Why is the New York School District paying 700 teachers to do nothing?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090622/ap_on_re_us/us_rubber_rooms_1 Apparently, the New York City "Public" Schools are paying 700 teachers to sit around and do nothing. Why won't the teachers union allow them to fire these teachers rather than waste tax dollars paying them to do nothing? Would this nonsense ever happen in a free market educational system rather than the socialist monopoly we currently have?
Government - 2 Answers

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1
To save the children, of course!


2
They are on administrative leave pending disciplinary hearings.