Highland Park taxpayers better reach for their wallets. The teachers are about to rake you over the coals.

I think a full reassessment of the School Board Salary and Benefits is in order and a realignment of benefits going forward so they are equal for the teachers. If what is reported is true, then a reduction across the board is in order and everything should be on par for both board and teachers. Fair is Fair. They can work within the budget and not raise taxes, which by the way, we just had a huge increase.

Also given the past debacle of the Park District Board pension and payments, this wreaks of something is just not right and a magnifying glass needs to be used to review what is going on with School Board Compensation ASAP.

Future teacher salaries would be tied to CPI. Read the proposal from the teachers please rather than assume it is tied to your tax bill. I do not think that the school board is a paid position. It is an elected one.

I enjoy paying taxes that directly benefit my kids, our neighbors' kids, the future leaders of our county. It's not smart to skimp on education. I pay about $ 55.00 a week for school district 112, it costs me about that to fill up my car with gas. It's all good. Tax me more, make me happier.

Well, then, Lou, you should be thrilled to live in Illinois, the happy state for taxpayers who love taking it in the butt.

There is a District 112 Foundation, you can be sure Lou knows about them but has never written them a check.

Talk about being blind- the teachers in HP have had a great run over the last 30 years being some of the most highly compensated teachers in the State- Sure they do a great job -but only fools would be unable to recognize that things have changed- residents in HP are facing draconian losses in their home values and although it is a wealthy district- no one these days is receiving the raises they were getting before the financial crisis occurred- If the teachers can't accept the reality that the District CANNOT continue to provide more money at the expense of the taxpayers then let them all go on strike until they come to their senses or, if necessary, replace them- Someone within the Union is certainly misreading community sentiment

Great schools are not cheap

Everyone who is commenting really needs to read in depth the two proposals. The teachers truly have made some extreme concessions while the Board has barely moved. Their position is insulting to the teachers and I feel does not fairly represent the position of the vast majority of the homeowners in HP. We all live in this community at least in part to provide an excellent eduction to our kids. The teachers would end up with a substantial reduction in net take home pay while the Administrators have not been asked to make the same cuts. Thank goodness HP is not in the dire financial straights that the Board presents. Reserve and operating funds are up and we need to present a fair contract that we can affords and at the same time does not hurt our teachers!

There was a panel comprised of teachers, district residents and other education professionals. I hear that the bloated administration was a major problem.

The prior teachers contract has some high increases in the overall picture of the contract but that was not the norm. The statistics that the Board presented that the teachers all received 11-15% increases on average are just plain incorrect. That was in a very few cases not the norm (as it should not be.) The community "poll" as you asked about is in my discussions with the parents at my daughters school. I am a finance and real estate person - so I get putting the brakes on as you said and being conservative - but bottom line - the teachers need to be paid fairly and the cuts they are being asked to make need to be reasonable and in line with what the Administrators are being asked to make.

Here is the main issue for everyone who just assumes it's all about salary. It's really all about the Board living up to the commitment it has made to teachers. Don't vilify teachers who are only asking for what was promised to them by the Board.

The truth: Teachers spending tens of thousands of dollars to improve their own education so they can improve their ability to educate HP kids have had the rug pulled out from under their feet by the Board. Under the current proposal, teachers would not be granted the salary increases they would earn when they earn Masters' degrees. THis was a promise made to teachers by the board, now the board wants to take that away, saddling teachers who have paid tens of thousands of dollars and taken out loans to improve their ability to teach our kids.

Seems trust is an issue here. If your employer told you that you would earn more if you went out and got a Masters degree or a PhD, then reneged on that promise after doing exactly that, I doubt you would be happy about that. So, lets get the Board to live up to its promise and maybe we can get through this.

