Wide range of rules on what teacher classes taxpayers cover
Several Lake Villa Elementary District 41 teachers took an online class last school year called, "Understanding and Dealing with Difficult Parents."
It might come in handy when those parents discover it cost taxpayers $345 for each teacher who took that class.
The interactions with upset parents might allow teachers to employ techniques they learned in other online classes taxpayers covered called, "I'm So Stressed I Could Scream" and, "Understanding Your Moods," according to invoices received through an open records request.
"That is a skill set and something we have to do because not everyone comes to us eager to support the school," said District 41 Superintendent Lynette Zimmer, defending the courses through the University of La Verne. "We make sure the classes are appropriate and help them in the classroom, and we make sure the classes are at a university with academic rigors."
A Daily Herald analysis of 92 suburban school district teacher contracts showed 70 with some type of tuition reimbursement program for educators. As in District 41, a vetting process of the coursework is nearly ubiquitous in all the contracts, but that process varies widely.
Most contracts allow teachers to be reimbursed only for classes that count toward an advanced degree or have practical applications to the classes they teach or could teach in the future. District 41's University of La Verne courses aren't part of an advanced degree program.
Critics of tuition reimbursement programs said school boards and administrators should pay closer attention to these policies, since teachers' education levels are directly tied to their salary and pension costs.
"When you are tying compensation to the number of classes taken and completed, that seems to be the wrong measurement," said David From, Illinois state director for Americans for Prosperity, a national tax policy reform organization. "It should be tied to how good you are. It's doing our kids a disservice and it's certainly doing taxpayers a disservice."
Teachers union officials argue everyone, including taxpayers, benefits from increased education for a school district's teachers, particularly when those classes are germane to what they teach.
"It benefits the students by improving the skills and knowledge of the teacher," said Illinois Education Association spokesman Charles McBarron. "And it makes the teacher a more valuable employee. Therefore, having programs that draw the best college graduates is important and benefits taxpayers because the quality of schools has a tremendous impact on property values."
School administrators say they take steps to control tuition reimbursement, like requiring teachers to get above-average grades, limiting how much a district will spend annually on continuing education or capping individual tuition reimbursements, which is the most common caveat.
Barrington Unit District 220 will reimburse teachers only up to $250 per credit hour. The district is one of 43 that cap credit-hour costs. Superintendent Brian Harris also said course screenings are more "stringent" than in the past to make sure continuing education for teachers is in line with the district's goals.
District 220 taxpayers spent $182,151 to reimburse 90 teachers for classes they took last school year, according to district financial records obtained through a public records request. The reimbursements ranged from as much as $8,500 for a middle-school English teacher's continuing education to $310 for an elementary-school reading teacher.
"One of the things that's changed significantly are our internal controls," Harris said. "We value masters and doctoral degrees in our professional staff and are willing to compensate accordingly. We want to have the best person we can in that classroom."
Tuition reimbursement programs came under scrutiny when Palatine Elementary District 15 approved an unprecedented 10-year teachers contract earlier this year. Among the perks included in the contract was a tuition reimbursement hike from $1,375 per teacher to $1,500 annually for longer-serving teachers and $3,000 for newer teachers.
The contract also allowed those teachers to take as many as 30 credit hours a year - up from 15 credit hours in the previous contract - which would expedite salary growth and increase pension obligations.
Many colleges consider anyone taking 12 credit hours in spring and fall semesters and six credit hours in the summer to be a full-time student.
Among the 70 districts with tuition reimbursement programs, 20 cap the number of classes teachers can take during the course of a year. Administrators in districts with annual course limits said it saves money and serves another function.
"While it limits costs and expenditures, more importantly, it allows teachers to focus on the actual work in their students' classrooms," said Dan Cates, superintendent at Palatine-Schaumburg District 211, which limits reimbursements to 12 credit hours a year.
Many school districts renewed teacher contracts that maintained tuition reimbursement programs over the past few years. However, Batavia Unit District 101, where taxpayers spent $69,825 on tuition reimbursement last school year, is dropping the perk after this year.
It's a decision that pleased Carl and Yvonne Dinwiddie, longtime critics of the district's spending policies.
"Oh good," Yvonne said. "We shouldn't be paying for that."
Got a tip?
Contact Jake at jgriffin@dailyherald.com or (847) 427-4602.