Posted on 09/17/2012 8:53:39 AM PDT by 92nina
As the Chicago Teacher’s strike enters its fourth day, those on the picket line are insisting that they would rather be back in the classroom, and only want a “fair” deal. Chicago teachers are already well compensated, to the tune of $71,000 a year, and were offered a 16% salary raise before they initiated the strike on Monday morning. Teacher’s balked at this counter proposal and proclaimed, “[w]e’re not going back to work unless we have a fair contract.” That’s quite a statement when, according to the Illinois Policy Institute, the average starting pension for Chicago teachers is $77,496. Chicago Public Schools face a pretty bleak future:
“The fiscal reality is that Chicago Public Schools cannot afford to hand out any raises. The school district is draining reserve funds during the 2012-13 school year just to stay afloat, and is planning to run a $1 billion deficit the following school year. More importantly, when compared to teachers in other public schools Chicago teachers are relatively overpaid.”
Even the New York Times is troubled by the action taken by the CTU. In an op-ed article Nicholas D. Kristof wrote:
“America’s education system has become less a ladder of opportunity than a structure to transmit inequity from one generation to the next. It’s unconscionable that, until recently, many Chicago elementary students had a school day almost an hour shorter than the national average and a school year two weeks shorter than the national average. Bravo to the mayor for trying to close the gaps. I’d be sympathetic if the union focused solely on higher compensation. Teachers need to be much better paid to attract the best college graduates to the nation’s worst schools. But, instead, the Chicago union seems to be using its political capital primarily to protect weak performers.”
What’s more disturbing is the teachers’ refusal to agree to a new system in which student performance on standardized tests would affect teacher evaluations. Apparently, the CTU is unwilling to hold their teachers to a higher standard since in the past “administrators have given meaningless, sugar-coated evaluations.” This has been detrimental to the Chicago Public Schools. Also, the graduation rate for CPS citywide is 58% versus 76% graduation rate of Chicago Charter Schools. Unless education itself is reformed within the Chicago Public School system, Chicago faces the prospect of a lost generation of students.
I guess a 16% raise isn’t “fair.”
, and were offered a 16% salary raise
I did not get a 16% raise even adding the last 5 YEARS TOGETHER..
Every day these selfish teachers do not show up to work is a day that democrat indoctrination is not being done!
The drones are going to escape!
thought this strike was over ,looks like Obama needs some distraction
Close these dark, satanic schools.
The fastest way for parents to overcome this is to make arrangement with the religious schools in the area to create “off campus annex schools”, so their kids are technically enrolled in the religious school, but in a building rented by the parents, who also pay for the teachers, as well as administrative costs of the religious school.
Because these annex schools are officially part of the religious schools, they do not need new certification and can begin teaching immediately. In effect they are charter schools without being under the limits set for charter schools. They are also not unionized.
Is anyone else thinking that the “children” not being in school is probably not going to make any difference in the education they get normally?
—— It’s unconscionable that, until recently, many Chicago elementary students had a school day almost an hour shorter than the national average and -—
This hand-wringing by the NYT is laughable. The inmates would be far better off out of school, working in low-level jobs. Unfortunately, child labor is illegal. And in the short-run, junior not working means more welfare income for mom.
What a horrible mess the NYT has made of our society.
Well at least this has been one less week of commie union teacher brainwashing. That is the silver lining.
Unless we start removing young minds from the government indoctrination centers where they try to control everything even to the extent to what our kids eat, this country will continue on its path to Marxism.
We cannot keep ignoring this government forced indoctrination.
Rahm Emanuel’s bold move to obtain an immediate injunction to force the teachers to resume classes was shot down by a trial court judge today. The court told the parties to be available on Wednesday, which was the date that the union indicated that it would be ready to reopen schools, provided that the written contract was acceptable.
The sticking point was that the teachers did not trust Rahm to issue a contract without some weasel words added in to negate the negotiated terms. The teachers wanted it in writing first.
Every day these selfish teachers do not show up to work is a day that democrat indoctrination is not being done!
The drones are going to escape!
What a graphic, oh my...
If only all jobs could get such raises easily. But there’s no way to reward only those who actually did teach their students well. So there’s no accountability.
And I bet these schools are like the cookie-cutters in my kitchen. One size makes all.
No one I know ever received a 16% raise, especially for doing a lousy job. On top of that, the taxpayers pay the teachers’ salaries. I should think this would make the taxpayers the employers of these teachers. As the employers, the taxpayers should be able to fire these teachers.
I think the 16% raise is over 4 years - or 4% a year. Still better than most folks I imagine in this economy. And of course it is based on just showing up, and not the quality of work.
It makes me sad and mad when I hear about some of the lousy teachers my kids get.
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