We need an AUDIT of the district administration with all salaries, benefits, bonuses. I completely agree with the comment from "Standards" except I think they meant the district administration. This also reminds me of the park district fiasco where the commissioners became too cozy with the park district administrators and awarded them outrageously generous compensation packages. Our school board may have the best of intentions, but they spend a lot of time working with the district administration and do not have the balls to say no to them. I read in a comment this week that over the summer they approved a $37,000 bonus for Behlow. Really? Take a look at this story from April: http://highlandpark.patch.com/articles/district-112-will-cut-2-65-million
Upon the administration's advice, the Board cut 69 staff members, including teachers and teacher's assistants, in order to trim $2.65 million from its 2013 budget. The board also voted to cut an additional student services coordinator. Board member Marcia Bogolub suggested the cut "in the spirit of shared sacrifice." Why are sacrifices by the administrators in spirit only? We have too many administrators and they are paid too much! If we keep all of them and fire our teachers, who will teach our children?

@Wendy Posnock the Teachers Union tells me they believe the average raise was 13.8% during the last three-year contract.

Are these teachers free to take their nssd 112-compensated advanced degrees and take them to a new school district without penalty?

Bottom line, there should be no sacred cows, and all potential savings should be looked at including administration and their compensation, consolidation of schools, and getting the money due the school district from the outlay for those who parents are serving in the military. While there is no expectation that we will ever see any money from the state, perhaps the state mandated circulum which include gym every day should be reviewed. Since "gym" amounts to not much more than an extra recess each day, perhaps the kids would be better off actually learning something in a classroom instead of playing with swimming pool noodles during "gym".

Ernest, to begin with it is called Physical Education not "gym". I am not sure what school you are looking at that does "not much more then play with swimming pool noodles" (we do use those for some activities...they are great for tag games). I know my fellow Physical Educators do a fantastic job offering a variety of activities that are meaningful and challenging for their students. I teach Physical Education at Lincoln School and we have an extensive curriculum (including the following units: soccer, football, golf, Frisbee, Tchoukball, Volleyball, Hockey, Climbing, Basketball, Team Building, Tumbling/Gymnastics, Track & Field, Softball/Baseball, Bowling, and more. We also have the students participate in many other activities outside of those units like Fitness Testing and our Winter Olympics. Also, the District 112 Physical Education Teachers are working on updating the curriculum that will be even more complete covering both Physical Education and Health Education for the entire district. So to correct you sir, it IS MUCH MORE then an extra recess each day.

Steve Buti - Proud Physical Education Teacher at Lincoln School

Highland Park needs to look a couple of miles north during this negotiation. Please learn from the mistakes made in Lake Forest. The teachers will claim that if Highland Park refuses to meet their demands, then Highland Park will become a "feeder" system for the other schools that pay more. There will be threats that your schools will become second rate because you are no longer the HIGHEST paying district. You will only be AMONG the highest paying. They will say that "this is for the children" and "they are passionate about teaching". They will not hesitate to walk out on your children and to hold their education hostage and they will do so at the most disruptive time possible so that they will force you to cave in to their demands. You need to hope that your School Board has the backbone to stand firm. Otherwise, this is all a waste of time. In fact, it is counter-productive as you are only reinforcing the concept that they can use a strike to get whatever they want. We need to cease this unsustainable arms race of what district can pay the highest salaries.

Notwithstanding, we do have great teachers and, for the most part, they are well liked both by students and by parents. There should be a system where they are paid well and that they get increases based on performance and CPI. What is not realistic is a system where they see some extra money in a budget or they see the ability to increase taxes and they stake a claim to it just because it is there.

Also, physical education is mandated by the state. Years ago, when the students didn't have daily PE, a parent complained to the state. Now we have PE. It's really not a choice. And, as Steve Buti points out, it's where students learn cooperation and teamwork -- and get exercise, too!

its not like these teachers are getting rich folks......its not cheap to live on the north shore. if you want to attract the best teachers, money talks and you know what walks.

David. What I have found from parents who are not supporting the teachers is that they truly have not read both sides of the proposals very carefully. Like I said - I understand extremely well the financial aspect of this; and as a homeowner want to keep taxes low and at the same time education exceptional . the boards proposal is no where near fair - it literally is asking the teachers to take a very large take-home pay cut; and based on the phenomenal job they do for our kids - I am firmly against it.

