Chicago Teachers: Are They Nuts?

@Irishk,

Irishk wrote:

I think property taxes in the wealthy 'burbs of Chicago could be doubled and those 1%'ers wouldn't even notice it.

The suburbs of Chicago don't pay for the inner City schools of Chicago.
Why do you think these folks moved to the Suburbs in the first place??

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@Linkat,

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/charterschoice/2012/05/report_charters_outspend_comparable_public_schools_in_ny_texas.html

http://nepc.colorado.edu/files/rb-charterspending_0.pdf

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@Irishk,

Irishk wrote:

Linkat wrote:
And they already are making in the high end of teachers.
I think they're either the 1st or 2nd highest paid in the nation (NYC is supposedly 2nd), but the $72-76K average salary quoted for Chicago teachers doesn't include benefits.

Their health insurance copay is only 3% (which some of the seniors I work with would kill for).

All of that may be true, but remember these teachers don't get Social Security when they retire.

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@ehBeth,

I've looked at various other stats for different states and they are all conflicting. Some states say they cost less according to the stats, some say more and another said there was no difference in cost.

I've read another account at another state that said the only reason that Charter school was more because of the initial construction costs. And another analysis that stated that the cost of actual educating the student was less, but the administration was more.

Bascially all this shows is that it can cost less if done correctly. Same type as I've shown as private schools - it can cost less, but it doesn't always result in that way.

The more important thing - is how come some cost less and others do not - and if what impact the cost actually has on the end result.

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@Irishk,

Irishk wrote:

Karen Lewis hates Arne Duncan! I just watched her on youtube making fun of his lisp and she said, "You know it's obvious he went to a private school because if he'd gone to a public school, we'd have fixed that lisp!" LOL

She means his lips would have been painted on the back of his ASS in giant letters.

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@ehBeth,

exactly and I can go in and find as many that refute that charter schools cost more. There is as much research in the other direction.

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@Miller,

yeah social security is a whole lotta money (not). I'd rather have the teacher's pension.

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@Linkat,

Linkat wrote:

Can people in Chicago afford higher taxes? Question as I am not familar with the amount of earnings people have in that city. And with a low economy my assumption is it is difficult to get more money from people if they cannot afford it.

Fine if you come from an affluent town/city, but not if the community cannot afford it. Not going to do the city well if people end up foreclosing on homes because the taxes are unaffordable.

There are some very wealthy folks living in Chicago. Do you remember the Gordons, who run a giant candy factory? Probably several of them.
I read a recent articel about them that said they paid $10,000/month to live in their Chicago apartment. That's an apartment within the city limits.

You 've heard of Oprah? She used to live within the City limits, too. She's big bucks, from the get-go.

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@Miller,

I'd imagine there is some wealthy - not familar with the break out of Chicago and like some say the suburbs are nicer areas. More a question whether raising taxes is even an option and what sort of impact it would have.

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@boomerang,

Tnx.

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@Linkat,

Linkat wrote:

yeah social security is a whole lotta money (not). I'd rather have the teacher's pension.

They retire at 80% of their salary. That's about $56,000. That's not enough to blow your snot on. But with a SS nucleus of about $25,000, then the folks can afford to eat and sleep in confort.

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Oh ****…the world is going to end on December 21st of this year.

It has to happen, because I just read every post in this thread…and without a doubt the ones that made the most sense were written by…

…joefromchicago.

In fact, he was dead on every time.

If you are participating in this thread and your position differs from his substantially…and you think your position makes more sense than his…

…read his entries again. Keep reading them until you change your mind!

Christ, I never thought this would happen. I’m probably not going to be able to sleep tonight.

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@Miller,

Miller wrote:

Irishk wrote:

Karen Lewis hates Arne Duncan! I just watched her on youtube making fun of his lisp and she said, "You know it's obvious he went to a private school because if he'd gone to a public school, we'd have fixed that lisp!" LOL

She means his lips would have been painted on the back of his ASS in giant letters.

Haha. She went from that to talking about 'self-medicating' through all her years at Dartmouth and then quickly apologized because there were children in the audience. She never did say she was sorry for making fun of another's physical defect, though.

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@Miller,

Its still more than social security. They also have other options like the rest of us slobs like investing in IRA for retirement. Most of the rest of the world here do not receive a pension of 80% of their salary when they retire. I know I don't - I save in a 401k because of lack of pension. In other words, I save money from my regular salary. I do get matching but it won't equate to 80% of my salary each year.

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@Linkat,

The Chicago teachers are required to pay 9% of their salary into a pension fund, but the taxpayer picks up 7% of that, so it's actually 2% vs. the 6.5% that private sector employees pay into SS.

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With an average pay of $74k, 170 student days and the Rahm demanded extended 7.5 hour school day teachers collect $58 a student contact hour....before benefits and deffered pay.

Ya, no pitty will be found in my corner. I am pretty sure that is more than double the hourly income of thee average person....who almost certainly has a benefit package which is either non existant or not so good.

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@Irishk,

I remember this semi-retired co-worker (basically he worked contract where I previously worked) - in any case, he was bragging about the package his wife was offered who had been a teacher for years. He said it was insane - she would make more money if she retired early than stayed teaching with all the incentives that they offered for early retirement.

She loved teaching and didn't necessarily want to retire early, but the benefits of retiring early where so good it only made financial sense.

I'm not knocking teachers - and why not take advantage if it is offered to you - they work hard, but they do get compensated if they stay with it for years and years pretty well.

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@Linkat,

Mr.Irish has a relative that taught for years in the California system. She was a spec. ed. teacher (very good - won all kinds of awards). She decided to retire when her husband did (they're both in their 50's) and travel the world. When they returned at the end of the summer, the school called and begged her to return in a 'consulting' position. They made her an offer she couldn't refuse (salary-wise) and now she's a double-dipper, receiving full retirement benefits and a fabulous salary LOL!

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There has been a lot of chatter here and elswhere that this dispute is not about money, claims that the two sides are close on money, but then I see a report today that the offer is 16% over four years where as the demand is 35% over four years.

So ya this is about money, and ya the teachers are ******* nuts.

In other news I see that the teachers started their demonstration today at 2:30pm.......early risers apparently they are not!

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@hawkeye10,

Other reports have it that the demand is 35% over three years, not four. I can well see though the political value of union PR missives claiming other motivations for the strike given that Chicago teachers are already some of the best paid in the country, and given the insanity of trying to massively bump that pay up during a time when most taxpaiers are taking deep income and net worth declines

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Chicago Teachers: Are They Nuts?

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