McHenry County Blog

Subscribe

Archive for the ‘Larry Snow’

Larry Snow, R.I.P.

October 20, 2011 By: Cal Skinner Category: Aileen Seedorf, Huntley School Board, Huntley School District 158, Larry Snow, Laurence Sniegoski, Linda Moore, Obiturary, Tony Quagliano

Larry Snow

A Columbus Day obituary announced the death of former Huntley School Board member Larry Snow. He died October 4 in his home.

A resident of Lake in the Hills, Snow entered the public consciousness when he discovered that the Huntley School officials were not being straight with voters over a tax increase referendum.

At his own expense, he mailed out a multi-page analysis of the tax hike proposal, which passed despite his opposition.

Then, he decided to run for the District 158 School Board, where he won a seat.

Snow was known for asking tough questions as he tried to bring accountability and transparency to District 158 affairs.

Snow spent considerable time and effort in Springfield figuring out how to rectify the false advertising contained in the tax hike referendum language he fought prior to his election.  He calculated would motivate various state legislators and did so, even when it resulted in political harm to his personal ambitions.

He negotiated the guts of the non-certified employee contract, which was accomplished without conflict.

When a Board vacancy occurred, Snow’s persuasive talents managed to convince his fellow board members (political adversaries, many votes were 6-1 or 5-2) to appoint his Political Action Committee Treasurer Tony Quagliano to the seat.  Quagliano later joined the Board majority and was named its Vice President.

Snow put on a full-court press to elect two allies, Aileen Seedorf and Linda Moore, during the next election.  Seedorf, a community activist who often spoke at school board meetings, was elected, while Moore lost by just two handfuls of votes. In the process School Board President Mike Skala lost to one of his running mates.  The running mate resigned about six months later and the Board appointed Skala to the vacancy.

In the only instance of which I am aware locally, the proposed teachers’ contract was made public before ratification by the school board and the teachers’ union.  [That seems quite important to me, since teacher salaries and benefits account for most of schools' budgets.]  Snow initiated that effort.

Snow was disappointed that enough members of the board reneged on the salary offer after reaching agreement that annual increases should be set at the level of inflation (increase in the CPL).  Instead, increases were set at 5%, plus the level of inflation, if my memory serves me correctly.

Two years later, Skala challenged Snow in a one-on-one race and defeated his re-election effort.  The campaign was as intense as one for state representative and the teachers union and their allies turned the election into a blood sport.  $8,500 was spent on Skala’s campaign.

After his loss, Snow wrote a book on what he thought was needed to improve education in the United States and articles for online “The Champion.”

One article in which put extensive effort involving the examination of scores of teacher contracts from the largest school districts in Illinois.  He sought to discover if teachers or taxpayers were paying the share teachers were statutorily required to pay. The results are summarized in the title of my article on his research:

39% of Illinois Teachers Pay Nothing for Pensions

He also looked at schools with poor test results and found out if teachers or taxpayers were making the Teacher Retirement System payments.  You can find it here.

Snow was a patient at Sherman Hospital this summer where he had an operation to relieve pressure in his head.

Upon release, his older sister Elizabeth Sniegoski came to stay with him.

He then re-wrote the introductory chapter of his book.  He was talking about one of his daughter’s father-in-law arranging to publish it online, but I do not know if that has been accomplished.  If he did, I am sure Snow would be pleased.

When I last had lunch with him at Colonial Cafe in Algonquin, he explained how he, as a very junior employee with Schering Plough he had come up with the suggestion of a new class drug, rather than trying to fit it into an existing class.

Larry Snow

Going back farther in time, he told me of realizing the way he was being taught algebra in his Catholic boys school was not working.  He went to the Harvard Book Store and searched until he could find a book he could understand.  Snow went on to get a chemical engineering degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Snow was a successful software salesman. although he detested my use of the word “salesman” to describe what I thought he explained he did.

