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Pat Quinn Tells Truth about Pension Underfunding, But Not Whole Truth

May 07, 2012 By: Cal Skinner Category: IEA, IFT, Illinois Education Association, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Neil Steinberg, Pat Quinn, Pension, State Aid to Education, Teacher Pay, Teacher Pension, Teacher Salaries

The irony in this part of his interview with Governor Pat Quinn is that Neil Steinberg and maybe even the Governor do not know the pension problem is directly attributable to stealing money allocted to pensions in years past to increase State Aid to Education.

Neil Steinberg adds to the pressure to address the public pension mess Monday morning in a column featuring an interview with Illinois Governor Pat Quinn.

There is one part that I found interesting, accurate as far as it goes, but missing the main point.

“The folks who put us in this mess are from both parties,” Quinn said.

He’s got that right.

“Every governor and every session of the legislature, the choice at the end of the year came down to: ‘Do we pay this pensions thing or spend a little bit more money on other things?”

Correct again.

“They always picked now over requiring pension payments. So it got worse and worse.”

The Governor again speaks truth.

But not the whole truth.

Each year I remember the Governor’s budget would allocate so much for education.

It would be broken down into State Aid to Education, university subsidies and pension payments for those employed in higher and lower education.

Each year, the teachers unions–I’m talking the Illinois Education Association and the Illinois Federation of Teachers–would come in and argue that the pension money would be better spent “NOW,” to put it in the Governor’s word, on State Aid to Education.

Tomorrow would take care of itself was the implicit message.

Since those still employed as teachers or professors or support personnel were so much more influential than the retired folks, the money was allocated by General Assembly after General Assembly for current expenditures, rather than future pension payments.

Hard to criticize the political sense of the judgment at the time, because most of the representatives and senators voting for the budgets wouldn’t be around to pay the piper, so to speak.

But doing so had more than political advantages for incumbent legislators running for re-election.

Sending extra money to local schools had the unintended effect of increasing the pension burden on state taxpayers.

At the risk of pointing out the obvious, higher teacher salaries meant higher teacher pensions.

Having said pointed that out, I remember thinking time and time again that I might be around to have to figure out how to pay for extravagant programs.

That was before I voted, “No.”

Maybe someone can find someone who voted against more budgets than I over the 16 years I served in the General Assembly, but I doubt it.

At this point, it would be appropriate to remind readers that I receive a legislative pension, but one that was not hopped up by having a post-GA job at a higher salary than I received as a state representative. Because of the 3% annual so-called “cost of living” increase–which is a flat rate not based on inflation–my pension is substantially higher than my final salary in the Illinois House of Representatives in 2000.

I remember voting for only two pension bills. One was in the second year of my first term that affected the General Assembly pension system. I remember asking the legendary C.L. McCormick from Vienna what it was all about. He told me not to worry about it and I voted in favor.

That was the favorable last pension vote I remember until a McHenry County Judge called me in the 1990′s about supporting a bill that would put his bifurcated judicial service on an equal footing with those who had only served as a judge. He had been an Associate Judge after serving as Assistant State’s Attorney, gone into private practice and returned to the bench to finish his career.

Might Mike Skala Run for State Representative?

June 07, 2011 By: Cal Skinner Category: Huntley Education Association, Huntley School District 158, IEA, Illinois Education Association, JoAnn Osmond, Mike Skala, Mike Tryon

Huntley School Board President certainly has an interest in the legislative process.

Just look at the agenda for the District 158 Committee of the Whole meeting coming up June 9th:

Skala is the Chairman of the Legislative Committee and giving a report on June 9th.

Of course, the newly-reconfigured 66th District in which he lives has an incumbent–Mike Tryon.

Tryon’s political base has been split by the Illinois Democrats’ reapportionment map. He lives in the northernmost precinct in the district, just south of my precinct, which abuts the South Shore of Crystal Lake (the lake).

Mike Skala

While the 66th District has 67% of Republican primary voters, the rest are in Kane County.

The district in which my Algonquin 7 precinct is the southernmost precinct, on the other hand, has almost all of its residents in McHenry County. It does dip enough into Lake County to reach JoAnn Osmond’s home in Antioch, however.

