Yesterday I reported on how District 158’s Teachers union wrote about the 7% pay raises they were requesting.
It was a public relations ruse, but included in their proposal with the hope that reporters would base stories upon it.
The figure had no basis in fact.
Guess what?
The Northwest Herald fell for the 7% raise public relations ploy:
”The Huntley Education Association proposed a two-year deal with 7 percent raises to base salaries for 2008-09 and 2009-10. Union representatives cited salaries and benefits for District 300 teachers at their first step level.“
It will be interesting to watch how—or if—the NW Herald backs out of this grossly understated first year salary hike request.
The real increase is 22% for the first year alone.
Three times that 7%.
The Northwest Herald went on to pump up the union party line about making $10,000 more, 5 minutes away, as did a teacher commenting on my story yesterday.
So what are the facts?
District 300’s salary with a bachelor’s degree and 9 years of experience (BA-0 step 9) is $43,273.
District 158’s same step same degree salary this year is $45,677.
That’s a $2,404 advantage for District 158 right now.
This year.
Today.
What about next year?
The District 300 teacher would be in step 10 and earning $44, 572, including a 5% Teachers Retirement System contribution by District 300.
The step 10 bachelors teacher in District 158, according to the school board’s proposal, would be at a salary of $47,619.
Under the Huntley’ school teacher proposal, step 10 would be $50,536 about $6,000 more.
So instead of making $10,000 less five minutes away, the District 158 teacher would be making $3,047 MORE under the school district’s offer and $6,000 more under the union’s proposal.
There is something obviously flawed in the union’s argument here.
But there is little reason for the union to really care about accuracy if it can get the dominant media in the Huntley-Lake in the Hills area, the Northwest Herald, to print its party line, whether or not it reflects the facts in its proposal.
Take 15 minutes to go online, look down the first column of District 300 salaries and compare the to the existing District 158 salaries.
Then flip the page online to next year’s salary schedule and do a comparison to the salary District 158 proposed for next year.
You can find District 158’s salaries on its web site (go to page 21).
The District 300 teachers’ contract is also online. (Schedules for this year and for 2008-2009 are on pages shown in the online page box of 43 and 44; on the document itself they are on pages 100 and 101. Click on Download when you see:
28. 439-2 Teachers Contract LEAD 300: Appendices, Forms & Retiremt Pkg Ltr 2-8-08.)
= = = = =
The pictures are of cars in the Huntley School District 158 administrative building parking lot. I counted 77. If one assumes there were 8, maybe 9 or 10, school board members and their support staff, then about 67 teachers showed up for the salary negotiation meeting at which the two sides’ proposals were exchanged.
Cal,
Even you don’t report all the facts. So you got us in the Bachelors column. That can be adjusted in negotiations. Take 5 minutes more and look to the right. In almost every other scale D300 surpasses D158 in salary. D158 BOE has said clearly they want the best teachers, that means teachers with Masters and more degrees. How can the BOE in D158 attract those candidates with a pay difference like this (D158 M+0 first year $37,547. D300 M+0 first year $43,382) That is close to a $6,000 difference. Take 5 more minutes everyone and see the half truths that Cal is feeding you.
You didn’t comment on the inaccuracy of the claim that the union is only asking for a 7% raise.
Having said that, the M+0 column at step 14 has the District 158 Board’s proposal at $59,148 for next year without any TRS.
For next year District 300’s same M+0 column at step 14 is $60,719, including TRS contribution.
If TRS is added to the District 157 salary request the result would be higher than District 300.
For a single teacher in District 300 who began teaching there since 2000, they would pay at least $1,000 for their medical insurance.
In District 158 this same coverage can be 100% paid for and is for so many teachers. In District 300 it is 80%.
Taking into account this health insurance narrows the difference to a whopping $571 in District 300’s favor.
District 158’s contract provides for 14 sick days while District 300 provides for 12.
Beginning teachers in District 300 could well end up teaching in a trailer.
Not so in District 158.
Every one of District 158’s schools is a modern facility with a lot of computer technology resources for student learning.
District 300’s Technology plan is behind the curve substantially implementation wise. District 158 has lower class sizes and no trailers being used as classrooms.
Those salaries are a pittance. Anyone at any other profession with a masters degree would make far more. Obviously, teachers have taken far less than they deserve for far too long…
I saw a statistic not too long ago ranking countries on how much starting teachers are paid in relation to per-capita GDP. I’m sure it won’t surprise you to learn that we’re not #1: that honor belongs to South Korea and Germany (both at 141%). We are at 81%. To me, that says a lot on how we value our teachers and the education of our children.
It’s easy to pass-off our place in the world in the education of children as a non-issue, but we all know that children will be adults someday; and those adults will need good jobs that require more increasingly rigorous education. Attracting quality teachers can only be done by offering a salary that competes with other available jobs for people of that level. Some, of course, will shun material wealth for a life of service to children – they should be exalted, but not widely expected. The fact that we’ve done fine so far means nothing when you consider the future. The future will hold new and different challenges.
All people will of course say that “yes,” they want the best education for their children. A possible solution for some will be private school and private tutors – nothing is too good for those who can afford the added costs. But that will leave most of us behind: who can afford to just plunk-down thousands of dollars?
Out country has a contract with us: she will educate our/her children. Are we to expect something less than the best for them?
Bottom line, teachers in District 158 are underpaid in comparison to District’s in the region. Make a comparison to U46, D303, D47, etc.