No more: Teachers already get huge taxpayer support
In the Nov. 20 edition of the Daily Herald is an article titled, "Teachers plan pickets (to get more community support) to bolster bid for new deal."
As is usually the case there is very little detailed information on exactly what the school board and the teachers union are seeking and taxpayers are left in the dark until a contract is approved. However, the taxpayers do have access to some basic information that can shed some light on the situation: the current union contract, teacher salaries and retirees' pensions.
According to the Illinois Report Card the average teacher salary in D211 is $99,474; this is $33,753 higher than the statewide average teacher salary. The current union contract specifies a "retirement incentive" (pension spike) of 6 percent per year over the last four years of employment.
Hopefully the board is seeking to eliminate this wasteful spending although much damage has already been done. This is reflected in the pensions being paid to the D211 retirees. Of the 762 D211 current retirees 70 percent are already receiving pensions of $100,000 or greater; 80 percent are receiving $80,000 or greater.
Also, of the 36 teachers currently nearing retirement, 25 of these have received spikes this year over the state mandated 6 percent. This means the D211 taxpayers will pay a penalty to cover the amount over the 6 percent.
So how much more taxpayer support do the D211 teachers want?
Also, the D211 teachers are represented by the Illinois Federation of Teachers union, which is led by Daniel Montgomery. This is the same guy who arranged for two of his union's lobbyists to substitute teach for one day just so they could qualify for a TRS pension.
But I must not forget - "It's for the kids" ...
Ken Hofrichter
Elk Grove Village