Osmond has not decided whether she will run in the district whose number she now represents or the McHenry County-dominated one.

Tryon is considering whether he and his wife should downsize from their Four Colonies home into something smaller located in the district in which Osmond lives.

If Tryon does decide to move, that would leave the 66th House District empty.

Being an elected official in the governmental body that probably has more constituents than any other located in that part of McHenry County, Skala would seem to be well-positioned to run for State Representative.

After being narrowly defeated for school board when he was last President by Aileen Seedorf and his ally Jim Carlin, Skala was reappointed to the board when Carlin resigned about six months into his term.

In the next election, Skala then matched himself against arch-foe Larry Snow and beat Snow. The campaign saw Tryon endorse Skala and was akin to a state rep. campaign in intensity. He even had the same campaign manager that Tryon used.

Skala has been a large contributor to Tryon’s campaign war chest and participates in a now annual fish boil fund raiser for Tryon in Huntley.

So, if Tryon decided to run in the northern district, his blessing would undoubtedly be bestowed upon Skala.

No other possible candidates for the lower House have been brought to my attention should Tryon abdicate the seat, but, if one should arise, Tryon’s school board leadership could cut both ways.

Skala was one of those who pushed for the school district tax rate hike and, while apparently legal, I’m told he voted for the teachers’ contract before the current one, even though his wife teaches French at Huntley High School.

His wife is a former Co-President of the Huntley Education Association. That would mean to me that teachers would be favorably inclined to support Skala throughout the district, a nice geographically spread base.

When he was Minority Leader, Lee Daniels was known for recruiting those with school board or school administration backgrounds.   They were called “IEA Republicans.”

Teachers’ Union Ramps Up Pension Phone Campaign

May 26, 2011 By: Cal Skinner Category: IEA, Illinois Education Association, Pension, Teacher, Teacher Pension, Teachers Union

With both House Speaker Mike Madigan and House Minority Leader Tom Cross supporting Cross’ pension reform bill, the Illinois Education is contacting members urging them to contact their state legislators.

No mention is made by the IEA of how their lobbyists convinced legislators in decades past to move money allocated for pension payments to State Aid to Education. (See Teacher Pension Mess Brought About by Teacher Union Requests for Current Salaries Out of Money Earmarked by Pensions.)

Here’s the IEA web site today:

Today's IEA web site.

The IEA pitch to contact legislators follows:

The IEA memo telling why the pension reform bill should be killed. Click to enlarge.

Here’s the memo about what the pension reform bill will do to teachers’ pensions:

 

Teacher Pension Mess Brought About by Teacher Union Requests for Current Salaries Out of Money Earmarked by Pensions

May 16, 2011 By: Cal Skinner Category: IEA, IFT, Illinois Education Association, Pension, State Aid to Education, Teacher, Teacher Pay, Teacher Pension, Teacher Salaries, Teachers Retirement System, Teachers Union

The third floor is where the legislature meets. To the rigth in this photo is the House Chamber, to the left the press room.

We are in this mess because over the years Governors have proposed X amount of dollars for education.

 

Usually a couple of hundred million dollars.

When the discussions of how to cut up that amount took place, current salaries won over future pensions.

That’s what the Illinois Education Association lobbyists said they wanted.

If it made that powerful group with its big Political Action Committee happy, legislators were happy.

This was a win-win for the teachers’ unions.

They knew the state constitution would require the General Assembly to come up with the pension money.

And, with the larger share going to State Aid to Education that originally planned, not only would their members salaries be higher, but their pensions would increase.

