@BGDANCEMOM

I agree, about the admin salaries. We should be cautious about how much a teacher is paid, since all of us moved up the salary ladder over time.

They are. Which one are you looking for?

When comparing remember that most administrators work year round and most teachers work 180 days.

Teachers know this information is public record.....all the information is available on other sites, too.

Sunshine is the best disinfectant. For those curious about where the lion's share of their property taxes are going (at least in Highland Park) - now you can see what educators are being paid (teachers and administrators), and if you think it's out of line (as some salaries clearly are) - take the issue up with the Board of Education.

This is public information on many different sites like champion. As for not wanting to know teachers' salaries, then go back to your world of rainbows and unicorns, where money grows on trees and everyone has a pony.

I did student teaching in an area high school where one of the counselors is 73 years old and can barely get around on a computer. That is just one example. The schools try to implement reward systems for teachers similar to what you mention -- and coincidentally just like the ones they use for the kids A, A+, big fat D -- but the unions resist because it will expose the bad ones. We have lost students in our larger suburban area lately, to suicide, drugs, depression, and we can't work hard to make sure our teachers and administrators are the very best they can be? I think we should be ashamed.

Emily,

I found Libertyville's high school listed as "school district 128". I can't find our elementary district 70.

Mary Carol Cowsky
mccowsky@aol.com

What about adding Morton Grove's School District 67 which is so much in the news and on Patch lately too? With their Board asking for such a big tax increase, this one should be a no brainer to include.

I can't find LHS either....unless I'm missing it, but isn't it community high school d 128?

Hi Emily Highland Park 112 and 113 are not there either

It turns out some districts didn't submit their data to the state, which is why their info is missing.

I cannot find Community High School District 128

Not all school districts carry the name of their locale.

Highland Park/Deerfield High schools = Township School District 113

Highland Park Elementary Schools = North Shore School District 112

Chicago was not included.

Dist 47 is there but I can't find d155, Prairie Ridge

Without a collective bargaining agreement teachers would have no recourse to maintain their salaries and benefits or working conditions. While class sizes steadily increasing, districts have to do more with less. Teaching is a difficult job and there is no doubt that some teachers do not give 100%. What you have to remember is that is true for EVERY profession. People tend to get wrapped up the fraction of teachers that you read about in the headlines not doing their job. Here's something we can be proud of. The teachers in my district, as a collective bargaining unit, voted to ratify a three year contract with 0% pay raises for each. I'm not a teacher but I do understand the need for fairness in the workplace and I'm willing to pay the price for excellent teachers.

This database does not tell you whether teacher is full or part time and years of service, so how can you tell whether the teacher is underpaid? Go to champion website for complete data

Remember that any TEACHER making that much has been around for a LOT of years, and contributed to the school and community. They are probably also close to retirement, which brings my second point, that those salaries include their contribution to the retirement system, which the state has not only failed to fund its part, but has borrowed the money these teachers have put in. Right now, their union is fighting to reclaim what Ryan and Blagojevich stole, so these teachers can have a modest retirement (they do not qualify for Social Security). So unions are not all evil.

The ones making over $100k have been there a long time. And many of them are dead weight, just punching the clock because one more year, one more 4% raise, adds that much to their retirement. They are an absolute disgrace and they give a bad name to the good, hard-working teachers and principals. And they are usually abusive or dismissive or apathetic towards the children.

So, some of the folks I worked with in that category, have no kids at home, mortgages paid, and will bring home $84k per year in retirement. We have two mortgages, two cars, no vacations, no dinners out, more donations to the school, days off work for all the teacher holidays. Yes, some work hard but there aren't enough of us working people to support medicare and retirements for all these people when they do retire.

"Without a collective bargaining agreement teachers would have no recourse to maintain their salaries and benefits or working conditions. " - I have to ask "so what?" Why should teachers get to maintain their salaries, benefits, and working conditions when many in the Private Sector have had their salaries or benefits frozen or cut, and working conditions altered as well?

