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My niece lives in Kentucky and 3 of her 5 children so far and as soon as the remaining 2 kids are old enough, she will homeschool them as well.

I live in Downers Grove, Il and our local High School teachers (NEA types) just went on strike today. Here is what the Board of Education is offering them. I wish I had been offered this kind of money when I was working and my contract expired.

District 99 + North Campus + South Campus
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		Community High School District 99 DuPage County, Illinois

September 12, 2002

To the District 99 Community:

We want to take this opportunity to briefly describe the status of negotiations between the Teachers’ Union and the District 99 Board of Education. On Tuesday, September 10, negotiations resumed under the direction of the federal mediator, who sets the dates and times for meetings. Talks began at 6pm but broke off around 12:30am Wednesday morning. The Union presented a four-year package which reflected a 24% increase in total compensation, including a 320% increase in Board paid insurance. The total cost of the Union proposal was $133,500,000, or $5.5 million beyond the Board’s previous proposal.

The Board’s response was a proposal with a total cost of $128,000,000. It included salary increases totaling 19% over four years. Each teacher would receive a salary increase of $3,300 in the first year, $3,300 in the second, $3,400 in the third, and $5,000 in the fourth year. A beginning teacher would receive a 36% net increase after insurance payments. The starting salary would jump from $34,928 to $46,300 in the fourth year. An experienced teacher at the top of the schedule would receive a 14% net increase after insurance. The salary would jump from $91,344 to $106,344 in the fourth year.

The Board proposal over four years also included:

A 10% increase in the stipends paid to coaches and club sponsors.
A 200% increase in Board paid health and dental insurance premiums. The Board proportion for single coverage would begin at 50% in the first year and then move to 60% / 70% / 75%. The Board would also pay 50% of the premium for family coverage.
A continuation of the District’s retirement program that pays teachers a 20% stipend for each of their last three years of employment. Teachers would be eligible for the program upon reaching at least 31 years of teaching experience or age 57. The Illinois Teachers Retirement System (TRS) pays a teacher who is fully vested a pension equal to 75% of the teacher’s last four years average salary each year for the rest of their life.

The Union was asked to respond with a counter-proposal of what it would take to avoid a strike if the Board proposal was not acceptable. The Board was willing to hold a special Board of Education meeting on Thursday, September 12, to consider the requested counterproposal. Then the Board and Union teams would meet with the federal mediator on Friday, September 13, which was the mediator’s earliest available date. The Union refused to respond to the Board’s proposal or to offer a counterproposal, and then walked out of the mediator’s office. The mediator has not set another negotiating date.

The Board of Education does not want a strike. The Board knows the important role teachers play in the lives of students and wants to provide teachers with a fair compensation package. But the Board also recognizes its critical responsibility to the long-term welfare of the District. All parties need to resolve the current situation, and BOTH the Board and Union must take responsibility for the future financial viability of the school district. The Board will meet at any time when called by the federal mediator.

Sincerely,

Julia Kennedy Beckman

President, Board of Education