39% of Illinois Teachers Pay Nothing for Pensions

May 16, 2011 By: Cal Skinner Category: Alton, Argo, Arlington Heights, Aurora, Ball Chatham, Belleville, Belvidere School District, Berwyn, Bremen Township, Cahokia, Canton, Cary Elementary School District 26, Cary Grade School District, Champaign, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Schools, Cicero, Collinsville, Crete-Monee, Crystal Lake Grade School District 47, Crystal Lake High School District 155, Danville, Decatur, DeKalb, District 155, District 165, District 2, District 200, District 26, District 3, District 300, District 47, Dixon, Dolton, Downers Grove, East Maine, Edwardsville, Effingham, Elgin School District, Elmhurst, Evanston, Freeport, Geneva, Genoa, Grayslake Unit School District 46, Harvard School District 50, Harvey, Highland Park, Homewood, Illinois Education Association, Illinois State Board of Education, Johnsburg School District, Joliet, Kaneland School District 302, Kankakee, Kevin McCarthy, Larry Snow, LaSalle, Lemont, Leyden Township, Lockport Township, Lombard, Lyons Township, Manteno, Marion, Massac, Mattoon, McHenry Grade School District 15, McHenry High School District 156, Moline, Naperville Unit District 203, New Lenox, Niles, Nippersink Elementary School District 2, North Boone, O'Fallon, Oak Lawn, Palatine, Park Ridge, Pension, Peoria, Peru, Plainfield, Proviso Township, Quincy, Reed Custer, Rochester, Rockford School District, Round Lake School District 116, Schaumburg, Schiller Park, School, Springfield, St. Charles School District, Summit Hill, Sycamore School District 427, Taylorville, Teacher Negotiations, Teacher Pay, Teacher Pension, Teacher Salaries, Teachers Retirement System, Teachers Union, Thornton Township, Tolono, Union, Urbana, Valley View, Warren Township High School District, Wauconda, Waukegan, West Chicago, Wheeling, Wilmington, Woodstock School District 200, Yorkville, Zion

Larry Snow

While Democrats say Teachers ‘Have Kept Their Part of the Deal?’

is the title of an April 5, 2011, article by former Huntley School District 158 Board member Larry Snow.  (The quote was in the Chicago Tribune Marcy 31, 2011.  It is from Executive Director Dick Ingram of Teachers’ Retirement System.)

The article was published in “The Champion” with this teaser:

“82,981 of 132,502 Illinois Teachers Pay Nothing or Little into Their Pensions

That’s 63% of all teachers in Illinois.

The State Journal-Register is reporting that State Rep. Kevin McCarthy (D-Orland Park) is promoting a bill where state and local governments would all pay six percent of payroll toward employee pensions.

In a revealing sentence in reporter Chris Wetterich’s article, he writes,

What’s unclear is how much more employees themselves would have to pay.

Because no one has done the research except, I believe, the Illinois Education Association and Snow, how much extra teachers would have to pay if their so-called contribution rate was raised from 9.4% to 13.77% is a really good question.

While not covering every school district in Illinois, Snow did research the teachers’ contracts for all of the large school districts (by law all are supposed to be on the internet) in order to find out how much teachers pay in order to get a “full 75 percent pension after working only 27 years.” He points out, “Most adults work for 27 years before they turn age 50.”

As way of background, Snow notes that teachers are not in the Social Security System and, therefore, are not forced to pay Social Security taxes.

“Ordinary workers get hit with a 6.2 percent deduction for Social Security,” Snow writes. “It’s a deduction they have to pay federal and state income taxes on.

“Democrats gave teachers a huge loophole of not paying income taxes on any of their pension deductions” he continues. “This enormous no-tax handout to teachers amounts to billions of dollars each year.”

Snow’s research leads him to this conclusion:

Over 51,000 of the total 132,502 teachers in Illinois contribute nothing from their K-12 paychecks into their pensions. Illinois law says it is to be 9.4 percent.

“About an additional 32,000 teachers pay little into their pensions. It is 1.81 percent to be precise for these 31,956 teachers.

How many teachers pay not a dime toward their retirement?

51,025 teachers in 186 school districts pay nothing for retirement benefits.

They “don’t pay a penny into the 9.4 percent called out by Illinois law.

“There are a total of 868 districts in Illinois.

“The pay-zero teachers listed are 39 percent of all teachers in Illinois,” Snow reveals.

No agency in state government seems to keep track of this information.

Not the Downstate Teachers Retirement Fund, which boldly and incorrectly claims,

“Active TRS members are required to contribute 9.4 percent of their creditable earnings each year…”

The State Board of Education doesn’t keep track either.

My guess is that only the Illinois Education Association has a matrix showing what school districts have given what benefits in contract negotiations.

