Strike: Obama's Chicago in Chaos as Teachers Walk Out on Needy Kids

reply to post by JohnnyCanuck


Really man I usually read your posts and while I might not agree with them I find they are very observant. But how can the teachers in Chicago demand more money when they are barely doing their jobs? You read the source right? Military spending has nadda to do w/this. It's about getting the most out of your money. Teachers are hired to educate the children and in most job's if you are doing as poorly as they are you would be replaced. But tenure does protect the useless members. If anything meaningful is ever to be done to the US education system the whole mess would need to be reevaluated and dead weight cut from it. Not just teachers but the sports programs and other unneeded programs.

Originally posted by xuenchen
Chicago mayor, Rahm Emanuel seems to have a problem with the Teachers union.

Maybe he'll finally see the light about these unions .. now that he's on the receiving end of their mob-mentality and thuggery. Or is that too much to hope for??

Don't see what this has to do with Obama. It's a municipal issue, not federal. Secondly, it's ridiculous for them to turn down 16% over 4 years when others are accepting wage freezes and wage rollbacks. Unless there is something else in the offer that would scale back benefits, or something like that.

Originally posted by jjkenobi
It's just unfathomable that with 8% unemployment and 23 million Americans out of work these teachers go on strike for making over 70k a year for 9 months of work and every govt holiday off. Please bring in all the teachers laid off from other parts of the country to take over for these ungrateful prats.

70k is a meduim average...want to know what that means?...2 people make $115,000.00 a year.......and another 2 people make $25,000.00 a year...all 4 people average out to $70,000.00 a year...who are the "ungrateful prats"?

Originally posted by intrepid
Don't see what this has to do with Obama. It's a municipal issue, not federal. Secondly, it's ridiculous for them to turn down 16% over 4 years when others are accepting wage freezes and wage rollbacks. Unless there is something else in the offer that would scale back benefits, or something like that.

One of the major sticking points in this strike is about the new evaluation process that the city wants to use in its review of the teachers performance that is directly connected to a Federal program.

The process is rooted in Obama's "race to the top" initiative. That's were he comes into this.

I agree that its Rahm's mess...However, In comes Obama on his white horse to save the schools and work out a deal with the union. (That's Thursday's headline)

The new system would eventually use students' standardized test scores as 40 percent of a teacher's yearly evaluation. Teachers who don't improve their students' test scores would be fired.

Many Democrats, including Emanuel's former boss President Barack Obama, embrace this test-based way of judging educators. The president's "Race to the Top" federal program awarded money to states that agreed to rate teachers this way and institute other reforms, like encouraging the creation of more independent charter schools.

news.yahoo.com...

Originally posted by JohnnyCanuck
reply to post by macman

 

Wrong on so many counts I'm not even going to continue the discussion. Over and out.

WOW, really????

Sure sure then. Sure sure.

reply to post by intrepid


Another reason to make this a Federal issue.

Over the past four years, the Chicago public schools have churned through total revenues of approximately $20.27 billion and about $4.26 billion of that revenue—or almost 21 percent of it—has come from the federal government.

That is $4.26 billion the federal government has either taken from Americans in federal taxes or has borrowed and added to the national debt.

We should all be very interested in what is happening in Chicago. (A strike so conveniently timed/coordinated)

The numbers are almost inconceivable. We are constantly spending more and more and getting far less. Where is the money going??

In fiscal 2009, according to the White House Office of Management and Budget, the U.S. Department of Education spent $53.389 billion. In 2010, that climbed to $92.858 billion, then in 2011, it dropped to $65.484 billion. This year, according to OMB, Department of Education spending will hit an historical high of $98.467 billion.

In fiscal 1989, the last year that President Reagan was in office, the U.S. Education Department spent $21.468 billion, according to OMB. Even adjusted for inflation, that would only be $39.664 billion this year. That means, that since 1989 the Department of Education spending has grown by almost 150 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars (from $39.664 in 2012 dollars to $98.467 in 2012 dollars).

How is this possible? How can the schools be broke? Why do the kids always sacrifice?

The Black Hole

According to the budgets published by the Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago schools received $1.1228 billion in federal money in fiscal 2009, $1.1604 billion in fiscal 2010, $1.1449 billion in fiscal 2011, and $827.5 million in fiscal 2012.That equals $4.2556 billion over four years.

Given that the Chicago Public Schools had a total enrollment of 403,770 students in 2011, according to the Illinois State Board of Education, that means that over the past four yeas the federal government has provided the Chicago Public Schools with about $10,540 in subsidies for each of its students.

In fiscal 2013, the Chicago Public Schools are budgeted to receive another $937.7 million in revenue from the federal government. At an enrollment of 403,770, that would equal another $2,322 per student in federal subsidies

An students still have problems with basic reading comprehension....What a disaster....

cnsnews.com...

