by Cal Skinner
There's been quite a debate on character education. Should parents inculcate values or should teachers?
I thought of that controversy when I realized that teachers made a big deal about being able to make an extra $10,000 a year just five minutes away.
Here is what appears on page one of the Huntley Education Association's proposal:
"We want to be treated like our peers in the surrounding consolidated districts.
“We want to make sure that our great teachers don't leave our district because they can get paid $10,000 more five minutes away."
When I looked at the list of teacher contracts (click to enlarge) that were submitted to the Huntley School District 158's board of education, there was a glaring omission:
Woodstock Unit District 200
Was that because Woodstock's union is not associated with the Illinois Education Association? (I remember being lobbied by Woodstock High School teacher Jim Birch on behalf of the Illinois Federation of Teachers before he started teaching at McHenry College. I assume it still is.)
So, what do Woodstock teachers get paid?
They are about five minutes from Huntley, straight up Route 47.
Here's what I found:
I looked at a teacher with 13 or 17 years of experience with a bachelor's degree, a master's degree and the highest education on the Huntley chart, which is master's, plus 45 credits. This master's, plus 45 credits, is the equivalent of 2 masters' degrees, plus an additional 13 credits. Overkill for kindergarten, first and second grade teachers, if you ask me.
This year a Huntley teacher's (with 13 years of experience) salary is:
$52,416 with a bachelor's degree
The Woodstock teacher's (with 13 years of experience)salary is:
$42,466 with a bachelor's degree
Wait a minute!
This bachelor's Huntley teacher can travel 5 minutes away to Woodstock and make about $10,000 less in salary!
In fact, the Woodstock teacher has to wait until year 17 to make only $45,607.
What about a Huntley teacher who has a master's degree?
This year, a Huntley teacher's salary (with 17 years of experience) is:
$65,106 with a master's degree
The Woodstock teacher's (with 17 years of experience) is:
$55,194 with a master's degree
This Huntley teacher can travel 5 minutes away to Woodstock and get a $10,000 lower salary!
What about a really educated, really experienced Huntley teacher having a master's degree, plus 45 credits beyond a master's degree, and 21 years of experience?
This year that Huntley teacher's (with 21 years of experience) salary is:
$80,869 with a master's degree, plus 45 additional grad school credits
The Woodstock teacher's (with 17 years of experience) salary is:
$68,102 with a master's degree plus 45 additional grad school credits
This most educated, most experienced Huntley teacher can travel 5 minutes away to Woodstock and get a $12,000 lower salary!
So should Huntley District 158 parents be concerned about
a) the Huntley teachers' analytical skills?
b) Huntley teachers' imparting values to their children about whatever you can get away with?
c) all of the above?
Or is there one standard of "truthfulness" for students in the classroom and another one for teachers outside the classroom when they are seeking big pay raises?
Even if you include the Woodstock school district's Teacher Retirement System (TRS) benefits (that Huntley Teachers want, along with over a 10% regular pay hike) given to Woodstock teachers, it's a gross misrepresentation for the Huntley teachers to say their elementary grade teachers can go five minutes away and make $10,000 more money.
The union proposal is obviously designed to create a false impression with residents. The union wants Huntley taxpayers to think that Huntley District 158 is not competitive on salaries and their teachers haven't received increases in summer school stipends for years. (See page 38.)
Oh, really.
Where's the evidence of that claim?
And comparing Huntley grade school salaries to Crystal Lake High School District 155 might not be fair either.
Teachers say they wanted to be treated with "professional respect." It's easy to find. The Huntley union puts it in the second line of its proposal.
Professionals I have dealt with tell the truth.
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Click to enlarge the page of school district union contracts entered into the District 158 negotiating record. Cars in the District 158 administration building parking lot are mainly from teachers at an early negotiating session. The photo is of union leaders as of last May.
Put up first on McHenry County Blog.
Labels: HEA, Huntley Education Association, Huntley School District 158, Jim Birch, McHenry County College, Woodstock Unit School District 200