Snow discovered this about Lockport:

“…on page 14 of the Lockport Township HS 205 teachers contract it reads:

  1. The Board will pay the current level of retirement contribution to the Teachers Retirement System of Illinois.”
  2. It is expressly understood that figures appearing on this salary schedule include a sum equal to the current level of TRS contribution of the base salary of each Teacher which is, in fact, payable to the Teachers’ Retirement System on the Teacher’s behalf.”

“The ISBE report shows this board paying nothing. A Democrat bureaucracy doesn’t check the teachers contracts to see if what is reported, matches what’s in writing.”

And, if legislation is passed requiring 4.37 percentage points more, how long do you think it will take Lockport taxpayers to pick up the difference?

Given that local teachers’ unions pretty much control school boards wherever they are elected (read everywhere but Chicago), my guess is will be on the top of the collective bargaining list.

Do you wonder if Rep. McCarthy knows that?

Is his proposal just a setting up local taxpayers for an even bigger fall?

Five years from now will 39% of teachers still be paying nothing for their pensions?

Even better for teachers is that this pension payment ups their pension payments.

Take a look at the chart below.  Chances are your school district is on it.

Chart of Pension Contributions by 82,981 District Teachers of 132,502 Total Illinois K-12 Teachers

Name of District

 

No. of Teachers Percent of Pension

Contributed by Teachers

Thornton Twp 205 428 Zero
Proviso 209 281 Zero
Waukegan 60 1,098 Zero
Morton 201 455 Zero
Kankakee 111 348 Zero
Joliet 204 340 Zero
Round Lake 116 387 Zero
Rockford 1,843 Zero
Decatur 61 454 Zero
Crete Monee 340 Zero
Danville 118 382 Zero
Valley View 365 1,068 Zero
Aurora West 129 706 Zero
East Peoria 309 69 Zero
Galesburg 281 Zero
Bremen 228 313 Zero
Freeport 317 Zero
Leyden 212 219 Zero
Elgin U-46 2,332 Zero
Rock Island 388 Zero
Mattoon 225 Zero
Collinsville 394 Zero
Massac 1 143 Zero
Sterling 219 Zero
Belvidere 531 Zero
Quincy 436 Zero
Dixon 179 Zero
West Chicago 248 Zero
Cook County 130 289 Zero
Cicero 99 738 Zero
Joliet 86 617 Zero
Harvey 152 163 Zero
Crystal Lake 155 412 Zero
Crystal Lake 47 564 Zero
Wheeling 21 489 Zero
Champaign 4 717 Zero
United CUSD 304 68 Zero
Riverdale 100 76 Zero
Reed Custer 255 114 Zero
Wilmington 209U 84 Zero
United Township 30 90 Zero
Summit Hill 161 213 Zero
Plainfield 1,695 Zero
Schiller Park 81 98 Zero
Dolton 149 176 Zero
Township 211 Palatine 799 Zero
Ball Chatham 5 248 Zero
Taylorville 3 152 Zero
Williamsville 15 81 Zero
Harrisburg 3 130 Zero
Belleville 201 281 Zero
Dupo 196 76 Zero
O’Fallon 203 145 Zero
O’Fallon 90 207 Zero
Rochester 3A 142 Zero
Pekin 108 248 Zero
Morton 709 175 Zero
New Lenox 122 287 Zero
Frankfort 157 158 Zero
Marion 2 219 Zero
Carterville 5 110 Zero
Kinnikinnick 131 122 Zero
Tolono 7 116 Zero
Mahomet-Seymour 3 161 Zero
Champaign 4 717 Zero
Urbana 346 Zero
Charleston 1 180 Zero
Park Ridge 64 319 Zero
Evanston 202 222 Zero
Maine HSD 207 508 Zero
Arlington Heights 214 753 Zero
Niles 219 350 Zero
Berkeley 87 165 Zero