He told me of some of his presentations for Green Hills Software, a position he resigned in order to have more flexibility to take his daughters to tennis matches around the country.

He was quite disappointed that he did not get to attend his daughter’s recent wedding.

He had three daughters–Stacy Peters, Trina Geatz and Kerry Snow–and a granddaughter named Caroline Peters.   Besides his sister, he has a brother, Vincent Snow, who survives him.

Once, I saw a card on display that one of his daughter ‘s wrote to him which said, “Dad, you were always there for me.”

He was so proud of their accomplishments.

Snow was 61 when he died.

Pat Brady Speaks to Full House in Crystal Lake

September 01, 2011 By: Cal Skinner Category: Andy Zinke, Barb Wheeler, Barbara Wheeler, Bill LeFew, Dan Regna, Jim Schlader, Joe Walsh, Keith Nygren, Ken Koehler, Kent Gaffney, Larry Snow, Lou Bianchi, Lyn Orphal, Marsell Norris, Nick Provenzano, Nunda Township, Nunda Township Republican Central Committee, Nunda Township Republicans, Rich Evans

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady traveled up the Fox River Valley to talk to McHenry County Republicans Wednesday night.

Pat Brady is seen addressing McHenry County Republicans at the Nunda Township GOP meeting.

The event was held at the Prairie Isle Golf Club in Prairie Grove.

A good number of countywide elected officials were in attendance.

Sheriff Keith Nygren enjoyed a good laugh with Pat Brady.

Here you see Pat Brady posing with Nunda Township Republican Party Chairman Brent Smith, McHenry County Treasurer Bill LeFew and Dan Regna, who ran against McHenry County State's Attorney Lou Bianchi in 2008.

Not only candidates for countywide office, but those for the McHenry County Board were courting voters. Nick Provenzano was there, but I don’t think he’d want me to post the photo I have for this event.

McHenry County State's Attorney Lou Bianchi, an announced candidate for re-election is seen in this shot with District 3 County Board candidate Lyn Orphal. Orphal was beated for her District 2 seat by Donna Kurtz in 2010.

8th District Congressman Joe Walsh represented the national scene.

Congressman Joe Walsh spoke to the group. He is having a Town Hall Meeting at the Woodstock VFW tomorrow night at 7.

State legislators and candidates were in attendance.

McHenry County Board member Barb Wheeler was talking up her candidacy to Bob Cook.

Kent Gaffney addresses the crowd.

State Senator Dan Duffy was caught with County Board candidate Jim Schlader.

McHenry County Republican Party Chairman Mike Tryon was present, as was McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler.

Mike Tryon and Ken Koehler converse with those present. Undersheriff Andrew Zinke can be seen in the background to the left to Pat Brady.

Steven Rooney, recently elected to the Johnsburg School Board, was present.

Johnsburg School Board member Steve Rooney poses with State's Attorney Lou Bianchi.

There was even a past school board member sighted.

State Senator Dan Duffy chatted with former Huntley School Board member Larry Snow.

The turnout was more than respectable.

Part of the crowd who attended the Nunda Township Republican event.

I’m fortunate to have had a couple of people taking pictures for me, but good coverage of an event really requires feet on the ground. For instance, I’d love to knows what the politicians are laughing about in the photo below:

Anyone know what this "almost falling of the chair" joke was?

There was a gathering of Chairmen at the meeting.  Not only was State Party Chairman Pat Brady present, but McHenry County Chairman Mike Tryon, Lake County Chairman Bob Cook and the host, Nunda Township Chairman Brent Smith.

GOP Chairman Brent Smith (Nuida Township), Pat Brady (Illinois), Mike Tryon (McHenry County) and Bob Cook (Lake County).

As I go through the second set of photos, I see one with Crystal Laker Rich Evans, who has announced his candidacy for Congress in Joe Walsh’s 8th District. There is no indication that Walsh is running for re-election there.

