A school superintendent in Rhode Island is trying to fix an abysmally bad school system. Her plan calls for teachers at a local high school to work 25 minutes longer per day, each lunch with students once in a while, and help with tutoring. The teachers’ union has refused to accept these apparently onerous demands.

The school’s superintendent Frances Gallo made the recommendation last week, stating the move was necessary due to “callous disregard” by the union. In August 2009, the school’s superintendent wrote in a message to students’ parents: “Remember, we need YOU if we are to reach our potential: All Children and Adults Achieving at High Levels.”

The teachers at the high school make $70,000-$78,000, as compared to a median income in the town of $22,000. This exemplifies a nationwide trend in which public sector workers make far more than their private-sector counterparts (with better benefits).