We believe it’s time for the teachers’ union and the School Committee to reach an agreement on the teachers’ contract. If the main sticking point is the health-care split, the school board should agree to pick up 80 percent of the teachers’ health-care insurance and then work like the dickens with the Board of Selectmen to find a less expensive insurance program. We know this is a change from our position six months ago. We think the students and parents who stepped up to handle programs dropped by teachers received some excellent lessons in self-sufficiency and valuable hands-on experience. But we don’t think the system can sustain its performance with these volunteers. And if town officials can find cheaper health care, 80 percent of a smaller number will cost the taxpayers less. Maybe the health-care benefits won’t be as broad; maybe they will be. But the negotiating point is the percentage, not the details of the program. And not only the teachers should benefit from the change: even though salaries, retirement benefits, and other percs may differ among town unions, we think they all should have the same health-care benefits.