Rich Evans appeals to Nunda Township Republicans.

The Northwest Herald usually doesn’t send reporters to political events, but newcomer Jane Huh covered the event.

Northwest Herald reporter Jane Huh interviews State Senator Dan Duffy.

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  

 

Huntley School Teacher Contract Views – Then and Now

March 19, 2011 By: Cal Skinner Category: Huntley Education Association, Huntley School Board, Huntley School District 158, John Burkey, Kevin Gentry, Kim Skaja, Larry Snow, Shawn Green, Strike, Teacher Contract, Teacher Negotiations, Teacher Pay, Teacher Salaries, Teacher Strike, Teachers Union, Tony Quagliano

These comments by Huntley School District Superintendent John Burkey in the First Electric Newspaper stirred my memory:

Supt. John Burkey tells union leaders that ratification will be delayed.

“Last year I was amazed that we avoided it,” said Supt. John Burkey.

“This year it just caught up with us.”

He slammed a three-year union contract now ending that he said included a more than 5 percent raise this year “while everyone else only got 1.7 percent.”

So I asked a participant with a long memory, a member of the board negotiating team in fact, Larry Snow, what he remember about how contract negotiations went before and during the Huntley Education Association’s strike.

Here is his reply:

Larry Snow

“The 158 board voted on a last, best and final offer that had teachers’ salaries for years 2 and 3 determined by a cost of living increase formula.

“With Supt. John Burkey’s nod of approval, board members Tony Quagliano, Kevin Gentry and Kim Skaja voted to reverse the board’s vote, as Board President Shawn Green literally was a no-show at the final negotiation meetings.

“This made it a 3 – 2 vote in caucus to toss aside a decision to have teachers’ salaries in years 2 and 3 track a cost of living index.

“The union didn’t care that overspending might cause future deficits and cause teachers to be laid off in the future.

“Huntley teachers should only look to their own union officials for striking, now causing deficits and teacher layoffs.

“Teacher greed means teachers who aren’t tenured are the ones that are laid off and they are not a union vote majority.”

Want some history?

Here it is:

Larry Snow Shows How a $75,000 Pension Turns into a $1 Million Payout

March 16, 2011 By: Cal Skinner Category: Larry Snow, Pension, Teacher, Teacher Pension

Larry Snow

In his Champion News.net column today former Huntley School Board member Larry Snow throws a spotlight on how public pensions can have million dollar payouts.

 

“It takes little math skills to figure out it takes more than a million dollars to buy a $75,000 payment every year for the rest of your life at age 60,” he writes. “

“If you prefer an online calculator there’s one at www.immediateannuities.com. It shows you need about $1.2 million if you are a 60 year old female living in Illinois.”

Yet, he notes, Democrats love to denigrate millionaires.

Snow notes that teacher pensions increase 3% a year. He doesn’t note that other public employee pensions, including mine, get the same annual bump.

Snow accurately notes that the 3% compounds every year.

Then he returns to the theme of previous columns:

“Teachers in Illinois contribute far less into their pensions than regular workers do into Social Security. Democrats also call this ‘fair.’”

Yesterday, he showed “how two-thirds of all teachers in the bottom-half-performing school districts pay zero to little into their pensions.”

He asks,

“How is it ‘fair’ for Illinois teachers to contribute into their pensions less than retail workers and construction workers have to pay into Social Security, but get pensions that are many times higher?”

Another anomaly that Snow points to is the ability to educators to qualify for a pension in a state other than Illinois and, then, to come to work in Illinois, where they qualify for a second public pension.

Teacher Contracts in Poorest Performing Illinois Schools Require No or Little Teacher Payment

March 15, 2011 By: Cal Skinner Category: Crystal Lake Grade School District, Crystal Lake Grade School District 47, Crystal Lake High School District 155, Harvard, Harvard School District 50, Larry Snow, Pension, Teacher, Teacher Contract, Teacher Negotiations, Teacher Pension, Teachers Union, Union

Larry Snow

Former Huntley School Board member Larry Snow has done a prodigious amount of research about school districts where teachers pay nothing for their pensions.

