Surplus of overpaid brown-nosers

Bill Dussling, president of the Northwest Suburban High School district 214 school board is quoted as saying, "When you're asked to meet the kind of academic standards our communities want ... you have to have the people on staff to make that happen."

Mr. Dussling was defending the very high pensions and salaries paid to teachers in those districts, claiming that they are a way to attract top educators to suburban schools. I hold a Masters of Education and a Bachelors of Communication, Magna C. Laude, I have numerous years of teaching experience in the U.S. and overseas and I can tell you that the salaries paid has nothing to do with ability. It's plain nepotism and who fits into any given school administrative "clique." Nothing more.

I was told flat out by a public school administrator in another state that I just didn't "fit in." Not that I wasn't a good teacher or I wasn't qualified, but that I didn't "fit in." Basically, I wasn't brown nosing effectively.

I've heard my story time and again from my other friends here in Illinois who are out of work, and have been, for months and months. If the state wants to have money for education, cut everyone making more than $50,000 a year and hire all the over-qualified, out of work teachers in this state desperately looking for work, any work. Plus, cut out the pensions. Social Security and 401(k)s are working in the private sector, why not for our tax dollars, too?

Wake up Illinois. There's no shortage of good, qualified teachers in this state, but there are a surplus of over-paid brown-nosers sucking the budget dry.

Julie Moskal

Glen Ellyn