Don't get me wrong, I value a quality education, but what makes them such a deserving special class?

What's wrong with considering someone for a raise if and when their performance is such that it demonstrates they should receive such consideration? What's wrong with having a fixed pool of money to use for raises every year? What's wrong with not giving everyone a raise every year?

Finally, what value does the Teacher's Union bring to the TAXPAYERS? We know what it brings to the teachers and the union itself, but what does it bring to the rest of us to justify it's existence?

JC wrote "Right now, their union is fighting to reclaim what Ryan and Blagojevich stole, so these teachers can have a modest retirement" So JC, you think million dollar pensions are modest??? The state didn't fully fund pensions because it could never afford to fund the 130 plus enhancements to the system since 1972. It was a game, Politicians got the teacher votes and teachers got enhancements. Unfortunately the enhancements were never "SUSTAINABLE".

Well keepswing is there a step increase for the teachers and what is that step increase? I bet the teachers four years or less from retiring are receiving a "6%" raise. I wouldn't be surprised to hear, no raise, but teachers get a "bonus". Teachers are the only people I know that a no raise means just a 3% average raise. Go look it up and get back to me

@deadcatbounce-who has a million dollar pension??? REally???

Teacher's contract Blueprint For a taxpayer mugging

@ Terri - They list us under Grayslake School District 46

No, looking for community consolidated district 46... Covers hainesville, round lake, lake villa, third lake and Grayslake. The majority of the district comes from the first 4 communities.

Hi Terri. It's under Grayslake School District 46, right under Grayslake School District 127.

It's Community Consolidated School District 46. Most of the students don't even come from Grayslake.

An opinion blogpost from a blowhard right-wing nutjob is eye-opening, alright!

Yeah...unions suck. I wish we could go back to working 60 hours a week with no benefits...what a life...when you could pay a seat-belt violation ticket with your weekly paycheck :) Really, are you Dold fans on drugs or something? Don't you understand the only thing staying between your slavery and people like Dold are unions? Why do you think there's none at his company? Have you worked there? You call the link "eye-opener," I call it brain-closure." Work for someone anti-union like Dold for a week and I guarantee you, when you get your paycheck you will wish there was a union to keep the guy from firing you for complaining...

George, you do realize that there are Federal and State laws that mandate overtime for non-exempt employees working more than 40 hours/week right? That case law exists which mandates overtime for exempt employees working over 60 hours/week. That there's a law in Illinois which requires one-day off in Seven?

What value does the Union bring to the taxpayers? Do they provide training for their employees so that the taxpayers don't have to cover that cost? Do they provide something to their members that non-members don't have or can't get? Or do they serve merely to extort ever higher pay and benefits from the taxpayers under threat of Strike?

Re: Your Dold company: Running a company is extremely difficult and risky. There's a never-ending stream of State, Federal, and Local requirements that have to be met by the Company in addition to the usual needs for equipment, supplies, buildings, etc. All that has to be taken into account along with employees. And a balance has to be achieved. The last thing any employer needs is a bunch of whining complainers. Rather than complaining, how about working to make the process more effective and efficient? I bet you'd capture the attention of your employer then. And by adding value, you prove your value to keep around and incentivize by paying more - because it's then more difficult to replace you.

Or, just go start your own company. Then compare and contrast with working for someone else.

@Greenberg. You are so right...last thing an employer needs is someone like me complaining. I was wrong to raise hell for not being paid overtime out of the blue so, naturally, Dold fired me. i deserve it. I should have kept my mouth shut or better, ask to work Sundays too, for free if possible because, like you say, running a company is risky...you could get an employee like me who wil trash you and your mama if you think i'll let you stea from my paycheck just because you're Congressman. i am doing something constructive...i sued the punk congressman. Guess what? A week later...rose Pest employees were brought up to the rate of pay of 2011! I'm sure Dold didn't do it just to make sure no one joins me in the federal lawsuit against him and his plantation/company...now...that can't be hahahahha. As for laws and stuff...if you can't afford a lawyer, you're dead on arrival as not too many people could take the stress of representing themselves..while Dold comes with guys from Eipstein and Green...who in his right mind want to face Dold's team of lawyers? i am crazy so i have no probem but most people are normal...and Dold knows it too well. And don't forget...we have courts of law not courts of justice...it is a difference those with no lawyers learn it quick. Unfortunately for Dold and Dold's lawyers I am a very slow learner...i didn't learn my lesson yet, nor do I feel like, ever. I see evil, I fight evil, and their lawyers :)