Those employed in the private sector pay into Social Security. But they also pay the entire cost of teachers’ pensions in many, many Illinois school districts.

Snow asks the following question:

“How loud would teachers howl if
they had to pay for other peoples’ Social Security?” (emphasis in the original)

Entitled,

Illinois is Proof “Investing in Education” is Democrat Lipstick on Legalized Looting,”

Snow’s piece is published in The Champion today.

The guts of his column is summarized below:

“Two thirds of all of the teachers in the worst and poorly performing school districts either don’t pay a penny, or pay very little for their pensions…

“This pattern of abuse by teachers and union officials in the worst school districts is clear.

“The chart shows how a third of all teachers in Illinois, all in the bottom half of lousy to poorly performing districts, pay next to nothing or literally zero for their luxury-benefit pensions.”

A major goal of teacher union collective bargaining is to shift the required employee payment from teachers' pockets to those of the taxpaying public.

His thesis is “teachers unions systematically drain education resources.”

He points to “work rules” as “a polite way of depicting work tourniquets. They are designed to limit the normal flow of instruction to students.”

Then, he moves on to health insurance premiums, challenging readers to

“Try finding a teachers contract in Illinois where the teacher is paying 15% of his or her own individual health care premium.”

He returns to pensions, pointing out,

“Illinois School Code says teachers are to pay 9.4 % of their salary into the state’s pension. The chart below shows what is actually happening. And this is just among the bottom half of school districts.”

Pension Contributions by Teachers in Some Bottom-Half-Performing School Districts

 

District

ACT    Score % of

Pension

Paid

Number

Teachers

% with

Masters Degree

AverageSalary / Yrs. Experience

 

Cahokia 16.0 0.4 % 298 44 % $ 66,098 / 12
Thornton Twp  205 16.6 Zero 428 62 79,868 / 12
Waukegan 60 16.8 Zero 1,098 54 55,749 / 11
Morton 201 16.9 Zero 455 62 69,826 / 11
Chicago 17.3 2 % 23,219 60 68,679 / 13
Kankakee 111 17.5 Zero 348 65 60,671 / 15
Joliet 204 18.0 Zero 340 65 68,553 / 12
Round Lake 116 18.2 Zero 387 58 64,133 / 13
Rockford 18.4 Zero 1,843 70 66,771 / 15
Decatur 61 18.4 Zero 454 33 50,332 / 12
Peoria 150 18.4 0.4 % 988 53 55,736 / 14
Crete Monee 18.4 Zero 340 42 58,350 / 10
Danville 118 18.7 Zero 382 48 59,694 / 13
Valley View 365 19.0 Zero 1,068 63 64,217 / 10
Springfield 19.1 0.4 % 1,105 46 58,369 / 12
Aurora West 129 19.1 Zero 706 76 77,089 / 13
East Peoria 309 19.2 Zero 69 33 58,589 / 14
Galesburg 19.2 Zero 281 49 54,016 / 14
Bremen 228 19.2 Zero 313 68 $  83,963 / 12
Freeport 19.4 Zero 317 45 50,802 / 12
Elgin U-46 19.6 Zero 2,332 68 69,551 / 13
Rock Island 19.6 Zero 388 67 69,608 / 15
Mattoon 19.7 Zero 225 55 49,186 / 12
Collinsville 19.8 Zero 394 53 53,295 / 12
Massac 1 19.9 Zero 143 33 46,065 / 12
Sterling 19.9 Zero 219 49 54,789 / 12
Belvidere 20.1 Zero 531 56 61,263 / 12
Moline 40 20.3 0.4 % 461 69 71,644 / 16
Quincy 20.4 Zero 436 54 47,161 / 14
Harvard 20.4 0.87 % 149 56 52,859 / 12
Dixon 20.4 Zero 179 70 60,172 / 15
West Chicago Below

