A comment from a previous article included these emailed suggestions for picket signs:
Hi all:
Teachers on Randall Road near Jacobs High School seemed to have no custom-made signs.
Make signs at warming center on your breaks1. Students First, NOT ADM
2. $ 6 million WASTED on ADM per year
3. Teacher concessions $3.4 million per year
4. Dr. Bregy is a Quack
5. Bregy mismanages D300 $
6. Stevens/Bregy are the problem
7. Less teachers, less coaches, less clubs WHY?
8. Teachers = Strong Students
9. ADM NOT the answer, teachers are the SOLUTION11. Fire Bregy
12. Teachers for students
13. Support students, NOT ADM
14. Don’t trust Stevens, an insurance salesman
15. Support classroom environment, NOT ADM
16. We are schools, not a corporation
17. ADM does not teach students
18. 29 more ADM, 30 less teachers WHAT?20. More layers of mangement, WRONG
21. VOTE STEVENS OUTGreg Fogarty
= = = = =
School Board Recruitment Ad
Note that suggestions 10 and 19 are missing. Are you as curious as I am as to what they were?
You will also note the evidence that the teachers union will be involved in next spring’s school board elections. Not that they have not been before…and not just in District 300.
The problem is that those representing the taxpayer side of the equation don’t have a large enough personal financial interest to run for school board.
But, just in case someone is interested in taking on the challenge, here is the link from the recruitment ad that is running on McHenry County Blog.
They can’t run for school board unless they live in that district, right?
So they’d have as much “personal financial interest” as every other taxpayer, correct?
I might have to find my “END UNION GREED” sign.
It just took me 20 minutes to download 15,817 CUSD 300 teacher and administrator pay records from familytaxpayers.org for the years 1999 – 2011 to a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet.
1,374 teachers and administrators in 2011, the latest year available.
Columns for Name, Salary, Months, Percent, Employment Type, Experience, Position, Degree, District, and I added Year.
Next step is to normalize the Names, meaning for example, sometimes the District reports Joe Schmoe as Joe T Schmoe, thus convert all Joe Schmoe records to Joe T Schmoe, being careful they are in fact the same person.
The normalizing process for 15,817 records will probably take at least one to maybe a few hours.
Once that is done you can easily see year over year pay increases for individual teachers and administrators.
Once again, familytaxpayers.org receives the data from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) whom receives it from the school districts, so if there are errors, blame the school district not familytaxpayers.org.
Well I just finished normalizing the A’s and I’m already cross eyed.
Just finished normalizing the B’s. You can see how long this process takes.
Ask our new board member Mike SKALA how to fix this problem he worked with Dist 158
Fire them All
I’m selecting a few employees who were employed from 1999 – 2011 to see what kind of pay increases they have received. Identifying them by name upsets them so I’ll identify them by title. The column titles are Year – Salary – Years Experience. Salary data from familytaxpayers.org. Pension data from bettergov.org.
Third grade elementary teacher
2011 – 75,675 – 15
2010 – 65,442 – 14
2009 – 60,415 – 13
2008 – 59,190 – 12
2007 – 56,296 – 11
2006 – 53,382 – 10
2005 – 44,777 – 09
2004 – 50,465 – 08
2003 – 39,461 – 07
2002 – 36,150 – 06
2001 – 34,089 – 05
2000 – 31,624 – 04
1999 – 28,658 – 03
Guidance Counselor
2005 – 121,302 – 34
2004 – 097,684 – 33
2003 – 09,5394 – 32
2002 – 07,6217 – 31
2001 – 07,2477 – 30
2000 – 06,7806 – 29
1999 – 06,4570 – 28
Pension is $86,511 after 34 years of service, retiring 6/11/2005.
