I served on that Committee a few years ago - some of what we proposed was implemented (utilities savings, etc), and some wasn't (redistricting, consolidation).

I agree with you Rick that Administrative salaries as a whole should be reviewed...

I agree completely. The board has been acting unprofessional with the use of district wide emails and press releases that smear and bad mouth teachers. The teachers/ union have taken the higher road by far. Not only will you consistently have new teachers and high turn over, but the district will loose many experienced and respected teachers.

I totally agree with the indignation about pensions. But, for now we should only think about what is costing this district. The question is about the value we receive from Mr. Dada for his current salary. Let’s fight the pension issue in state elections, because that is where something can be done.

AP,
How is wearing all black clothing to school to face K-5 kids professional? The t-shirts they are now wearing is taking a high moral ground? Nope. The first day that they wore them they didn't have a good story to tell the kids...my children came home with three different reasons that they were wearing the shirts. Frightening and distracting the youngest of students is not the way to win this war.

AP and Richard, the board are not the ones threatening to strike (which seems like it is a foregone conclusion). the teacher's union didn't offer to even return to the negotiating table until today, forcing "eleventh hour" drama, and the union could always call off the strike to keep negotiating. I don't see either of those emerging as tactics.

The teachers have made it clear that the legitimate issues are promised compensation/lane changes for advanced education that is now being reneged on, benefits for part-time teachers (which I think the board has conceded on now), and subsequent compensation changes for advanced education. They smoke screen through administrator salaries (around 1% of the overall budget), reserve funds (the board has adequately explained why the reserves, like your own personal bank account, might go up right before a large expenditure like a roof replacement), and competing districts (their salaries are in line with other districts in the county and nearby).

Let's hope both sides come tonight ready to deal with this.

When you tell your children that they need to do something when you count to three, what happens when you start saying "one, two...two and a quarter...two and a half.." There is no follow through and your children don't listen.

I guarantee that NONE of the teachers, including those on the negotiations team, have any desire to strike. The only leverage the teachers have to get a contract is the threat of a strike. The board did not reach out to the teachers to meet any time between last Wednesday and today.

The Teachers had a contract - it expired. I still believe that anyone who had their lane changes approved should get what they were promised, but going forward? No more.

We need to move to a performance-based consideration for a fixed pool of available raises, with advanced education adding some weighting to the consideration.

The Union representative Mark Stein has already stated this is false, the board never made any promise of reimbursements. If they had then the union would have a breach of contract, and would have filed this in civil court.

Teachers must be pre-approved for courses taken towards lane changes. Both the building principal and the assistant superintendent sign off on these forms. Teachers then use these courses towards lane advancement. In order to receive a lane change, teachers must notify the school district that they will have the required courses completed by the next school year. This "notification" form not only is signed by the building principal and marked received by the personnel department, but the year of the lane change is clearly marked on this form. If the district was planning on not honoring these lane changes, then the principals and district office should not have signed off on these forms. What bothers the teachers is that this has never been an issue before and the district made NO mention of there desire to "freeze" lane changes this year. If teachers had been notified of the district's intentions earlier, many (if not all) of the teachers would have chosen to not spend their personal money on these graduate courses. Remember, teachers have a choice of either having courses apply to a lane change OR get reimbursed up to $1,200 per year.

What I've said has been misrepresented.Teachers who sought lane movement had their courses preapproved for credit. These forms are signed off on in advance and state that lane movement will be granted upon completion.

The District is now seeking to prevent the lane movement that was promised. Furthermore, it has not offered to otherwise reimburse these teachers for their expenses. Whether these teachers could sue or file a grievance depends on the final contract settlement. The Board's position, as we understand it, is that the forms that were signed do not constitute a binding contract.

I just added the link to the article, Stan. Thanks for pointing that out.

You do realize Oak Terrace is 72% low income? I think you'd be surprised how many students come from troubled family atmospheres receiving little support at home and inadequate nutrition. They are wonderful children and its a wonderful school but I think the "pleasantville" adjective is not entirely accurate.

