent architecture graduate, working as a architect, who only gets paid the same as a starting teacher but has to work 50 weeks a year. "

" the county school board in recent years past, didn't reveal their budget and embarrassed us state wide, and there has been no public apology. Where has all the money gone for maintenance. They have admitted they haven't done maintenance, it most be budgeted,oh! it must have gone to lawyers to defend their right not to reveal their public budget. Where is the apology to the parents of Henley elementary students for losing their school and causing teachers and students and staff to become sick. And now you have the audacity to ask the teachers for an apology, please get real. "

" do what is best for the students. teachers unions are never satisfied, and board members have egos. "

" It woulld seem the Klamath County School Board is taking lessons from the Modoc County School Board (Alturas Ca.) Modoc County teachers are forced to put up with the same hog wash, and it makes me md to see County School Board officials driving County vehicles for personal business, spending School District money (i.e. fuel) and getting away with it when the teachers cant get a living wage in exchange for all that they provide for our children! "

" Gary Weldon needs to step down. His attitude is not only disrespectful but abrasive. Weldon does not have the best interest in the KCSD and is keeping himself ahead of the students. "

" I read the letter that was sent. It actually started out as a letter explaining why the school district could not financially give the the teachers what the teachers union is asking. This portion of the letter was well written and made a reasonable arguement. Suddenly though the letter changed from a reasonable explanation to a finger wagging chastisement that portrayed Mr. Rademacher, the author of the letter, as a kook. It was quite odd, demeaning and puzzling. Mr. Rademacher told all teachers, whether they were there or not, that they should e-mail a letter of apology to Mr. Weldon but to keep it short because he was a very busy man who would simply not have time to read lengthy letters of apology. Obviously emotions on each side are out of control. It seems like it probably is time for unbiased mediators to get involved. "

" ...yes, and in the future all teachers should kneel and kiss every school board member's rings upon entering their presence and also before requesting permission to leave. ha, ha. Just how "annoited" do these school board members think they are? ...especially after their lousy decision making over the last 5 years. "

" This board member sent his message to the teachers by KCSD e mail. Teachers have been told to not use the district e mail. I felt that nothing should have been sent by district e mail. "