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Glenbard High School District 87 18 teachers, 5.2 support staff, 1.3 administrators. Approved $4.5 million in total cuts.

Glen Ellyn District 41 15 teachers, 4 administrators, 1 support staff. Approved $3 million in total cuts.

time for torches and pitchforks, folks!?

Really, 'cuz the teachers are NOT what need to be cut to improve the budget!

truly. hard not to sacrifice the young when you're retiring at 80% of 200K...and NO HEALTH CONTRIBUTION.

howdy - just a quick reconciliation by the numbers.

The maximum TRS pension is 74.8% of the AVERAGE of the final four years of salary. I have looked into this.

It works like this: The EARLIEST a teacher can retire is with 20 years in. They basically get 2.2 "credits" for every year of work 20 years and over. So, a teacher/administrator [why are they in TRS anyway? Or are they even?] doesn't get 80%.

My teaecher sister-in-law retired at age 55 with 20 years in. She got 44% [20 * 2.2] of the average salary in the final four years.

A TRS retiree would have to work 34 years to get the maximum of 74.8% [frequently rounded up to 75% for sake of discussion].

Still a sweet, sweet deal.

Just out of curiosity - does anyone how many teachers do reach a 20 year milestone? You keep hearing that lots of teachers quit before year three (and not really surprised there) - but I don't know if I've ever actually seen what percentage of teachers actually get twenty or thirty years in.

"The Unions have priced themselves out of a job"

Mayors office City of Los Angeles

btn...thanks for clarifying.

I don't know that retired teachers are included in that attrition number....

Thanks for clarifying I've read similar statistics before. Which seems to indicate that all the talk of Teacher shortages or teachers leaving the profession in droves is just talk.

Really looking at the numbers indicate its a fairly stable profession with few actually leaving.

quote:

Cullerton predicted lawmakers will endorse "major changes that these customers will be very happy with."

Sure John, sure.

Does the Joliet diocese really pay 60 to teachers

nacst.com... (pdf)

Maybe I read this wrong

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ted E.,

Jomb, Kudos for doing the research (and actually citing it, too)!

Thanks for clearing that up, Jombl. I wasn't sure because the number seemed low if retirees are included). I only say this based on my own experiences....First, our retirement numbers have ranged wildly over the past few years with NO retiring teachers last year, only five this year, but ten two years ago. That averages five per year, which is less than the 5% you quoted - more like 3 or 4% of my school....of course I'm in a unit district and I don't know the percentage for our whole district. I've not known too many to leave the profession for any other reason in my district but certainly I have colleagues in other schools who have reported losing new, young teachers to the stress, strain, and simple "not what I thought it was going to be" experiences they encountered. It might be too bad that we lose some of them - perhaps with good mentors they would become the next generation of gifted teachers. On the other hand, there have been a few who have stuck with it that probably shouldn't....not many in my school, but a few. Don't get me wrong, they are clearly really nice people and they like kids, which is certainly high on the list of priorities. BUT, some of them cannot teach effectively or they resist legally required responses to managing student's learning differences, opening themselves and the school up for lawsuits (costly and damaging). So, those are the ones I wish would leave the profession.

I understand that one of the English teachers at West that has received a pink slip was my daughter's sophomore honors English teacher. What a real disappointment! He has a great rapport with the students, challenges them to really, really THINK and dig deep. What a loss for West!

I don't know what the job is like for the administrators in the Glenbard district but certainly the ones in mine are generally extremely hard working and have more on their plate than seems manageable. At the same time, I'd much prefer to cut administrative positions than teaching positions...

I dont' know what you all would call a counselor. I consider myself to be a teacher, not an administrator. While I certainly end up with administrative tasks, my top priority is student contact: follow up regarding grades and academic success, helping them plan for their future, assisting them through difficulties - some typical, many of them not, and helping them work through all kinds of decisions by considering the implications of each action. It's a demanding job no matter what one does in a school...and as I look at my school, I don't know how a lot of us can do more given our current load. I know there was talk of cutting my daughter's counselor at West and I was very upset about that. I spoke at a board meeting...don't know what came of that though. I haven't heard anything lately. But if you have a high school student at West, just be aware that their counselor will likely get about 40 or so more students added to their load if they do not hire a replacement for Ms. Sanders.

Since 1995 class sizes in Illinois have been cut by about ten percent. Don't see a ten percent improvement in any education metric.

Chicago has 40K employees in a district of roughly 400K or one employee for every ten students.

As a nation per student spending has increase three times since 1980. Again with no appreciable increase in
student achievement.

As someone who has worked and private industry and have seen far worse layoffs and cutbacks than anything even remotely contemplated by any of the local school districts. I have a hard time working up a lot of sympathy.

Like the Chief of staff for the Mayor of Los Angeles said unions have priced themselves out of a job.

In Illinois we have 80B in unfunded pension obligations that will have to be taken from taxpayers to fund a lifestyle most of them can only dream of.

And Gus, every business and organization that I am aware of is using technology to Lower personnel costs with things like automated scheduling, spreadsheet calculations, etc. compared to the 80's.

Its too bad all the money is spent on things that take away resources for the students that want to do their best.

I think the current cuts are not deep enough with the prospects of dramatic funding shortages around the corner.

Good luck with those property values.

yeah like they're doing so great now.

With more jobs leaving the state according to the Trib we've lost 475K since 2000. Don't see those property values coming back any time soon. If ever.

Just saying good schools, if not the leading factor in home appreciation and sales, are right up there. I think we'll lose far more than we save in tax money by not funding the schools adequately through further decreased home value.

But hey, who needs paved streets either- gravel works.

All the school districts are in the same boat so what's the point, bio?

quote:

Originally posted by Biostitute:
Just saying good schools, if not the leading factor in home appreciation and sales, are right up there. I think we'll lose far more than we save in tax money by not funding the schools adequately through further decreased home value.

But hey, who needs paved streets either- gravel works.

WHAT??? Not funding the schools? How would you ever argue that paying almost $100,000 a year for a PR lady is "funding the schools?" Take a good look at the administrative payroll list that was posted on this site. It's that kind of bloated, over-paid, and over-staffed administrative budget that got us into trouble.....NOT hiring too many teachers! And yet look at what is being cut. The teachers.

I don't see how we are advocating that anyone stop "funding the schools" just because we want some of these ridiculous spending practices to stop.

It's quite the opposite. At some point, we will price ourselves into a bracket that very few can afford. Buyers have a choice of where they will move. Why would they choose to pay higher taxes when they have other options? THAT is what will hurt our property values. Too much supply and not enough demand.

At least we'll have great PR!