@ David Greenberg.

You should try to understanding rather than always attacking other opinions. First, overtime laws arose through union based efforts. Second, most businesses are not regulated. For example, the derivative capital markets, valued at $965 trillion, that's trillions, is a completely un-regulated business, its referred to a "dark market" (see links below for source). Finally, education is the basis for us preparing generations to compete in the world. Care is warranted to how we inject ourselves in the teaching profession, i.e. how would you feel if people started scrutinizing your work, in relation to the cost you add to product/services?

FRONTLINE - The Warning
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/warning/view/

FRONTLINE - Inside the Meltdown
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/meltdown/view/

"GuitarMan

Care is warranted to how we inject ourselves in the teaching profession, i.e. how would you feel if people started scrutinizing your work, in relation to the cost you add to product/services?"

For those in the private sector this is the norm. Happens every day, multiple times a day.

George, I never claimed you shouldn't have been paid for overtime worked. It's upsetting to be certain, but problems sometimes occur. You haven't given us the circumstances, so we don't know if you 'raised hell' to start off with, or if you asked about it before doing that. If it was the former, then yeah, I'd have fired you too - companies don't need to worry about hotheads acting crazy or going off the deep end altogether and creating problems with other employees.

If it was the latter, and it wasn't resolved by your next paycheck, then taking the issue to the next level is certainly warranted (but still no reason to get crazy over it), file a wage and hour complaint and go from there.

I'm not trying to defend anyone - but occasionally, systems are set up to handle paychecks and they don't get updated like they should. SOMETIMES it's on purpose, sometimes not. Sometimes when you have a lot of employees, the update gets accidentally overlooked on someone or computer systems go haywire - and then the employer should fix it...

Guitarman, I do try to understand, sometimes my opinions conflict with others and they consider it an attack - unfortunate, but not my intent.

I understand where overtime and other employment laws came from - union efforts. Thanks to the Unions for that. However, my point is that the pendulum seems to have swung in the opposite direction and now the Unions are beating up the employers to the detriment of the company. So I ask, "what value does the union bring to the equation? What do they do to help the company perform more effectively and efficiently? What does a union employee do better than a non-union employee that's worth the extra salary/benefits paid to the union employee?"

I readily admit that education is the basis for preparing generations to compete in the World, but professional teachers in schools aren't the only people that educate our children - many other factors come into play. It's a primary source to be sure, but not the only one. Moreover, my point is that there's limits to what we pay anyone for anything - teachers claim to want more salary/benefits - fine, prove your performance based on fair and achievable metrics and we'll consider you for a raise - just like the Private Sector. Why should it be any different?

Finally, people do scrutinize my work in relation to the value add I provide. Every single day. I welcome the scrutiny because I add value in everything I do. It's the Six Sigma way...

Maybe because if the taxpayers knew what the salaries and benefits were it would undermine the unions' security?

@ Jean Berryman.

Its fairly easy to find salaries for all districts. I believe someone included a link above, champion.com I think, that I have visited, which has every reported district. There may be some omissions, but persist and you'll find the answer.

i don't understand. Are these average salaries for each?

George, in your opinion, is it possible to pay teachers too much?

And, if it is possible to pay too much, tell us what amount you think is too much.