Average   Elem. & Middle Schools

Zero 248 60 70,701 / 14
Cook County 130 Zero 289 52 52,836 / 13
Dolton 148 1.4 % 236 44 53,284 / 10
Cicero 99 Zero 738 42 59,086 / 10
Joliet 86 Zero 617 34 53,659 / 11
Total Teachers Above 42,024 $ 65,920
Total Public School Teachers in Illinois 132,502 Salary Avg.      Weighted for No. of Teachers

Percent of Above Teachers to Total in Illinois

32 %

Snow adds this local tidbit:

“Crystal Lake is served by two, above-average-performing districts, 155 and 47 with about a thousand (976) teachers. None contribute a penny for their pensions.

“You can add more districts such as this one to easily count over a third of all teachers in Illinois paying little to nothing.”

Is Reading at the 20% Level Good Enough for Illinois Students?

March 14, 2011 By: Cal Skinner Category: Chicago Public Schools, Elgin, Elgin School District, Larry Snow, Rockford

That’s pretty much the question that former Huntley School Board member Larry Snow asks in a a column posted on The Champion today.

“…in Illinois teachers are informing parents how their children are passing in reading when they can read as poorly as those at the bottom 20th percentile nationally.”

Snow finds no outcry about this false impression that everything’s OK in Illinois schools.

“Illinois teachers as an overall group simply don’t want the public to expect their child in the 5th grade to be reading at the fifth grade level” he adds. “Making the ISAT pass grade be at 20 percent nationally had no opposition from former union teachers, now administrators.”

He works in teacher workload, salaries and benefits as he spotlights Chicago, Elgin, Rockford and Lemont (87% white) School Districts.

From the Rockford School Distric't web site.

“In three of the worst and largest school districts in Illinois, teachers in Elgin U-46 and Rockford don’t pay a penny while those in Chicago pay 2 percent. That’s also without having to pay a penny into Social Security,” he observes.

 

“On Rockford’s home page the district boasts ‘Rockford World-Class Education.’

“You are supposed to accept an average ACT score of 18.4 is ‘world class’ along with more than 37 percent of all students reading below, low (20th percentile nationally) state standards.”

Snow notes that in Rockford “more than 70 percent of its 1,843 teachers having Masters Degrees. What have they ‘mastered’ about teaching when their students are learning so little?

“The standards for learning ‘teaching’ are far too low when on-the-job, real-world results from those who have ‘mastered’ teaching are abysmal.”

And Elgin?

“Elgin U-46 has 23 percent of its 7th graders reading at, or below, low (20th percentile nationally) state standards, when 67.7 percent of its 2,332 teachers have Masters Degrees, and all teachers are being paid salaries averaging over $70,000. Half of its students ‘achieve’ an ACT score of 19.6 and less.”

Snow concludes that collective bargaining is to blame:

“Public unions insist they have a ‘right’ to collectively bargain for low standards in education and make taxpayers overpay for poor teacher performance.

“Now they are calling it a civil right.

“The high percentage of Masters Degree teachers in the worst and largest school districts shows how harmful collective bargaining is to helping students actually learn.”

You can read the entire piece here.

Do You Get “a Post-Retirement Lump Sum Payment of $20,000?” How about a “Service Recognition Benefit” of $39,600?

March 01, 2011 By: Cal Skinner Category: Larry Snow, The Champion

Is that in your employer’s retirement package?

Or do you get a cake at the office and your friends get a little time to wish you well, plus whatever is in your 40l(k)?

The “post-retirement lump sum payment of $20,000” appears on page 27 of the 2008-2011 Cary teachers union contract, a result of public employee collective bargaining.

Take a look:

The language in the contract between the Cary School Board and the Cary Education Association.

 

"Don't sell out children," the Madison sign says.

