Something wicked this way comes: Waukegan teachers strike enters fourth week

Waukegan, Illinois, the hometown of radio and television personality Jack Benny and author Ray Bradbury, is currently in the midst of a teacher's strike. Over 17,000 students haven't entered a classroom this fall there.

As Bradbury phrased it in one of his novels, something wicked this way comes.

From ABC 7 Chicago:

School District 60 wants to resume food service at some of the schools during the strike, but legally cannot while pickets continue outside. While teachers' union president Kathy Schwarz will not stop the pickets, she has offered to pass out sack lunches to students outside - an idea the district says fails to comply with federal guidelines.

"Honestly, if they came back with a proposal that is fair to teachers, we wouldn't have to worry about the students going to the schools to eat lunch," Schwarz said.

Teachers are asking for a three-year deal that includes a 6 percent raise at the top end and 3 percent at the low end. Teachers say after years of pay freezes and low raises, the district can afford to give more. The school board disagrees.

Waukegan is a mostly middle-lower class community that has not fared well in recent years. It probably hasn't occurred to the teachers union that the Lake County town doesn't have the money the teachers want.

But of course the teachers are "for the kids."