Originally posted by xuenchen
Strike: Obama's Chicago in Chaos as Teachers Walk Out on Needy Kids
Naturally this seems like the standard Unions vs Government.

But I bet the deals are sealed already and they are just putting on a show to rival recent Union fallbacks in other cities and states.

I was really enjoying the fact that Rahm Emanuel was in a dispute with the very people responsible for his career, until you ruined the fantasy for me.

In any case, I think the one thing both Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, parents and teachers can agree on, is that the federal government needs to stop micro-managing local education systems. Just shut down the Department of Education, and stop extorting schools with our tax money. Stop pushing an agenda, and stop pretending they know what's best for every city and town in the country. Get out of the way and let the parents worry about what their kids are being taught.

There was no Department of Education when I was in school and I can tell you that a lot of what I see coming out of the school system today is a disgrace compared to 35 years ago. All you have to do is look at Facebook if you need proof.

I didnt know that he was President of Chicaga. I thought he was President for all 50 states . Oh well, live and learn.

Originally posted by intrepid
Don't see what this has to do with Obama.

It's Obamas 'hometown'. It's Obama's buddy, Rahm, stuck with the mess.
It's Obama's union buddies who are going against Rahm.
Rahm .. who is now learning what it is like to be on the other end of 'union thuggery'.

That's about all Obama has to do with it.
Sort of a 'side player'. Not much else.

Originally posted by FlyersFan

Originally posted by intrepid
Don't see what this has to do with Obama.

It's Obamas 'hometown'.

Right on! And Al Capone conducted his nefarious operations in the same city! Whoa! How can you trust ANYONE from Chicago after that?

Ummm I think some of you are forgetting that Chicago has one of the highest costs of living in the country. But even if the cost of living was lower I think the average teacher should make about 70,000 a year. They have an important job to do that requires them to recieve constant education. So I can support these teachers asking for a raise IF the school district can afford it. However, I cannot support them not wanting to have their performance evaluated. I read one article where they actually said the evaluations would hurt their 'job security.' If you arent doing your job well.....why should you have job security....its ridiculous.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

For all you ignorant people responding that don't know your ass from your elbow, the average Chicago teacher in CPS makes 17,500 a year!!!! They do NOT make 70,000 bucks a year. The administration makes that. You need to ask yourself why is Department of Education Chicago stockpiling Remington custom automatics at 21,000 a pop versus paying the teachers who desperately are now lacking resources such as making copies, having classrooms with less than 100 students in them, and not even having a say in curriculum changes.

The union is the only thing saving the teachers here. The administration on the other hand would love to get rid of the poorest paid people and bring in minimum wage help. Get your head out your ass and learn something.

Parents are outraged as children struggling through the city's troubled school system will now miss critical days at the start of the year.

If the parents understood our countries education system (let alone Chicago's) is garbage, I don't think they would be outraged. They can learn better real-life lessons on the streets.

But let's just live inside the box society built, shall we?
Too bad they are only outraged because they have to find childcare while they work because that's really all our schools have become because the education is so horrible, the schools have become nothing more than babysitters while the parents try to earn enough money to tread water. Yay America!!!

a bit off topic, so what

reply to post by ArchPlayer

For all you ignorant people responding that don't know your ass from your elbow, the average Chicago teacher in CPS makes 17,500 a year!!!! They do NOT make 70,000 bucks a year. The administration makes that. You need to ask yourself why is Department of Education Chicago stockpiling Remington custom automatics at 21,000 a pop versus paying the teachers who desperately are now lacking resources such as making copies, having classrooms with less than 100 students in them, and not even having a say in curriculum changes.

The union is the only thing saving the teachers here. The administration on the other hand would love to get rid of the poorest paid people and bring in minimum wage help. Get your head out your ass and learn something.

Chicago Public Schools has several salary schedules for different positions. Substitutes and teachers that work for different numbers of weeks throughout the year earn different salaries. Administrators and clerks also have different salary schedules. This information, as of January 2011, is for teachers who work 38.6 weeks per year. The Chicago Public Schools human resources website details information for other positions.

Lane I

Teachers in Lane I, Step 1 earn a base salary of $49,159. After teaching for five years, a teacher can earn $59,585. With 20 years of service, a teacher can earn $81,708 per year.

Lanes II and III

Lane II is for teachers who have a master's degree. Step 1 salary for these teachers is $52,564, while Step 5 pays $62,991 per year. With 20 years, a Lane II teacher can earn $85,215. Lane III teachers have a master's degree and 15 hours of approved graduate credit. Their first step salary is $54,267, and the Step 5 salary is $64,694. After 20 years in Lane II, a teacher can earn $86,968.

