American Notes STRIKES

When teachers strike in most communities, parents have little recourse. Not so in Beverly Hills (per capita income: $33,839). Last week parents ended a two- week walkout by passing the top hat. In a mere 48 hours, they chipped in $500,000 to help bridge the gap between the teachers' demand for a two-year 18% pay hike and the school board's 11% offer. Beverly Hills teachers, long the highest paid in the state (average salary: $42,659), had been seething since Los Angeles teachers overtook them by winning a 24% pay increase last May. They grudgingly accepted a settlement of 12% to 15%. The parents' donations will be distributed as a one-time bonus, followed by a permanent raise if an increase in property taxes passes next year. Some school officials had qualms about the buyout. Said school board President Dana Tomarken: "I am concerned about the message it sends to other, less fortunate communities."