Collective bargaining is what the fight is about in Madison, Wisconsin.

Take another look at the specific language that the financially-strapped Cary Grade School District 26 School Board negotiated with the Cary Education Association:

2. A post-retirement lump sum payment of $20,000 to be paid after the certified staffmember’s last day of creditable service and after the last paycheck for regular earnings (after July 1st of retirement year) as a non-elective employer paid contribution into a post-retirement tax sheltered 403(b) annuity.

Former Huntley School Board member Larry Snow is writing for The Champion and his latest column, entitled,

“Federal Union Employees Don’t Have Collective Bargaining for Wages or Benefits”

cites some local results of collective bargaining for teachers.

He has other examples in the contract which might be a bit more lucrative than your own workplace experience would offer.

Snow also finds an interesting retirement benefit for Barrington School teachers. It’s on page 45 of the 2009-2012 contract.

Barrington teachers get a retirement bonus of $1,200 for every year they taught.

That “service recognition benefit” maxes out at $39,600 upon retirement.

Obamacare Administrative Costs $1,000 per Family

January 24, 2011 By: Cal Skinner Category: Larry Snow, Obama Care, Obamacare

Larry Snow

Larry Snow is a numbers guy.

He has looked at the administrative costs of Obamacare and figured out that it amounts to $1,000 per household.

$115 billion in administrative costs.

115 million families in the USA.

The division is pretty easy.

To put it in perspective, he explains,

“You could pay off $100,000 of mortgage debt on over a million homes (1,150,000) with 115 billion dollars.

“If the mortgage payments were less than $30,000 per year (picking an example dollar amount) 115 billion dollars is more than enough to have stopped all of the two million home foreclosures since our teleprompter-in-chief took office.”

He suggests that for most taxpayer families the forced contribution will be more than $1,000.

= = = = =
I have been informed this payment is for ten year of administrative costs.

Larry Snow’s Idea of How to Get Out of the Recession

December 03, 2010 By: Cal Skinner Category: Larry Snow, Recession

Larry Snow

I don’t cover national politics much unless it drills down to McHenry County.

Now we have a local connection in columnist Larry Snow, who opines today on The Champion about how to pull the country out of the recession.

How do we get jobs created and the economy growing again?

That’s the question Snow addresses.

I won’t give it away. You’ll have to read his thoughts.

The first two paragraphs may capture your interest. I know it did mine.

Maybe Congressman Don Manzullo or newly-elected Congressman Joe Walsh will take the idea and run with it.

It certainly takes away Democrats’ argument of blaming the economy and not being able to do anything about it that doesn’t run up our debt.

Here are the first few paragraphs:

“There’s a practical way to quickly rev up the U.S. economy that will put money into consumers’ pockets and lower business costs. It will also help all European economies without costing China a dime.

“It even has a side peace dividend by making it more difficult for Iran to fund terrorism or buy missiles from North Korea. It lets President Obama and Hillary Clinton use their popularity, negotiating skills and relationships with world leaders. As lawyers they can appreciate how the solution is deeply rooted in American law.”

See if you can find a downside to why the national Republican Party or its potential candidates should embrace the idea.

Is Snow laying out a practical solution you haven’t heard before?

People have learned they don’t have to depend on newspapers or the main stream media for ideas or even information.

In fact, Joe Walsh was elected to the U.S. Congress because of his majority in McHenry County and in spite of the dominant Northwest Herald’s saying not very nice things about him.

You could say that the paper’s influence in re-electing Melissa Bean was shown to be irrelevant.

Undoubtedly for the next two years its coverage will have a continuing negative slant so NWH favorite Jack Franks can be poised to knock him out of office.

The majority of McHenry County voted for common sense when it came to the choice between Walsh and Melissa Bean.

The article does suggest al way to rev up our economy and grow jobs without running up our nation’s debt. That might be especially relevant seeing how unemployment ratcheted up to 9.8 percent and now sits at a seven-month high.