Scott:

I do realize and respect that OT has additional challenges that some of the other buildings do not. However, including OT and based on 2009 State District 112 statistics, over 51% of our community households have incomes over $100,000 with another 22.5% having incomes over $50,000. Median family income $130,000+, 60+% with college degree, 7% divorced...did not check remarriage, 60% own homes in excess of $500,000 and another 28.9 % in excess of $300,000.

Forest:

I can only use my daughter and her colleagues. She has taught Special Education in Gurnee, a charter school in Chicago and, now CPS. In almost every place there has been a coleague who was either raised or taught in the North Shore. The reputation of this district is one that is backwards educationally and disfunctional administratively. She has been employing techniques and programs for several years that 112 is just now beginning to adopt. Our students succeed in spite of their environment, rather than because of it.

I do work in Waukegan. I would never want to work in 112 because the support and professional behavior I see every day at work is amazing. Leaders, teachers, families, community and students working togther and living the district 60 motto, "Students First." I am so sorry for the children here that 112 is so torn. That's NOT "students first" behavior.
GO BULLDOGS!!!

Tripp is correct. 112 is only just starting ISBE recomended programs that the rest of us have been doing for almost a decade. 7 years ago I asked for a PBIS T2 intervention for one of my kids that I could easily expect from Waukegan. I was told, "We are not there yet." Five years later, different kid, different 112 school, same request, same response. 112 might get there in a couple of years, but they are not ahead, or even as fully in the game as they would like everyone to believe. Can't say I have seen educational innovation, and in some cases I haven't even seen best practice here. It's good enough, but on the whole not exceptional. That being said, I know some students who are getting great, indvidualized educations and I know some professionals who are wonderful, it's just not across the board, and its just not "all that."

AP

AP

Thanks. I did not indicate they were lucky nor that every student fits the above descriptive. However, I do hope they value the community involvement and base population of highly motivated, success oriented students.

I love committed, dedicated teachers, I cannot confess to a love of the teacher's union :)

I have been in schools with metal detectors and a policeman that accompanied me to meetings within the school and back to my car.

SWM why don't you become a teacher if you think it is so easy?

no one ever said anything about this being easy, life isn't easy my friend.

Don't try and wriggle out of the comment you made. You obviously think teaching is an easy profession because of all the days off, etc. It's not. Many teachers have masters degrees. It takes a very special set of skills to teach. As Rich said, if you think it is so easy, try it and get back to us. There are so many people on here that talk out their behinds about teachers without know one thing about the profession.

Joe,

It's the teacher's that bring it up to the students every day that they wear their "Proud" t-shirts.

Joe:

With all due respect, one of the areas that distinguish many of our students is their constant seeking knowledge while trying to understand and put the pieces of the world around them into order rationally and socially. They are very concerned when they see the teachers preparing for the strike and it upsets their sense of norm. They want to understand what is happening.

My young daughter has taken to reading the patch blogs on the subject and even asked me if I think that a teacher might treat her worse because of my comments? I answered that my comments have always been supportive of teachers and that I challenge some of the unions misleading statements. I also explained that this is a labor dispute that will be resolved with compromise explaining that the union does not have the children’s best interests at heart and that in the end, all good teachers do.

So, it does affect the children and is actually, a real life educational teaching event on several levels:)

Really Joe? My kids have seen the teachers walking in front of school with Black T-Shirts on, what should they be told then?

Any teacher who would retaliate against a child because of a parent's statements or conduct doesn't belong in the teaching profession. It's as simple as that.

I am quite sure that no one in NSEA leadership, our membership, or any administrator who knows me would be surprised that I wrote this.

Mark:

Appreciate and respect your comment and indeed, that is how it should be. Just the fact that we agree on this issue gives me hope that you will be able to find a mutual compromise with the BOA:)

A teacher might treat your child differently if you post something truly awful and demeaning on here. They would likely feel sorry for your child and keep a watchful eye over them :).

