[sammyg2]

Private schools take the lead from the public schools, only they don't abuse it quite as much. The teachers at this particular private school don't go on strike, they don't belong to the teachers' union, they know that if they don't like the pay they can go somewhere else. they like it there because the students are all there to learn, they all understand the language, the parents are interested and involved in their kid's education (they are paying for it) and if the kids cause trouble or don't make grades they get kicked out.
I have some involvement in the board that makes decisions regarding the school, although at a lower level. I know what the teachers make, and I know the teachers there work more 5 day workweeks than the local public shools, we do comparisons. Still the precident has been set to give the teachers time off for every single holiday, a week in november, a week in the spring, and over two weeks off at the holidays, and either a half day or a full day off at least one friday every month that school is in. During parent/teachers conferences and open house they get more time off. People have grown to think it is normal for school to be out, they are used to it.
BTW we have a waiting list at this school for teachers who want a job.

In the real world (not talking about the union workers), most people work close to 2800 hours a year to make the big bucks and they have to perform to keep their job. Some (like me) work more hours than that. If they don't perform at an acceptable level, they are replaced.

In contrast, once a teacher at a public school gets tenure, he or she can't get fired unless they do something so bad it makes the headlines in every paper in the country.
And still they complain that other people make more money than they do even though they work half the hours (or less).