Look at the recent contract agreed to in Skokie at district 219. These teachers were Days away from a walkout and they were able to find common ground at a reasonable cost for everyone involved. The teachers basically agreed (as they are doing in hp) to a large increase in healthcare costs out of pocket and a small 1.02% raise. Te net contract is basically a net zero to both teachers and taxpayers...

My greatest hope is that the Board has someone who monitors these messages so they can gleen where the community sentiment is- The Board is doing the absolutely right thing trying to pare back the overly generous contract deals their predecessors negotiated- If the teachers are dissatisfied with what is on the table let them risk their futures and call a strike and hopefully the community will stand with the Board- Public sentiment has moved away from blindly supporting public employees who have no concept of what is occuring in the private sector which pays for all of their salaries and benefits

As an interesting aside for those who have followed what is going on within the District- The current Board is being forced to deal with prolfigate spending mistakes which occurred over the past decade- while the school population actually slightly decreased between 2000 and 2010- the District's salaried full-time/part-time work force increased by more then 10 percent and costs exploded- perhaps not everything can be solved with one contract but anyone who argues that the teachers are simply trying to hold on to what they already have needs to recognize that what they already have exceeds the District's ability to maintain

School supplies for the new school year $200.00
Promethean boards (one classroom) $2,000.00
New classroom computers (24) $20,000.00
Principal's Salary (1) $140,000.00
Superintendent (with bonus) $ 250,000.00
D112 Teachers PRICELESS

We need to realize the real importance of our teachers, BOE take care of our teachers!

Chilawyer: not only have I written OUR foundation a check I have supported them in other ways since its inception. I pay about $ 55.00 per week to District 112 to educate and care for our most precious assets, my kids and yours. A carton of cigarettes cost more than that. Most lawyers I know spend way more than $55.00 per week entertaining their wealthy clients. I would not mind at all if District 112 charged me twice that, it is money well spent. As the top lawyers get paid the most money, likewise, the best teachers deserve high salaries and good benefits. Let's maintain HP's reputation for excellent schools and not dare demoralize our fantastic teachers nor allow our property values to diminish. Raise my taxes, it's a good investment.

Sue Richmond..your posts are extremely well said and factual. Thank you.
Lou...you keep that money flowing to 112... We are counting on you.
For each available position in 112 how many good applicants do you think there are? Probably hundreds...
Finally, perhaps the Union will lower their fees that each teacher must pay to them monthly....haven't heard that one offered.
finally...we the people are tapped out.

We should be asking in the contract for evaluations. Accordingl to the Illinois Interactive Report Card, Edgewood Middle school and Northwood did not make AYP (adequate yearly progress) and the worst school in the district is Oak Terrace which has failed to make AYP for more than 4 consecutive years, 4 students out of 10 @ Oak Terrace do not know how to read nor write. This school is failing the minority Hispanic students that attend and most of the kids from the base, which is a disgrace. But nobody is talking about how this school is failing because these are minority poor children. The school needs to be turned over. Fire the principal, teachers and bring a program that can he'll these kids. No more money for those teachers until they achieve better results. It is a shame.

Let's see how you all feel next year when the legislators finally pass a pension reform and shift the burden to the district.

No worries...Lou is gonna step up...he loves paying those taxes. How much each month does a teacher pay forunion dues...and whT do they get fir the money? How much are the union leDers paid...and what are their benefits?
No mention of these items....

Chi Lawyer, typical lawyer, when he has zero to say, he attacks the witness.Chi, are your kids getting a fantastic education? My kids are. They LOVE going to school, they LOVE learning, they look forward to the stimulating class discussions and assignments.Did they teach you to attack witnesses in law school, not working.You have a total lack of knowledge about THE teachers who are caring for and educating your children. My $55.00 a week is providing my kids the roots for learning that will last a lifetime. I LOVE paying these taxes that directly benefit MY children, the more the better.Chi, if you are repelled by higher taxes, remember who created the Iraq war based upon the myth of WMD, Republican President Bush.Where is your MONEY, ask Bush.Bush never raised taxes to pay for that LIE, he borrowed tons of money from the future, your money is paying for that big fat LIE.According to Professor Stiglitz, Iraq will cost $ 4 Trillion. Chi, focus! We are discussing HP education, not your total tax burden.I desire to pay for real, fantastic and verifiable education.What a bargain District 112 is. And Ashley, the biggest LAZY union in the world: the do-nothing highly paid U.S. Senate. A filibustering Republican minority controls the majority. Flibusters are not even mentioned in the Constitution! A total waste of tax money! Alexa, newly arrived kids take time to achieve.I HAPPILY pay about $ 7.53 a day for the greatest EDUCATION.It cost me more to park!!!!