Anxiety on the part of your son? The children you should be thinking about are the sons and daughters of the teachers, who have been asked to take a decrease in overall compensation.
No, they're not part of the demographics with high median incomes and home values exceeding $500k (cited in another comments stream about HP). Teachers are part of that Middle Class that both presidential candidates focus on in every speech. They make a moderate salary and the school board is establishing a new pay structure that reduces their benefits and earning capacity.
While a teacher may appreciate the work environment, don't expect good ones to work at D112 if they can't afford to raise their kids and pay the mortage.

Joe - I didn't bring it up. He asked about it after finding out from his teachers.

Concerned about HP - I can only presume that you don't have a child with special needs.

Why should the Board (and by extension, the taxpayers) pay one dime toward someone for salary or benefits if they're not working? The Board did the right thing by cutting off the insurance of all who CHOOSE to strike.

The copy of the email I saw advising teachers of this situation also said that if they want to work to contract [the District], so it's entirely up to them.

David:

When an employee leaves my firm, I still am responsible for paying their health insurance for that month, because it has already been paid for.

I will say what my wife and I said in a letter to the BOE last night. The tactics and stances that are being used are not becoming a community of our stature. I do not expect them to give into everything the teachers are asking for, just as I do not expect the teachers to give the BOE everything. I do expect them to negotiate in good faith and maintain the reputation of our schools, which is the single largest contributing factor to property values.

Seems like the teachers will strike and the BOE wants everyone to believe the teachers are the bad guys. Both entities are guilty of public hounding. The teachers and taxpayers need to understand that while surrounding districts do pay teachers well, provide fair benefits, etc. Highland Park does not look like surrounding districts despite our (ever-declining) home values. We have more overhead than surrounding districts so we pay more administrators, more teachers and more bills for the buildings. The BOE needs to close buildings, change boundaries, consolidate programs, staff, etc. But they haven't and they won't, not w/out blaming the teachers then putting a referendum on the table to pay for the above changes; changes needed years ago. Next: we don't resemble surrounding districts in our student body. We have higher low income, language-learners and special needs students and students from military families. All these subgroups cost money, not to mention the hole created by lack of impact funding. So, while we are a school district on the North Shore, we are NOT like other districts in achievement scores, student populations, and hiring policies. Other districts won't hire new teachers, period. We do, why? They cost less. There is no blame for whom we educate or hire, but teachers need to see we are unique among our North Shore neighbors. NSEA isn't painting a real picture for teachers, whether the BOE has the money for their contract demands or not.

With summer school in the mix a teacher would work about 10.5 months out of the year. Considering most professionals I know get 3 weeks vacation... this would put them up ahead about 2 maybe 3 weeks paid time off. A teacher with 5 years experience would get paid in the low 40's for this (this is inclusive of summer school). I guess its a matter of perspective if this is "high on the hog".

The general public does not realize how much work teachers put in on a daily basis. Yes, teachers are with students from 8-3, but in NO WAY does their day end there. Teachers are up early before school, planning engaging activities for students to learn and grow, as well as grading the assessments to measure if students are understanding concepts learned in class. Teachers bring work home with them, most working until 9-10pm at night, and still have families to take care of. Teachers work weekends, their time consumed with thinking of their students. Teachers teach because they want to help shape the future of our country. Often, teachers spend more time with children than there own parents do. Teachers are very important as role models and facilitators in children's learning experience. To be modest, the average teacher works at least 11 hours a day (usually 1 hour before students get to school, and 3 hours after school). If you do the math, 11*5= 55 hours for the WORKING WEEK. Then add on all the time spent during the weekend planning ahead and grading. Again, a modest amount-4 hours- for both Saturday and Sunday. This totals to 59 hours of working per week. The average job puts in 40 hours a week (full time). Teachers put in 19 more hours than that (give or take, depending on the individual). 40 hours * 52 wks=2,080 hours (for the average person working their job). 59 hours * 38 weeks=2,242 (time off for summer & holiday break)...still more hours than the average worker.

Might I add--teachers DO work over breaks-- yes, not all day every day, but they do put in time planning ahead, furthering their education and sharing their strengths with other professionals through workshops and conferences. Yes, teachers do not report to a full "work day" during the summer, yet they are still working during the break. Once you do the math, does it seem that easy to be a teacher? They still work more than the average person, with LESS TIME calculated in.

