CTU: another strike (Chicago, Union: 2014, how much, magnet school)

[dexter1225]

Originally Posted by WizardOfRadical

Uh are you aware teachers work outside of the class room?

They take work home and literally work nights, weekends, as well as plenty of work during the summer. People arr so brain dead when it comes to understanding the teaching profession.

I work outside of the office and bring work home. I get 15 days vacation. And occasionally lose part of my weekend, too.

Yes, the grass isn't always greener, but don't make education out to be the most difficult profession in the country.

I'm having a weird moment of deja vu...

[chicagobear]

Given that much of the Chicago population doesn't use the public schools (CPS is only 9% white for example), I can't see that higher taxes to pay more for the schools will have a lot of support. The teachers could easily be replaced by equally qualified people for less money.

[Maintainschaos]

Originally Posted by chicagobear

Given that much of the Chicago population doesn't use the public schools (CPS is only 9% white for example)

CPS enrollment is still around 400,000 students and is the third largest school district in the U.S. (fourth if you count Puerto Rico), so obviously many families are still using it, regardless of their race...

[nana053]

Originally Posted by thunderstruck666

If I earned $70K a year and got 3 months paid vacation with it, I'd be ashamed to ask for more.

Most teachers even in Chicago do not earn $70k per year - you need to realize that those averages include administrator salaries. Starting salaries are high, but pay increases are 2.2% per year which does not keep up with the cost of living. Teachers also max out at less than $100,000 with a phD and 24 years of service. Note that my son started at a much higher salary right out of college (he's a chemical engineer) and he is making quite a bit more than the top salary currently. Also please note that teacher's days do not end when the student day ends - many teachers work 10 to 12 hour days during the school year. If you look at the education and teaching forums here - you will see teachers who came from industry who can tell you they work more hours for less pay as teachers than they did in the private sector.

Also, teachers do NOT get 3 months paid vacation. Teachers are at work for professional development for many days when students are not in school. The first day of school in 2015 for teacher is August 31. The last day of school in 2015 for teachers is June 23rd. So teachers are actually off for 2 months and 1 week - during that time they must take classes to keep their credentials up to date. It's not paid vacation at all, btw, as the salaries are actually 10 month salaries that the school board stretches out over the 12 months.

Depending upon what school they teach in, teachers may be dealing with not being safe. While it may be getting better (I don't know for sure), when I taught in Chicago, we had teachers attacked by students and principals who did nothing when it happened. There are recent incidents on youtube.

Teachers assaulted by students at school often show symptoms of PTSD - tribunedigital-chicagotribune

Violent crimes are a daily occurrence in many troubled Chicago Public Schools. Police log dozens of calls a week from CPS schools, investigating complaints of battery, drug use, armed robberies, sexual assault, bomb threats and arson.

It is worse for substitute teachers who make a lot less. It's not just in the high schools either.

Violence Against Teachers - An Overlooked Crisis? - NEA Today

[chicagobear]

Originally Posted by Maintainschaos

CPS enrollment is still around 400,000 students and is the third largest school district in the U.S. (fourth if you count Puerto Rico), so obviously many families are still using it, regardless of their race...

I've always heard that Chicago city property taxes are lower than the suburbs as middle class (or maybe upper middle class) families won't pay suburban level taxes for schools they won't use. Of course Chicago has a lot more commercial property to tax than the suburbs too.

[treemoni]

Originally Posted by NOLA101

That's exactly her job. She's being paid to represent the union and its members' interests. It's the city's fault, not the unions, if the current salary/benefits/pension rules are unaffordable.

When she leaves, someone else will do the same job. She would be a poor leader if she weren't "a strong personality and always keep stirring the pot".

Heck, I'd trust her over Rahm anyday. At least she doesn't cover up cop killings or lie about fundamental things like where she lives.

Amen. Illinois deserves to drown with comments like the ones in this topic. Illinois is way too wealthy to be having so many problems. It's poor STATE GOVERNMENT leadership. I hope Rauner runs it into the ground There needs to be radical reform.

[treemoni]

Originally Posted by Antonio Montana

most teachers don't receive the extravagant benefits and salary that CTU teachers receive

Then that's the failure of their leadership. So you want to race to the bottom? Teaching used to be a well-respected profession. Being a teacher was like being a doctor. It's a shame how the people who teach your snot-nosed brats are treated. Here's an idea--save those tax dollars and teach them yourselves. Then you can give them the education you want, since most of you know how to do it better than those actually trained to do the job.

[helena101]

Originally Posted by treemoni

Then that's the failure of their leadership. So you want to race to the bottom? Teaching used to be a well-respected profession. Being a teacher was like being a doctor. It's a shame how the people who teach your snot-nosed brats are treated. Here's an idea--save those tax dollars and teach them yourselves. Then you can give them the education you want, since most of you know how to do it better than those actually trained to do the job.

It's because of the system that is supported by the unions. Lock-step pay raises based only on the number of years in the system, with nothing to differentiate high performing teachers from low performing teachers. Difficulty firing teachers for being low performing or lazy, and sometimes excellent teachers are randomly laid off due to being at the wrong place at the wrong time. It's simply not a profession that rewards hard work or attempts to push employees to be their very best.

[MSchemist80]

Originally Posted by treemoni

I hope you never get the government job you desire so badly. Keep making low wages in the private sector.

I make pretty good pay in the private sector and I'd be for unions if they protected good workers and negotiated reasonably. I personally think my profession could use a reasonable union to combat abuses. I don't think we need a corrupt organization that buys politicians, drives employers to bankruptcy with insane demands, and makes it near impossible to fire bad workers.

What we have with the government unions in Illinois is more of a racket that is destroying the state and inflicting economic pain on the businesses and citizens here.

There has been a sad history of unions driving businesses to bankruptcy as with the airlines, car manufacturers, and now government as well.

[treemoni]

So unions are the reason American businesses go bankrupt? LOL! Nothing more to see here...