It’s back to school for public-school students on Monday, so plan accordingly for morning and afternoon traffic.

Teachers, meanwhile, have been back at work since Tuesday, and things are looking hopeful on several fronts. A 5% pay raise has kicked in, part of a 14% raise over the teachers’ four-year contract.

That’s likely helping to ease a perennial staff shortage: compared with 1,000-plus vacancies at the start of last school year, that’s now reportedly dropped to about 300. Let’s hope for continued progress.