Lanes IV, V and VI

A Lane IV teacher holds a master's degree and 30 hours of approved graduate credit. The Step 1 salary for Lane IV is $55,969, while Step 5's salary is $66,396. After 20 years, the salary of a Lane IV teacher is $88,721. Lane V teachers have a master's degree and 45 hours of approved graduate credit. They earn $57,671 in Step 1 of their Lane, and Step 5 means a salary of $68,099. With 20 years of teaching, a Lane V teacher earns $90,473. A teacher in Lane VI holds a doctorate degree. Step 1 of Lane VI is $59,374, while Step 5 pays $69,801. After 20 years, a teacher in Lane VI earns $92,227 per year.

Chicago Public School Salary Schedule


Their Union Contract

I live in Boise Id and the median salary for teachers is $50k, which is a pretty average wage for a decent standard of living. We have a MUCH lower cost of living than Chicago.

Teachers dont just work school hours. They take work home with them alot. They also take summer jobs or take the opportunity to spend time with their own kids. They are also spending more and more of their own income on school supplies for kids. My sister begs me for those food box tops so she can actually teach her kids and keep them interested. She certainly doesnt make $70k or even $50k for that matter.

You want to blame the teachers for poor performance, but they are he ones being forced to conform to a federal, one-size -fits-all curriculum. Basically, our kids are only taught what will be on that federal test at the end of the year. then the school board puts so much pressure on these teachers because they are desperately wanting that fedeal subsidy. I wonder how much the feds spend on those tests? The tests that are supposed to be the end-all be-all to how teachers perform in school? As if the parents, kids, school itself or a myriad of other factors have nothing to do with it?

Blame the tachers all you want, but that just means the real culprits, the federal govt (no
matter whos in charge) get away with it.

Originally posted by jibeho
reply to post by detachedindividual

 

For you to answer in such a manner I must assume that you don't have kids and that you have no concept of what it means for a working parent to either not go to work, not get paid or to scramble to find childcare for your children.

Working families are scrambling to make alternative arrangements for child care.

That's what chaos really looks like. I'm sure many of these kids were just left on their own...

If you want chaos brought on by the union thugs.... bring it on...

If that's what constitutes "chaos" then I think a lot of those screaming about this should actually be going back to school themselves.

I am not a parent, but I am part of a large family. But whether I'm a parent or not this does not constitute chaos! To call this chaos is so ridiculous it makes a mockery of the reporting of it - clearly biased and overtly "anti-union" and "anti-Obama" - as if he's responsible! lol

As for "union thugs", this is the kind of BS spouted by people who are in a position not to need a union. I can guarantee that if the unions you hate so much didn't exist, your country would be in genuine chaos as workers become violent to get fair working conditions, fair pay, fair benefits...

I compare people screaming about unions to the people who scream about the social welfare system. Those same people would like to destroy it, but they're too ignorant to understand what the alternatives are. It's ridiculous short-sightedness.

All we need to do is look back into our own history to see what conditions were like before the welfare system, and before workers rights.

Having to find alternative care for your children is the responsibility of the parent. Once again, this is not "chaos". It's an inconvenience and nothing more. Parents are responsible for their kids, like it or not. The education system is not your free babysitter.

The fact that people are screaming so loudly about this, and how inconvenient it is for them, openly shows how VITAL those teachers are. You can't have it both ways, if parents need them so badly, they deserve to be paid more for their job. If parents are angry that the teachers are demanding, maybe they should be thinking about why that is, how important they are, and how they SHOULD be paid more for caring for their kids, educating them, and allowing the parents to work.

People have kids, they are responsible for their own kids. If they cannot cope for a day or two without someone else being paid to look after them they shouldn't have had those kids to begin with!

FIRE THEM GREEDY TEACHERS and replace them with others FOR HALF THE WAGE CHICAGO!!!!!!!!!

I am all for Unions when they actually HELP workers NEGOTIATE their FAIR SHARE in wages, benefits, and work conditions from unethical employers (there are MANY out there), but for teachers who work a FRACTION of the hours of regular professions, while enjoying a NICE LONG SUMMER VACATION EVERY YEAR, and on top of that, get paid over $70,000 annually, well, to that I say... FIRE THEM GREEDY STRIKERS NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyone who has the audacity to go on strike over a full time job that is actually PART TIME with BANKERS HOURS and a FREE SUMMER VACATION that pays well over $70,000 annually should be FIRED ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally posted by HangTheTraitors
FIRE THEM GREEDY TEACHERS and replace them with others FOR HALF THE WAGE CHICAGO!!!!!!!!!

That would be nice, but the problem is that the fact that they belong to a union makes firing them illegal.

And ArchPlayer is obviously a teacher or related to one. NO ONE believes that any union worker makes $17,000 a year. That's beyond rediculous, but striking teachers always try to pass that off as fact.

Are the teachers still collecting a pay check???? If not, do taxpayers get a"refund"? Maybe to offset losing wages to take care of their children or getting a sitter.