Berwyn South 263 Zero
Lyons 204 239 Zero
Lemont 113 144 Zero
Palatine 15 713 Zero
Schaumburg 54 1,003 Zero
Oak Lawn 123 203 Zero
Oak Lawn 229 114 Zero
CHSD 230 Orland Park 519 Zero
Argo 217 111 Zero
Homewood 233 174 Zero
Genoa 424 137 Zero
Sycamore 427 231 Zero
Dekalb 428 362 Zero
Lombard 44 216 Zero
Downers Grove 58 277 Zero
Hinsdale 86 296 Zero
Elmhurst 205 538 Zero
Naperville 203 1,063 Zero
Effingham 40 176 Zero
Canton Union 66 175 Zero
Morris 54 61 Zero
Morris 101 50 Zero
Coal City 1 138 Zero
Jersey 100 164 Zero
Central CUSD 301 224 Zero
Kaneland 302 275 Zero
St. Charles 303 880 Zero
Cahokia 298 0.4
Chicago Public Schools 23,219 2
Peoria 150 988 0.4
Springfield 1,105 0.4
Moline 40 461 0.4
Harvard 149 0.87
Dolton 148 236 1.4
Belleville 118 228 0.4
Pekin 303 125 0.4
Hononegah 207 118 0.4
Arlington Heights 59 444 3
Leyden 212 219 0.4
Summit 104 103 0.4
Palos 118 130 0.4
CHSD 219 Orland Park 519 0.4
Bensenville 2 145 1.4
DuPage 88 266 0.4
CHSD 94 122 0.9
CUSD 300 1,189 4.4
Hawthorn 73 253 1.4
Lake Forest 115 132 0.4
Wauconda 118 273 0.4
Johnsburg 12 158 0.4
Cary 26 192 4.9
Woodstock 200 385 1.4
Keeneyville 20 107 0.4
Winnebago 323 117 0.4
LaSalle-Peru Twp. 120 88 0.7
Prairie-Hills 144 187 0.4
Geneva 304 367 Zero
Herscher 2 126 Zero
Manteno 5 160 Zero
Bourbonnais 53 160 Zero
Bradley 61 103 Zero
Bradley Bourbonnais 307 114 Zero
Momence 1 88 Zero
Yorkville 115 329 Zero
Plano 88 154 Zero
Oswego 308 827 Zero
Streator 44 132 Zero
Ottawa 141 140 Zero
Ottawa 140 102 Zero
Glenview 34 343 Zero
Zion 6 177 Zero
Grayslake 46 266 Zero
Elmwood Park 401 181 Zero
Libertyville 70 159 Zero
North Shore 112 374 Zero
HSD 113 Highland Park 249 Zero
Grant 124 91 Zero
Zion-Benton 126 156 Zero
Evanston 65 547 Zero
Grayslake 127 187 Zero
Meridian 15 64 Zero
Mt. Zion 3 133 Zero
Edwardsville 7 480 Zero
Alton 11 467 Zero
Macomb 185 130 Zero
McHenry 15 282 Zero
McHenry 156 158 Zero
Nippersink 2 92 Zero
Columbia 4 111 Zero
Waterloo 5 166 Zero
Hillsboro 3 114 Zero
Meridian 223 113 Zero
Illinois Valley Central 321 139 Zero
Carbondale 165 76 Zero
Carbondale 95 105 Zero
Riverton 14 85 Zero
Auburn 10 90 Zero
Pawnee 11 47 Zero
Panhandle 2 35 Zero
Sullivan 300 75 Zero
Centralia 135 93 Zero
Litchfield 12 83 Zero
Harlem 122 505 Zero
Granite City 9 617 Zero
Princeton 115 86 Zero
Princeton 500 43 Zero
Bond County 2 120 Zero
Duquoin CUSD 300 101 Zero
Rocton 140 102 Zero
Rochelle Twp. HSD 212 71 Zero
Rochelle CCSD 231 131 Zero
Byron 226 127 Zero
Oregon 220 104 Zero
Farmington Central 265 85 Zero
Porta 202 75 Zero
River Bend 2 71 Zero
Red Bud 132 73 Zero
Sparta 140 105 Zero
Southwestern 9 107 Zero
Staunton 6 87 Zero
Gillespie 7 81 Zero
Hamilton County 10 83 Zero
Midwest Central 191 85 Zero
Tuscola 301 86 Zero
West Carroll 314 99 Zero
Oakwood 76 64 Zero
Hoopeston 11 94 Zero
Westville 2 80 Zero
Beardstown 15 98 Zero
El Paso-Gridley 11 99 Zero
Murphysboro 186 137 Zero
Monticello 25 111 Zero
Paris-Union 95 74 Zero
Mt. Vernon Twp. 210 80 Zero
Mt. Vernon 80 109 Zero
Jasper County 1 101 Zero
Steger 194 128 Zero
Calumet City 155 77 Zero
North Boone 200 116 Zero
CCSD 93 Carol Stream 294 Zero
East Maine SD 63 254 Zero
Lockport Township HS 205 205 Zero
     