Housing values are directly tied to the level of education. We in HP are used to our schools scoring at the top so we have become complacent. If East siders take a look at West HP they will see a different story. When we shoved 20 kids into a Red Oak School Kindergarten class with a first year teacher and no aid, the kids (as evidenced by test scores) that are now in middle school have consistently scored well below district averages because of the early deficit in reading and pre-reading skills. Red Oak has sunk from a top performing school to a bottom school because retiring teachers were replaced with cheap nubies and good teachers do not want to be there. That is what awaits all of HP if we don't get our act together and start investing more in our teachers and schools. The Board is clueless as to how their short-sighted actions will impact the long-term vibrancy of HP.

I' m still waiting to hear from Mark Stein about lowering those union dues and what the union leaders make. Why it's ok for the rest of us (responsible for paying for all) to be expected to take all the hits financially. If Lou wants to shoulder the burden go for it. Most people here have had pay freezes, and have to contribute to their health care packages.
My home value has taken a hit and my taxes have exploded.
If so many teachers or employees all want to work here....it must be a pretty good deal. Reality must be a player here

But how much are they?
And why aren't you making any cuts in those fees...perhaps that would give the teachers a greater increase....or make cutsin your own budget from the IEA or the NEA?
Seems like a viable alternative

They are around $600 / year, Ashley - paid out of teacher's earnings. You obviously don't understand this has hardly any thing to do with the big picture.
The current offer on table offers just shy of that for HIGHLY educated teachers, veteran teachers, etc... as a "raise"
Incredible!

I am so surprised how llwvrt is taking this matter so personal even to attack me with bullying. Sorry, you have not given any good argument about why the school Oak Terrace is failing the Hispanic students. I do have good arguments, it is poor management, bad programs and teachers full of excuses. Because the parents do not speak English, because the parents are poor, because the students do not know English, and now because the Board is the one that chooses the curriculum. It is not about curriculum, it is about effectively transitioning Spanish speakers into a fully immerse English program so these students can read and write and do math. And if the Bilingual teachers think the curriculum is not working or something is not working, they can surely speak out and perhaps go on strike for the issue, but it is not in their self interest, that means more work, they only care about money and benefits. Fix the school before we think about raises.

And llwvrt do not try to diminish the fact that Oak Terrace is failing the Hispanic poor students with your bullying towards me. Check the report card on the school, look at the stats and you will see the trend and the future we hold in the district if we do not get a handle on this issue.

Some of the basic lessons taught in school and at home are perseverance..not to be a quitter, work thru the tough times, et. I find it very hypocritical of thee elementary teachers to "quit' the kids and community when they are not getting the raises they want..and must now (gasp) pay for a percentage of their health care. What kind of message is that to teach? How about the rest of us? the government has frozen salaries for 2 years...(as has mine in private enterprise)...and we must pay for our health care. Times are different, and the trough is not so full. I don't notice anyone running to other districts for jobs...because these are the best...time for a reality check...the taxpayers here are drowning

I guess you didn't read all of the proposals Jesse - the teachers have no problem with paying for health care. Different issues are at stake. I guess it is just easier to say "bad teachers" rather than wonder what exactly is the BOE trying to do. And what they aren't telling you.
http://district112teachers.org/

Lou,

I have attacked your argument, which makes your purported desire to pay more taxes a central theme. That is not an ad hominem attack. An ad hominem attack would be calling you a weak-minded numbskull, and I have not done that.

