If I may ...
They have a contract so shouldn't this be enforceable by law? Why were they paid less than the contract stated? Who is responsible for violating the contract? BOE or Commissioners?
It's not a contract per se, it's an agreement between the school board and the teachers union. The commissioners are under no obligation to fund. What happens is that the unions and teachers say, "see see, we have a contract for more of x,y, and z." And it may not be met because of a shortage of funds so of course they blame the commissioners and not the school board who have complete control over the school budget. Want to know a real kicker? So in Calvert, and elsewhere around the county, pension funds ie, teacher, and others, retirement accounts are seriously underfunded, a shortage. In Calvert near $20 millions. Now we are told they, "were promised" this. But what's not being told is that when it was "promised" it was based on a certain annual percentage return in the pension accounts. Well, guess what? The returns have been dismal for many years. So now, instead of having the teachers pay more into their own retirement to shore up the accounts, it is the people that will suffer through higher taxation, which has already occurred here in Calvert. Those millions from Dominion? Some earmarked for these failing pension accounts instead of our failing infrastructure. I say screw them.
Added:
From a 2015 Baltimore Sun article. The $45.4 billion system, which provides monthly benefits to about 143,000 retired teachers, state police, judges and other former employees, is expected to gobble up a growing share of the state's budget in the coming years. The Maryland State Retirement and Pension System had only about 69 percent of the assets needed to pay for future and current retirees' pensions in the last fiscal year — well below the at least 80 percent target that many experts consider healthy.
Only now, the State saddled the counties to shore up the teachers accounts all by themselves. On the backs of the uninformed people.
In addition, the teachers always say how selfless they are when it comes to teaching and our children. When was the last time anyone has seen teachers picketing or striking for the students? For tougher bullying punishments? Tougher discipline policies? Tougher anything? Better curriculum? ........... I didn't think so.