Above Teachers Total 82,981  

 

The Grayslake School Board Incumbents’ Campaign (Email) Trail – Part 2

May 04, 2011 By: Cal Skinner Category: Alex Finke, Election, Ellen Correll, email, Grayslake Unit School District 46, IEA, Illinois Education Association, Kip Evans, Marchell Norris, Mary Garcia, Nancy Shepherdson, Postcard, Ray Millington, Rochelle Gordon, Ronald Jarvis, Shannon Smigielski, Sue Facklam, Suzi Schmidt, Yard Sign

I became interested in a series of emails from and to incumbent candidates running for re-election on the Grayslake Unit School District 46 Board.

They are of interest, first, because they were sent on two school district email accounts and, secondly, they give a pretty good indication of what happened when during a teacher union-backed election campaign.

2011 election returns for Grayslake Unit School District 46. Challengers Kip Evans and Shannon Smigielski ran second and first. Incumbent emailer Sue Facklam placed third. Her running mate Mary Garcia came in fourth.

I have noted previously that in low turnout elections, relatively small, but well-organized groups like teachers unions can have disproportionate influence on outcomes. In McHenry County, it would surprise me if any school district’s board did not have a majority whose members were not supported (officially or unofficially) by its local teachers’ union.

Yesterday, we looked at emails for the first week of March, a month before the April 5th election. (Part 3–the end of the campaign–can be found here.)

This week there was an action-packed meeting that you can read about here and here.

But let’s look at some more emails. As usual, you can enlarge any image by clicking on it.

First, let me post one from March 3rd that should have been in the first article.

Both the Illinois Federation of Teachers and the Illinois Education have a common interest in the re-election of the incumbents. Instructions are given to form a Political Action Committee "once you have raised $1,000."

Republican State Senator Suzi Schmidt shows up in this email.

As of March 7th Republican State Senator Suzi Schmidt is still in the loop.

The incumbents running for re-election sought help from Lake County Democrats. They wanted access to Votebuilder. Campaign consultant Alex Finke is identified as having worked on Democratic Party campaigns in McHenry County. An email sent to 8th Congressional District Committeewoman Nancy Shepherdson is included. 8th Congressional District Democratic Party Committeewoman writes Sue Facklam, "I fear the Tea Party in your race, as well." Of course, Tea Party activists have been blamed (credited) with Congresswoman Melissa Bean's 2010 defeat.

There is reference to a letter to Illinois Education Association (IEA) members in this email. the school district seems not have supplied an attachment.

Literature for Mary Garcia and Sue Facklam is discussed here. One signer of the piece is fellow Board member Ray Millington, who was elected President of the new board.

An exchange about yard signs and flyers from Grayslake School District employee Ellen Correll to North Chicago Unit School District Ph.D. Douglas Parks is in this email.

The teacher-supported candidates reveal why liberals only want written questions. It's so their liberal friends can screen out embarrassing questions. " I definitely want written questions," emails Sue Facklam, the incumbent who won re-election. "I do not want questions from the audience," writes losing Board member Mary Garcia.

School board member Ray Millington (now District 46 Board President) sends the opposition's post card via the Grayslake School District email server.

Sign placement was the topic of this email to Grayslake Village Trustee Ron Jarvis, who won re-election.

More tomorrow.

Citizens Ask District 155 to Reveal Teacher Contract Information

April 27, 2011 By: Cal Skinner Category: Chris Williams, Crysal Lake, Crystal Lake High School District 155, FOI, Freedom of Information Act, GAND Community Advocates, IEA, Illinois Education Association, Jill Hawk, rafton-Algonquin-Nunda-Dorr Community Advocates, Teacher Contract, Teacher Negotiations, Teacher Pay, Teacher Salaries, Teachers Union

Chris Williams of  Grafton-Algonquin-Nunda-Dorr Community Advocates shares a request that Crystal Lake High School District 155 make public details of the most expensive part of the school budget–teacher salaries.