SWM - Teachers living high on the hog? Really? In an earlier post, it's mentioned that the 60% of HP residents own homes worth $500,000+. I don't know anyone living on a teacher's salary being able to afford a home that cost $500,000.

Why aren't you a teacher if you think it's such an easy profession? Please don't judge until you've actually done the job.

I can speak about my daughter, who is often in school from 7:30 in the morning until 8 or 9 in the evening. She was up last week until 3 AM doing lesson plans. She often is working weekends and vacations preparing IEPs for her students. She often meets with parents outside of school amd she has no lunch because she has too many minutes she is required to spend with her kids. I know of no one more dedicated to her profession and her students. In my opinion, she and her collegues are bargins.

jesse l, i am very appreciative of your entry. every working person who gets up everyday no matter what their profession deserves to be well compensated however that is not the world we live in any longer. i work hard and never expected the working world to be easy, as i stated before life isn't easy. however, we are all adults and go into our profession hopefully with both eyes open and need to accept the current working culture which includes contributing to your health insurance premium, higher copays, etc. teachers have been very blessed by the ones who have come before them however it's time to stop the spending and be more fiscally conservative.

I may have been too optimistic as my wife said she heard school was on but I have no official word. Come on guys, start hugging it out!

Teachers fund their own pensions - not the district, not the taxpayers. District 112 teachers also do not qualify for other benefits, such as Social Security. The pension that they fund with each paycheck is their only form of retirement income.

AP,

The teachers fund only a very small fraction of their pensions. The majority is funded by the taxpayers and investment returns. Think about it ... if a teacher like yourself gets a $50K pension, plus annual COLA, for 30 years, that's well over $1.5 million ... probably about 6X what you contributed during your teaching years. Plus, it's not subject to Illinois state tax, unlike our 401(k)s.

Pensions are no longer 50K. Teachers are now recommended to save for their own retirement--out of their own paychecks. Pensions are no longer guaranteed to teachers once they retire. Teachers are suggested to set up a 403(b) plan, where it is similar to a 401(k). Teachers can contribute a selected amount, just like 401(k)s. The idea of pensions are disappearing, just like Social Security.

Sue this has to be one of the most uninformed messages I have read in awhile. you have just said that the teachers and then our children must pay the price for our administrations past actions. I can't even believe it. The administration have given raises to all their own for the last 2 years. We are funding a double pension for Mohsin Dada. You as a tax payer should be sick. To say the teachers should pay for that and not say fire Dada, lower Behlows benefits and salary but make the teachers pay is appalling. I really wish you would get all the facts on everyone before you find one party guilty.

The school system is the reason your property values are as high as they are. Compare our values to, say, Oswego, where the Superintendent was before here. Property values are down because of the market crash, not because of teacher salary.

What I expect is compromise on both sides, not rhetoric.

Richard--

Dada's compensation is a red herring and you know it. If you cut adm. by 50%, it wouldn't come close to meeting the teachers' demands. I suggest that you move off of Stein's talking points. That's the same guy who lost the few supporters he had by recently suggesting that our unpaid, voluntary BOE members are tea partiers. Mr. Stein, we don't tolerate that type of inflammatory rhetoric in HP, and you didn't do your local members any favors from a PR perspective. Save that type of talk for your work in the Chicago schools.

HS, you sound like a great teacher and we're fortunate to have you teaching in 112. My question is if the district is incurring higher health insurance premiums, do you not think that your portion of the health insurance premiums should increase as well?

Jerry--

You're right. We are bitter. Rightfully so. Our kids are going to be out of school because the union has, ironically, miseducated its members. You're also right that this is about the future of HP education. We're either going to have (1) improved facilities, more accelerated classes, and smaller class sizes; or (2) resources disproportionately focused on salary and benefits. The second sounds like the Chicago Public Schools. Not exactly a model we want to follow.

hs, i hope for the same working in the private industry however i don't have a union to negotiate on my behalf nor do i have anyone's sympathy when i total all of my monthly expenses. we all have to take personal individual responsibility for our own financial well being and do what we have to do to pay our bills. that's called being a grown up.