I guess I am a bit sensitive becuse of the incessant harping on the teachers in Buffalo. I really challenge anyone to step in to the present situation with the present constraints and do better.
I don't see how that's apples and oranges. If there were a contract and I said, "Well I don't like the terms of this contract anymore so I'm going to stop paying", that's exactly what happened. I agreed to take this job with that particular contract in mind and so that's part of the reason I left my previous employer. I wasn't unhappy but I preferred teaching. I still love it, but the powers that be are making it a more and more difficult job to love each day.