It comes on the rejection of the following Freedom of Information Request:

Chris Williams asks for "a copy of the Board's and IEA's other correspondences related to the teacher's contract under negotiation. Huntley D158 provided this transparency during their teacher's contract negotiation.

Here is District 155′s reply to Williams’ request:

April 27, 2011

Mr. Chris Williams
GAND Community Advocates
3951 Willow View Dr.
Lake in the Hills, IL 60156
crswms@comcast.net
VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL

Re: Response to FOIA Request – Community High School District 155

Dear Mr. Williams:

This letter is in response to your Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) request
dated April 19, 2011 and received on April 20, 2011 by Community High
School District 155 (“District”). You requested “a copy of the Board’s and IEA’s
offer correspondences related to the teacher ’s contract under negotiation.”
Your request is respectfully denied as records relating to collective negotiating
matters between public bodies and their employees or representatives
are exempt from FOIA (5 ILCS 140/7(p)).

Please be aware that our response to your request is pursuant to our understanding of your FOIA request. If we have misunderstood your request, please let us know as soon as possible so we may provide the correct information.

You have a right to have the denial of your request reviewed by the Public Access Counselor (PAC) at the Office of the Illinois Attorney General. 5 ILCS 140/9.5(a). You can file your Request for Review with the PAC by writing to: Public Access Counselor, Office of the Attorney General, 500 South Second St., Springfield, IL 62706.

You also have the right to seek judicial review of your denial by filing a lawsuit
in the McHenry County circuit court (5 ILCS 140/11).

If you choose to file a Request for Review with the PAC, you must do so within
60 calendar days of the date of this denial letter. 5 ILCS 140/9.5(a). Please
note that you must include a copy of your original FOIA request and this denial
letter when filing a Request for Review with the PAC.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Puma
Freedom of Information Officer

The follow-up from Williams is below:

Subject: District 155 Teachers Contract Negotiations

Hello,

Thank you for giving our organization a voice in January 2011. GANDCA remains engaged in the D155 budget and taxpayer impact. We believe that our involvement has influenced the board to abate $2.5 million for FY12 in February 2011 from the tax levy, which they unanimously passed on December 14, 2010. It is also worth noting that D155 did not take the legally available 1.6% budget increase for the 2011/2012 school year as many other districts have; saving D155 property taxpayers ~1.2M. To date GANDCA believes that it has influenced a total D155 property taxpayer savings of ~$3.7M.

We have remained abreast of the teachers’ contract negotiations to the best of our ability.

On April 17, 2011, we shared with Jill Hawk our desire to inquire with the board at the forthcoming board meeting on the teachers’ contract negotiations to learn of the progress, any impact that the local and national teacher layoffs has had, as well as, the Wisconsin Governor, Scott Walker’s actions on the negotiations. It would be insightful to learn the mood and atmosphere. Jill Hawk has not replied to date.

We submitted the attached FOIAR and received the attached response, which we are inquiring with Lisa Madigan’s office to learn if D155 correctly interpreted the law.

We urge D155 to make the teachers’ contract negotiation dialog/offer public just as D158 did the last time around.

The public deserves to know how our school board proposes to spend out tax dollars, especially since District 155 teachers are already the highest paid in McHenry County.

The current economic and political environment is conducive to negotiate anything but the status quo contracts of the past.

The record property tax appeals are proof that the property taxes that support D155 are at the tipping point; D155 employees are included in those that appealed.

We are in the process of identifying all D155 employees that have filed for a 2010 property tax appeal with McHenry.

Please share if you are interested in meeting.

Chris Williams, President
GAND Community Advocates
3951 Willow View Drive
Lake In The Hills, IL 60156
847.340.8531

When a Teacher “Salary Freeze” Isn’t

April 27, 2011 By: Cal Skinner Category: IEA, Illinois Education Association, Rockford, Rockford School District, Salary, Salary Freeze, Teacher, Teacher Contract, Teacher Negotiations, Teacher Pay, Teacher Salaries, Teachers Union

The story with the embedded truth that step and lane changes lead to salary increases, even if the language says, "Salary freeze."

