Crystal Laker Finds Way to Localize National Petition for Higher Teacher Salaries

Here’s a national petition that has been localized to Crystal Lake.

Every link goes to a national petition to President Barack Obama.

We value teachers enough to put America’s future — our children — in their hands. It’s time their paychecks reflect the importance and responsibility of the work they do.

Support better pay for effective teachers »

When you’re in school, multiplication tables, civil war battles and Charles Dickens novels don’t necessarily seem so important. But as adults, we know that those basic math lessons are critical to becoming an accountant, engineer or doctor. Our history teaches us how to not repeat mistakes and inspires many to enter public service. Literature illuminates our world and inspires us to dream.

But it’s up to teachers to pass those lessons on to students. Good teachers that help kids learn the fundamentals they need to succeed should be compensated for the value they really give society.

It’s time to pay great teachers what they deserve. Sign the pledge in support of better pay for Crystal Lake’s — and America’s — great teachers »

Thanks for taking action! Emily V. Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team


Comments

Crystal Laker Finds Way to Localize National Petition for Higher Teacher Salaries — 2 Comments

  1. Whoaaaaaa…….that’s putting the cart before the horse. We don’t know the overall compensation of teachers or any public employee.
    How about a consolidated easy to read report detailing overall public employee compensation? Basically the type of data found on a pay stub and in the collective bargaining agreement and in human resources (HR).
    Let’s look at teachers since that’s the subject of this article.
    First let’s look at what we need to do now, with no such report, to determine overall compensation. We need the collective bargaining agreement, familytaxpayers.org for teacher salary, and FOIA information from the district not included in those sources.
    Now let’s look at what information we would need to determine overall compensation, and thus the information that should be in such a Public Sector Employee Compensation Report to Taxpayers.
    The report would include:
    Each teacher name and salary
    Salary schedule
    stipend schedule
    Stipends for each teacher
    Healthcare benefits
    Dental benefits
    Vision benefits
    Life Insurance benefits
    Plan names for the above
    Deductibles
    Co-pays
    For instance, what is the annual premium for hospitalization/major medical, dental, vision, and life insurance; and what percentage of that premium does the board pay, what percentage of that premium does the employee pay.
    Payroll deductions for above in percentages.
    What is spousal and dependent coverage for the above?
    How many sick days can employee earn pear year. Can they be rolled over until retirement and exchanged for bonus and/or years-of-service credit, and can years-of-service credit be exchanged to allow employee to retire up to 2 years early; or if not 2 years early, 1 year early?
    How many personal days can employee earn per year.
    Can personal days be rolled over to next year or until retirement?
    What percentage of teachers 9.4% contribution to TRS is board paid.
    Do teachers receive 6% end-of-career salary increase, each of teachers last four years prior to retirement (or any type of end-of-career salary increase).
    Any other type of bonuses paid.
    How much per credit hour are teachers reimbursed for taking college classes.
    What is the maximum number of credit hours per year that teachers may take?
    What is the maximum number of credit hours per year for which teachers will be reimbursed?
    Do non-college credit hours count towards advancement on the salary schedule, if so, what are the details.
    Is the Board paying for TRIP medical insurance for any retirees, and if what percentage is the board paying, and for what ages (of employees).
    What were the increases to steps, lanes, and overall salary schedule the prior 10 years.
    Supporting documentation:
    Copy of current collective bargaining agreement for reference.
    Copy of previous collective bargaining agreement for reference.
    Include in the report all sources of taxpayer revenue and program revenues the school district receives: Property Tax, State Income Tax, Federal Income Tax, Lottery Proceeds, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money, etc.
    Include all this both both the High School district and elementary district, as Crystal Lake is not a unit district.

    Next it’s helpful to know the number of days per year and hours per day that teachers are required to be at school. How many of those days per year are institute (no student face time but teachers are required to be at school) days, how many minutes per day are they are required to be at school, how many of those minutes are allotted to break, lunch, preparation time, and student face time.

    For instance the average teacher work year is 180 days, 4 weeks off during the school year, 10 weeks off in summer, resulting in teachers working 38 weeks per year. Compare that to 48 – 50 weeks per year for non teaching professions). Now that’s what teachers are required to work. Some, hopefully most, do put in extra hours, especially the first few years of their career. Some do not but when education reform SB7 kicks in hopefully that will change.

    Include a list of activities teachers do so people appreciate the work involved.

    Then how about some sort of justification from teachers as to why they deserve more pay. The Care2 petitionsite action alert above is just appealing to our emotions, there is no numerical data. At least employed teachers have a job and presumably still have their house, whereas many jobs have been outsourced, many homes are in foreclosure. The economy is in risk of another recession. And Crystal Lake teachers want more pay?
    Their timing is lousy. Enough the rhetoric. Show us the money, show us how you are being paid.

    Not picking on teachers, we deserve such a report for all public employees detailing their overall compensation, not just teachers.

  2. Well after I wrote the above, I clicked on the link in the article.
    Support better pay for effective teachers »
    http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/488/490/701/?z00m=20070031
    Which reveals the petition is sponsored by studentsfirst.org.

    That is Michelle Rhee’s organization.

    She is an education reformer, former Chancellor of Wasington DC schools.

    She’s advocating better pay for effective teachers, not all teachers.

    I missed the point.

    But I stand behind my thesis, which is there should be a “Public Sector Employee Compensation Report to Taxpayers” for each organization with public sector employees. Public sector overall compensation for a particular employee is far too hidden to taxpayers.

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