Cordially,

Chilawyer

What is not being talked about here is the false misrepresentation of the numbers by District CFO Moshin Dada. You can make numbers do and say anything if you are clever enough. The fact is that the District is NOT broke, and actually netted a SURPLUS of $2 mil over the course of the previous contract, which was negotiated with significant concessions by the teachers. The economic data currently being shoved down our throats by Dada is old and misleading.

I have tried to read all I can from the BOE and the teacher's position. I must agree with Ed Brill, that it is difficult to understand lanes, steps.
One thing I fo NOT understand is why the administrative salaries (in both 112 and 113) are not under a microscope? Check out their benefits?
Yes, we all must tighten our belts...but WHY do these people get a front seat at the trough...benefits etc. To boot? Why isn't this brought up. Or am I missing that

No one is gonna get all they want..but why are those admin. People making way north of 250000 plus benefits? I betcha they got increases...so why isn't anyone looking in this direction?

I'm a recent college grad an I can tell you that the brilliant people nowadays do not go into education. Why would you, when teachers are completely undervalued by the media and many commenters here? Meanwhile, STEM jobs go to qualified candidates from foreign countries with much better education systems, that by the way, VALUE teachers appropriately. You need the best of the best to prepare children to compete in a global economy.

By the way, if you don't think teachers are undervalued, all you have to do is look to Moshin Dada, who said teachers won't understand his numbers anyways. If the BOE wins this one, you'll be lucky if teachers a few years down the road will be able to put 2 and 2 together.

Perhaps, Tony, some of the best and brightest simply want to help others.

Just an FYI. Oak Terrace is not failing its students. Nor are the other schools who didn't make AYP like HPHS and all three middle schools. We are in good company there. And, Oak Terrace's MAP scores show a higher percentage of our students exceeding their goals than in most of the other 112 schools. That means that although they may come to the table with less, they are gaining more than those who come with more (perhaps from more affluent situations). Of course, they do have more to make up, that's true. Oak Terrace is making up the gap -- not in one year, maybe -- each and every year. And I am proud to be an Oak Terrace teacher. And yes, I am bilingual. The teachers at Oak Terrace choose to work there rather than in schools where the need is less. We love what we do and we are good at it. That's apparent when students are disappointed that there is a day off -- they'd rather be in school!

Pamela, I do not belive your poor explanation. Oak Terrace has been on the watch list for over 5 years. Under the no child left behind and Obama plan your school is failing. If the rich students parents like to diregard the results from the tests, that is their problem, and the real problem we have is people like you that sugar coat a reality: 4 students out of 10 do not know how to read, write and math. You should be ashamed, mostly because you are in charge of reading and you are failing, and you call yourself a "bilingual" teacher, ja, then I am wonderwoman! Perhaps you should train dogs instead of teaching kids how to read, you might have better results. Your school will go under, and all those bilingual teachers are bringin the school under and starting to affect other schools that you feed into.

Of course Pamela will say nothing is wrong and try to. Sugar coat the situation @ Oak Terrace, her self interest is to retire with a fat pension, regardles of the childrens future.

And the administrators should not get raises or bonus for two reasons, same rule should apply to them as to teachers, the economy is not good, save the money, and because under their watch they have decided to look over the shoulder and let the problem we have @ Oak Terrace escalate, now we have Northwood second year failing too. It is their duty to make crucial decisions that will mitigate the problem. Snobs, get in charge and make the appropriate decisions, shut down the bilingual program and start evaluating teachers. What are you waiting for, so someone takes over the school or for a civil lawsuit?

Alexa, nothing is going to happen because realistic test scores show that students are improving. ISAT scores are not a solid example of academic growth and that is what AYP is based on. Illinois will get an exemption, like so many other states, when they revamp their plan to the government. If you really detest the way bilingual education is taught, do your research and show how immersion is both cost cutting and effective. Present it to the board. They listen to discussions that save them money. Every family at Oak Terrace had the option to leave; they chose to stay. Imagine that- they chose to stay at Oak Terrace. I wonder why?