After spending thousands of dollars on markers and glitter and posterboard as well as shorting kids a quality education, now that the Denver Public Schools teachers union strike is over, we have to ask whether it was worth it.

One of the reasons that the teachers union was striking was because DPS wanted to pay bonuses to teacher who were teaching at tough schools (read: high-poverty schools). As an aside, what a dick move, but we digress. In the end, the final agreement allows for $2,000 bonuses for teachers in these schools, plus $2,000 bonuses for teachers in hard to fill positions, and another $3,000 in bonuses to teachers in vulnerable schools.

Verdict? Strike was a waste on this front.

Another reason teachers were striking was because they wanted raises. As it turns out, the teachers union settled for for a 10% raise, which was approximately what the union was offered before the strike occurred.

Verdict? Another waste.

In the end, teachers walked out, DPS tried to control kids (and failed), so kids missed approximately three days of school and of learning. So, teachers really got very little from the deal and kids got dumber. In the end, we have to ask who really benefited from this, besides Michaels who may have seen a bump in sales of protest supplies?