Second Grade Teacher
2011 – 85,980 – 24
2010 – 85,123 – 23
2009 – 75,972 – 22
2008 – 71,824 – 21
2007 – 68,353 – 20
2006 – 66,949 – 19
2005 – 64,107 – 18
2004 – 63,924 – 17
2003 – 56,708 – 16
2002 – 54,630 – 15
2001 – 51,737 – 14
2000 – 46,722 – 13
1999 – 37,800 – 12
Fifth Grade Teacher
2011 – 89,378 – 23
2010 – 89,475 – 22
2009 – 80,595 – 21
2008 – 78,543 – 20
2007 – 75,045 – 19
2006 – 74,969 – 18
2005 – 66,398 – 17
2004 – 65,210 – 16
2003 – 58,809 – 15
2002 – 54,065 – 14
2001 – 49,644 – 13
2000 – 40,006 – 12
1999 – 38,316 – 11
Third Grade Elementary
2011 – 81,830 – 18
2010 – 72,783 – 17
2009 – 66,797 – 16
2008 – 64,563 – 15
2007 – 61,124 – 14
2006 – 58,138 – 13
2005 – 55,034 – 12
2004 – 55,121 – 11
2003 – 51,335 – 10
2002 – 47,156 – 09
2001 – 43,290 – 08
2000 – 40,602 – 07
1999 – 37,322 – 06
2nd Grade Teacher
2011 – 92, 364 – 27
2010 – 92, 741 – 26
2009 – 89, 608 – 25
2008 – 85, 152 – 24
2007 – 81, 488 – 23
2006 – 78, 123 – 22
2005 – 74, 771 – 21
2004 – 74, 189 – 20
2003 – 67, 908 – 19
2002 – 63, 935 – 18
2001 – 57, 774 – 17
2000 – 53, 431 – 16
1999 – 47, 934 – 15
Elementary School Teacher
2009 – 101,727 – 20
2008 – 090,999 – 19
2007 – 073,373 – 18
2006 – 069,579 – 17
2005 – 064,624 – 16
2004 – 062,534 – 15
2003 – 057,961 – 14
2002 – 054,224 – 13
2001 – 048,108 – 12
2000 – 039,411 – 11
1999 – 037,577 – 10
Pension is 43,544 after 21.25 years of service retiring 6/18/2009.
First Grade Elementary Teacher
2011 – 101,712 – 27
2010 – 093,787 – 26
2009 – 087,526 – 25
2008 – 084,209 – 24
2007 – 080,959 – 23
2006 – 080,012 – 22
2005 – 075,910 – 21
2004 – 071,792 – 20
2003 – 066,287 – 19
2002 – 062,957 – 18
2001 – 057,508 – 17
2000 – 053,443 – 16
1999 – 046,268 – 15
High School Principal
2011 – 149,215 – 28
2010 – 148,010 – 27
2009 – 140,898 – 26
2008 – 134,129 – 25
2007 – 127,969 – 24
2006 – 121,433 – 23
2005 – 116,216 – 22
2004 – 112,078 – 21
2003 – 112,078 – 20
2002 – 096,927 – 19
2001 – 089,885 – 18
2000 – 076,166 – 17
1999 – 073,947 – 16
There is a small sample of teacher and administrator pay and pensions. I didn’t cherry pick, just went down the list. Feel free to create your own spreadsheet and do your own analysis. Draw your own conclusions as to whether the strike is justified.
I think it’s important to note that the data published above is for teachers (and administrators who are NOT part of the LEAD300 union) with 20+ years on the job. Looking at data from the ISBE website, it becomes quite clear that teacher salary begins at under $40K for a first year teacher.
I’m not taking sides either way. I haven’t sat on either side of the bargaining table. I just know that as a parent of a D300 student, I’d like to see a fair and fiscally responsible resolution to this strike as soon as possible.
So…$86,511 pension benefit per year after 34 years of service. If we guesstimate the age of retirement at 65 and this person lives to 90 the pension fund will pay out for 25 years for a total benefit of $2,162,777 (without any CPI adjustments).
$2,162,777 / 34 years of service = $63,611 per year of service. Now add that to the guidance counselor’s salary on your chart for every year worked. In the last year of service he/she made $184,913 per year.
No wonder schools need more money! Is this correct or did I miss something?
Yes, you missed the fact teachers do not receive social security- do the same exercise with your salary and social security.
Only teachers contribute more- closer to 9% versus the 6. 5% you contribute to social security.
How much of the 9% do D300 employees contribute?
1. Skala is married to a teacher who did or does work for 158. Conflict of interest anyone? Nah!
2. The baloney about teachers paying in the 9 or whatever percent was made public by a number of people and a look at many contracts shows how it was paid for by boards aka us taxpayers.
No I am not talking about being an intermediary to pass their money thru.
I mean WE paid them.
I don’t believe 86,511 was the starting pension.
86,511 I think is the current pension.
Here’s how it works.
There are exceptions such as Early Retirement Option (ERO), but typically the earliest a teacher or administrator can achieve full pension is after 35 years of service.
Years of service is different than years worked.
Typically teachers and administrators can accumulate up to 2 years sick leave, and exchange the accumulated sick leave for 2 years of service at retirement.
Let’s assume the subject exchanged 1 year of accumulated sick for one year of service, add the 34 years worked, the subject would achieve 35 years of service and thus full retirement benefits.
Also, if one began their service at the age of 22, and worked 34 years, they would be 56 at retirement.
Teachers and administrators’ starting pension with 35 years of service is typically 75% of the average of the last 4 years pay.
Year – Salary – Years Experience
2005 – 121,302 – 34
2004 – 097,684 – 33
2003 – 095,394 – 32
2002 – 076,217 – 31
121,302 + 97,684 + 95,394 + 76,217 = 390,597 / 4 = 97,649 * .75 = $73,237 starting pension.
