Chicago School Teachers Demanding 30% in Raises

[Phil502]

Rahmmy would never break a union. Even he can't throw the teachers union under the bus and walk away. Plus you think Barry would let him start those problems in a election year? Barry's got Rahmies sad little package sewed up in a little ball in the big desk. That boy ain't doing nothing with big approval from the party. You can't screw with the democratic mothership hometown. duh!

I wonder, in Chicago the democrats have the city locked up, maybe Rham can afford to spend some of his votes. The teachers union make a lot of trouble every few years and the city is broke already. Add to it that the liberals always blame the teachers and not the children and the family. Getting rid of the union is "for the children"

 

[lowriderjim]

I want a teacher for each child.

These teachers should be paid six figures.

Now, lets talk about about what we can afford.

If all else fails then say, but its for the kids.

 

[dross]

BTW, I just like to point this out, smaller classrooms are a big fat lie. Every time you read about smaller classrooms what you need to understand is that the real issue is an increase in the numbers of teachers, which then strengthens their political position.

Also, whenever you real an article about teachers' salaries, keep in mind a couple of things. They almost never give numbers. If they do, it's starting salaries, MAYBE average. What they don't ever show you is median and maximum salaries, neither do they factor summer vacation into total compensation as if almost three months not at work is worth nothing.

 

[benkrebs]

Check this out...

Salary Schedules

Shocking.

 

[dross]

Check this out...

Salary Schedules

Shocking.

I don't see a problem. Considering all factors, including being in Chicago, I'd say they're doing pretty well. A little on the high side, but not crazy. Certainly not underpaid.

 

[radonc73]

So the Lowest payed teachers working a full 52 weeks makes a grand a week starting out, sounds great to me.

 

[danimal]

... neither do they factor summer vacation into total compensation as if almost three months not at work is worth nothing.

I'm not sure how it works in hellannoy, but over the border here in Indiana, my wife doesn't get paid for free during summer break. She has the option of either getting paid less all year round to get paid through the summer, or getting paid more while she works and get nothing when it's nice out. We opt for the steady pay schedule.

 

[hornadylnl]

I'm not sure how it works in hellannoy, but over the border here in Indiana, my wife doesn't get paid for free during summer break. She has the option of either getting paid less all year round to get paid through the summer, or getting paid more while she works and get nothing when it's nice out. We opt for the steady pay schedule.

My mom used to complain about her pay being spread out throughout the year. I told her that if they didn't, she'd be broke all summer long. I guess she hadn't really thought that one through.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

My mom used to complain about her pay being spread out throughout the year. I told her that if they didn't, she'd be broke all summer long. I guess she hadn't really thought that one through.

Your mom an economics or math teacher?

 

[Phil502]

Another thing that is strange in the CPS, say a person gets a masters degree in a Math study or even something like Principle Administration, even if they work as an English teacher, a completely unrelated "field" they get a salary bump for the degree. I know Masters Degrees are a lot of work but where else can you get credit for education in a field you are not participating in. It supposedly started when they thought getting more educated teachers would solve their little problem with kids not performing well.

 

[dross]

I'm not sure how it works in hellannoy, but over the border here in Indiana, my wife doesn't get paid for free during summer break. She has the option of either getting paid less all year round to get paid through the summer, or getting paid more while she works and get nothing when it's nice out. We opt for the steady pay schedule.

It's really not a matter of how her pay is arranged. She makes X amount for working 9 months. And she gets regular vacation to be taken during the school year. So you take the amount she makes per year, divide it by nine, take that number and multiply it by 12 to get her total compensation.

You can't compare a teacher making 50K per year with a taxpayer making 50K per year, when the taxpayer works 12 months of the year and the teacher works 9 months. The teacher's actual compensation is worth 67K in that scenario.

 

[hornadylnl]

Your mom an economics or math teacher?

English.

 

[danimal]

It's really not a matter of how her pay is arranged. She makes X amount for working 9 months. And she gets regular vacation to be taken during the school year. So you take the amount she makes per year, divide it by nine, take that number and multiply it by 12 to get her total compensation.

You can't compare a teacher making 50K per year with a taxpayer making 50K per year, when the taxpayer works 12 months of the year and the teacher works 9 months. The teacher's actual compensation is worth 67K in that scenario.