While I was doing the story on how the Rockford Register-Star is trying to hold onto circulation, I found a story on the Rockford school district that had an interesting paragraph.

Here it is:

Union contract talks

In March, the School Board approved a one-year contract extension with the Rockford Education Association. Pay and benefits were frozen for the year and carried over from the previous year. Employee step and lane increases, however, were still in place, so many union members are still earning more money this school year, despite the freeze.

I would hope that any reporter covering teacher salary negotiations would figure out and report this essential aspect of the story.

Scott Walker Supporters Air Ad Telling What Teachers’ Union Is About

March 06, 2011 By: Cal Skinner Category: Bob Chanin, Economic Freedom Alliance, IEA, Illinois Education Association, Scott Walker, Teacher, Teacher Dues, Teacher Pay, Teacher Salaries, Teachers Union, Union, Union Dues

The speaker says the National Education Association it not effective "because we care about children."

The National Education Association is a pillar of the Democratic Party.

"We have power."

But, most people don’t know what’s in the semi-public statement by former General Counsel Bob Chanin above.

It’s now being aired on Wisconsin television stations by The Economic Freedom Alliance.

The Illinois Education Association is this state’s affiliate.

The speaker brags about the hundreds of millions of dollars in dues paid to the NEA.

Last week McHenry County Blog pointed out where $3.2 million of the dues come from.

Thanks to Illinois Review for running the ad first.

$3.8 Million in Local School Employee Union Dues of Local School Employees

March 03, 2011 By: Cal Skinner Category: Alden-Hebron School District 19, Alden-Hebron Unit District 19, Barrington School District 220, Cary Elementary School District 26, Cary Grade School District, Crystal Lake Grade School District, Crystal Lake Grade School District 47, Crystal Lake High School District 155, District 200, District 26, District 300, District 47, Dues, Fox River Grove Grade School District 3, Harrison Grade School District 36, Harvard School District 50, Huntley School District 158, IEA, Illinois Education Association, Johnsburg School District, Marengo High School District 156, Marengo-Union Grade School District 165, McHenry Grade School District 15, McHenry High School District 156, Nippersink Elementary School District 2, Prairie Grove District 46, Richmond Burton High School District 157, Riley Grade School District 18, Teachers Union, Union, Union Dues, Wonder Lake, Woodstock School District 200

McHenry County Blog has surveyed school districts with major presences in McHenry County and discovered that union employees paid $3.8 million in dues during calendar year 2010.

The total amount was $3,825,572.

Contracts are typically for more than one year and most expenses would in contract negotiation year.

Most are from dues paid by teachers, but there are also office worker and school bus drivers.

Most go to the Illinois Education Association-National Education Association.

Part of the collective bargaining proposal made by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is to end mandatory union membership.

Illinois, of course, has laws that force all employees of a bargaining unit to pay dues.

The legislation would require that teacher union officials collect their own dues, rather than having as a payroll deduction, as is the case in all of the districts below.

To no one’s surprise, employees of the largest district examined, Carpentersville Unit District 300, paid the most dues.  The total was over $1.1 million.

  • Barrington Unit District 220 – $554,555
  • Alden-Hebron Unit District 19 – $22,427
  • Cary Grade School District 26 – $52,254
  • Crystal Lake Grade School District 47 – 315,342
  • Crystal Lake High School District 155 – $287,202
  • Carpentersville Unit District 300 – $1,122,392
  • Fox River Grove Grade School District 3 – $23,599
  • Harvard Unit School District 50 – $96,745
  • Huntley Unit School District 158 – $356,047
  • Johnsburg Unit District 12 – $106,055
  • Marengo-Union Grade School District 165 – $48,778
  • Marengo High School District 154 – $30,005
  • McHenry Grade School District 15 – $207,111
  • McHenry High School District 156 – $109,331
  • Prairie Grove Grade School District 46 – $10,863
  • Richmond-Burton (Nippersink) Grade School District 2 – $59,429
  • Richmond-Burton High School District 157 – $37,592
  • Riley Grade School District 18 – $9,161
  • Wonder Lake (Harrison) School District 36 – $13,249
  • Woodstock Unit School District 200 – $372,595

Teachers walk picket line outside Huntley High School in 2008.