2006 – $73,237 starting pension
2007 – $75,434 with 3% COLA increase.
2008 – $77,697 with 3% COLA increase.
2009 – $80,028 with 3% COLA increase.
2010 – $82,429 with 3% COLA increase.
2011 – $84,902 with 3% COLA increase.
2012 – $87,449 with 3% COLA increase.
Doesn’t exactly match up with $86,511, but close.
I did the math myself so people can see how the calculations work.
That’s the power of compounded 3% COLA.
$73,237 becomes $87,449 after 6 years.
If you think the 3% is substantial, teachers and administrators in many school districts were receiving 6% raises in the 2000 – 2010 decade.
Not just retiring teachers, but teachers at all levels.
When lane increases (for additional college credits), step increases (working an additional year), stipends, and base salary schedule increases were included, they added up to about 6% a year salary increases for many school districts during that decade.
I’ll look up the exact pension increases for this employee on Bettergov.org later.
@ Whatever – The social security max is $2500 per month. The $85,000 per year pension is $7,000 per month. So I guess the difference between 6.5% and 9% is still in favor of the pension receivers.
The other question is…
How much of the 9% is directly taken from the teachers check vs. contributions from the school district?
“How much of the 9% do D300 employees contribute?”
“How much of the 9% is directly taken from the teachers check vs. contributions from the school district?”
I’m posting this in a few articles on the blog since there seems to be a lot of interest in the subject.
Looking at the CUSD 300/LEAD 300 July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012 collective bargaining agreement.
Pages 55 of 106.
“Item G – TEACHER RETIREMENT SHELTER
The District shall pay 5% (5/9.5) of the TRS payment. Teacher Retirement System contributions will be sheltered in accordance with and to the extent allowed by law.”
So the CUSD 300 Board (thus district and taxpayers) paid 5% of the 9.4% teacher contribution to the TRS pension plan.
Thus the teachers contributed 4.4% to their TRS pension plan.
Thus the Board/District/Taxpayers contributed a greater portion of the teachers contribution to the TRS pension plan, than the teachers themselves.
Shifting gears.
For those not aware, the normal Employer (School District) contribution to the teachers pension plan is .58%.
That’s a little over 1/2 of 1%.
The .58% is completely separate from the 9.4%.
Recap.
.58% is the employer contribution.
9.4% is the employee contribution.
The State/Taxpayer picks up the remaining contribution “on behalf of the school district”.
Madigan/Cullerton/Quinn are proposing to shift the State/Taxpayer portion gradually to the School District (employer).
Which on the surface sounds reasonable, since the State doesn’t contribute to Chicago teacher pensions.
Until you realize the State provides other goodies to Chicago schools that are not provided to suburban and downstate schools.
And until you realize that from 1971 – 2011, State legislators (House and Senate) sweetened the pensions in 38 of those 40 years, even as the State in most years did not make it’s required contribution.
The State realizes it cannot ever make up the shortfall, and the State cannot continue to kick the can, so the State is kicking the can to the local school
districts.
“I think it’s important to note that the data published above is for teachers (and administrators who are NOT part of the LEAD300 union) with 20+ years on the job. Looking at data from the ISBE website, it becomes quite clear that teacher salary begins at under $40K for a first year teacher.”
First of all, the data I posted included teachers and administrators with the following years experience.
Year 03 – Year 15
Year 28 – Year 34
Year 12 – Year 24
Year 11 – Year 23
Year 06 – Year 18
Year 15 – Year 27
Year 16 – Year 28.
When I have time I will post teachers and administrators with even fewer years experience.
But look at the teacher who started with 3 years experience at $28,658 in 1999.
Did
$28,658 with 3 years experience in 1999.
really evolve to
$40,363 with 3 years experience in 2011/12?
Looking at the CUSD 300 collective bargaining agreement with LEAD 300 (teachers contract).
Page 94 of 106.
Appendix G – Teacher Salary Schedule for 2011/2012.
First in response to the comment that teachers start at less than $40K.
The lowest pay for a Year 1 teacher with a Bachelors degree and no additional college credits is $39,502 without Board Paid TRS, and $41,581 with Board Paid TRS.
Thus starting salary in CUSD300 for a teacher is over $40,000 because all the teachers receive Board Paid TRS.
Using the same salary schedule, a teacher with 3 years experience with no additional college credits is $40,363 without Board paid TRS, and $42,488 with Board Paid TRS.
Assuming the teacher above had no additional college credits at $28,658 in 1999 and assuming the $28,658 did not include Board Paid TRS, did the CUSD 300 teacher salary schedule really increase from $28,858 in 1999 to $40,363 in 2011/12 for a Year 3 teacher with no additional college credits?
More research would reveal the answer.