Kevin sez, "At a time when some critics are trying to paint public employee benefits as lavish, special education paraprofessional Kathy Meltsakos provides a much-needed wakeup call. By the time she's done paying for health insurance, Kathy doesn't take home a dime — and she hasn't since February. This is no way to treat people who work with our children."

Education support professionals like Meltsakos and the rest of America's workers are doing their best to weather today's economy. But consider the numbers.

Initially earning $13.74 for a 35-hour week with the Pentucket schools, Meltsakos paid 20 percent of her insurance, which was manageable, and she did that for 10 years until laid off in June 2010. While looking for work she received unemployment benefits.

"I was placed at the bottom of the scale at $10.74 an hour for a 30-hour week. After taxes, I paid 60 percent of my medical insurance. My pay stubs from February to June 24 (the end of the school year) show no net take home pay since February. Oh – and the insurance rates went up in May."