Oak Lawn District 229 teachers are sacrificing for the good of area taxpayers. They've agreed to reduce their expected pay raises by 3 percent, now to be between 4 to 6 percent hikes. WGN reports:
District Superintendent Michael Riordan had faced laying off more than 30 teachers if the union balked at the board's proposal.
Raises for teachers will drop from 7 percent and 9 percent over the next two years to 4 percent and 6 percent. The average teacher in District 229 earns around $70,000 a year.
"We found a way to adjust that contract in a way that would allow us to continue our programs for students," Riordan told WGN News. "Now we do not have to lay off teachers and other staff members and can balance our budget for the next five years and beyond."
Are these sacrifices taxpayers should appreciate, favorable self-imposed belt-tightening, or simply...'Be thankful you have a job, and a $70k a year job at that'!