Very true, but also consider this: Joe Blow tax payer probably works only 40hrs a week, the average (good) teacher will put in 50 (at least my wife does, 9x5 + all afternoon on Sunday doing lesson plans and grading). And that doesn't include extra curricular activities, parent-teacher conferences, plays/performances, team (grade) meetings, and what not.

50hr*39wk - 40hr*52wk = -130 or about 3 weeks worth of hourly difference per year. Not to say Joe doesn't have any overtime or isn't on-call with his job 24/7, but for those 9 months, I would expect teachers put in more hours per week than the average tax payer.

But yes, your logic would be correct assuming both employees worked just a 40hr week.

What makes me mad the most about this stuff is that good teachers almost seem to be the exception, rather then the norm, these days.

 

[Paul]

Very true, but also consider this: Joe Blow tax payer probably works only 40hrs a week, the average (good) teacher will put in 50 (at least my wife does, 9x5 + all afternoon on Sunday doing lesson plans and grading). And that doesn't include extra curricular activities, parent-teacher conferences, plays/performances, team (grade) meetings, and what not.

50hr*39wk - 40hr*52wk = -130 or about 3 weeks worth of hourly difference per year. Not to say Joe doesn't have any overtime or isn't on-call with his job 24/7, but for those 9 months, I would expect teachers put in more hours per week than the average tax payer.

But yes, your logic would be correct assuming both employees worked just a 40hr week.

What makes me mad the most about this stuff is that good teachers almost seem to be the exception, rather then the norm, these days.

The average salary worker puts in more than 40 hours a week. Everybody I know who is on salary for a 40 hour work week actually work more than that. I know some of my immediate family works around 50-60 hours a week.

 

[Archbishop]

Elephants two for a quarter is a good deal, but only if you need the elephants and you have the quarter to spend.

 

[dross]

Very true, but also consider this: Joe Blow tax payer probably works only 40hrs a week, the average (good) teacher will put in 50 (at least my wife does, 9x5 + all afternoon on Sunday doing lesson plans and grading). And that doesn't include extra curricular activities, parent-teacher conferences, plays/performances, team (grade) meetings, and what not.

50hr*39wk - 40hr*52wk = -130 or about 3 weeks worth of hourly difference per year. Not to say Joe doesn't have any overtime or isn't on-call with his job 24/7, but for those 9 months, I would expect teachers put in more hours per week than the average tax payer.

But yes, your logic would be correct assuming both employees worked just a 40hr week.

What makes me mad the most about this stuff is that good teachers almost seem to be the exception, rather then the norm, these days.

As someone posted above, I think you're wrong about the average exempt employee.

In every place I've worked, the people who work only 40 hours a week are not very successful and are considered slackers. My rule of thumb has always been that 45 hours a week is bare minimum for exempt employees. I average about 50 right now, my wife works 60 - 70 hours a week.

But it's really not about hours per week anyway, if you're not being paid by the hour, it's about what you accomplish. If I could get all my work done in 40 hours, that would be fine, but if it takes me 70, that's fine, too. No one really cares all that much how many hours I work, just that I get results. If I'm not getting results I'm going to be on the bubble regardless of how many hours I work.

 

[danimal]

Well, we could debate how many hours the average non-teacher works vs. average teacher and probably not get much of anywhere and be blue in the face. Poking around the net I found this page, make of it what you will (it is a government publication after all).

Employment Situation Summary
Table B-2. Average weekly hours and overtime of all employees on private nonfarm payrolls by industry sector, seasonally adjusted

(couldn't find anything for the public sector, either I suck at googling, or I'm not thinking up the right terms to search on)

I and my wife, much like you guys, do work more than a straight 40. And while you guys have examples of good people around you that bust their hump and put in more, I've got examples where I work of people that skate by barely trying to look busy to "put in their 40" (and those same slags then drum up BS excuses to milk OT or comp time). I just know that during the school year, the wife works her tail feathers off to stay on top of everything, so the summer break definitely isn't a freebie for her. She and her school corp are probably exceptions rather than the rule.

Dross' comment just came off sounding a bit disingenuous to me as though the summer break is some goodie given to the teachers union. Which I totally understand a statement like that when you look at some of the really bad districts like Gary and E. Chicago where the schools perform more like a babysitting service than an educational institution. I took no offense to the statement, just was trying to make the point that some teachers do earn it (or at least a good portion of it) with all the long hours they work.

 

[turnandshoot4]

Good for them.

Make some money teachers!