Teachers receive special benefits
In her letter on Nov. 7, Gretchen Holly, who is apparently an English teacher at Warren Township High School, was critical of the series in the Daily Herald concerning salary figures of teachers. She claimed the article inaccurately listed the hourly rate of teachers who supposedly earned more per hour than mechanical engineers, psychologists, architects, registered nurses, and editors and reporters.
She claimed the article did not mention that personal funds are used by teachers to provide essential classroom materials and supplies for students who cannot afford them. What she neglected to state is that the IRS allows teachers to claim up to $250 as an adjustment to (reduction of) their total income in determining their taxable income. This provision is not available to the other professions cited in the article.
She also stated that the article did not factor in the money paid out of pocket during the summertime for continuing education that is required for re-certification for teachers. Again, she failed to mention that the IRS permits teachers to deduct up to $4,000 as an adjustment to their income, thereby reducing their taxable income, or the option of claiming up to $2,000 from their taxes as a Lifetime Learning credit, for tuition and fees for these continuing education courses. The teachers also have a third option, which is to claim the tuition, fees, meals, lodging, and travel for their continuing education courses as a miscellaneous deduction if they itemize, again reducing their taxable income.
The article stated between 1998 and 2006, the average teacher pay in 94 suburban school districts increased by 28 percent, while the rate of inflation grew by 22 percent. For Ms. Holly, during the period from 1999 to 2006, according to the State of Illinois salary records, her salary increased by 48 percent.
She further stated that teachers often spend hours after school and on weekends performing tasks associated with the classroom and their students. She is somewhat naive to think that these other cited professions just have a 9-to-5 job and do not do additional work afterwards.
Larry King
Gurnee