Thanks,
Jake

"george lemieux
How much Chicago Cubs coaches makes? If you want superstars, you need to pay your teachers...and you will have faster results than what Cubs is having..<<<
How many MLB coaches are there? How many teachers? You don't need a superstar to teach kids. You need competency. Your analogy fails.

.>>Money spent on teachers is not "lost," but rather investment in your kids' future. Don't fall for Dold's paranoia about teachers being overpaid...congressmen are overpaid, not teachers.<<

No one should be falling for any paranoia. Blanket statements don't help either side. All teachers are not overpaid. Some are.

I'm sorry but I consider a midwest suburban High School teacher making a salary of over $500.00 for each working day plus significant fringe benefits often valued at over $100.00 per day as well paid. for the mathmaticaly challenged that equates to a salary of $92,500 for 185 working days and fringe benefits of $18,500.

Exceed that by 10% and you are overpaid.

Politicians overpaid? That's a whole other story.

No George, many teachers and politicians are overpaid. Now please go back to your world of unicorns and rainbows, where money grows on trees and everyone has a pony and of course is a "superstar"

@deadcatcan'tbounce ok...now you go back to your world where there are money to bomb Afghanistan for a decade but no money for teachers. And don't you dare talk about trees...your Republicans would like to cut them all, and the Democrats hugging them hahahahha. Dude...really...there's no issue with not enough money in the Treasury as you know every municipality is making buckets of money per second...there's the issue of wasting them on stupid things then "oh my God, we can't aford paying teachers what we pay them." Yeap, go bomb someone out there...come on...find anyone then ask for teachers to be paid what Donkin Donuts pays their serfs.

I know you guys already covered it well, but i don't think anyone brought up the sports teams are still private entities. Yes, the population ends up funding their salaries but that is by voluntarily attending games and buying their products. It's very hard to draw comparisons to jobs paid by our taxes and jobs paid by billionaires.

I'm split on the overall issue. There are some teachers that make quite a bit of money when they shouldn't...especially when you hear stories about long tenured teachers who have lost the passion for what they are doing. That being said, there are also many teachers, even in cook and lake county, that are grossly under compensated as well. This issue isn't straight black and white.

Hey George, you have too many strawmen for me to keep up with - Afghanistan, trees, bombs, municipal finance, a "Donkin donuts" - Can't you stay on subject.

If a sports superstar increases ticket sales, that can be estimated relatively accurately and assigned a value. A team owner can spend his own money (not the tax payer's money) to buy the superstar's services. And since it is his own money, the owner must be convinced that the money spent will bring more value back.

The difficulty with educator's pay is in measuring the value added by their efforts.

We all have a good idea of the costs, but are we getting our money's worth? If you could prove that paying a middle school gym teacher over $100,000 is saving taxpayers $150,000 a year in healthcare costs by teaching children to make healthy choices. Or if you could prove that this gym teacher by educating our children is keeping 3 kids out of prison that would save tax payers more than $150,000 per year later on, then we could figure out that it's money well spent.

But, one thing is certain a $100,000 a year gym teacher doesn't add twice the value of a $50,000 a year gym teacher. And many, many teachers are paid more than the market rate.

Teachers' salaries are not the problem as they will always make less than what they should. I think teaching is as important as health care...as educated children will help you when you are old and unemployable. The problem is we have right-wingers who have money to bomb Afghanistan for a decade then come here and complain teachers make too much...bastards who always turn blacks against whites, young against old, unioned employees against non-unionized employees, women against men, atheists against religious type...because without conflict the society will figure out a way to live decent and that is free of Taliban-like parties, Republican party, etc. You want me to give you a number but numbers lie my friend...inflation and stuff so insetad of a number I give you this: when a teacher is not depending on a 15 years old car to go to work...then that teacher is paid fair. I want the teacher teaching my kid to be happy and well-paid because I want my kid to have a better life than mine but I don't have the time to teach him myself...so I send him to school. You tell me..is is possible to pay a teacher "too much?"

Yes. Here are 2 that are overpaid:
Leslie Umbles City of Chicago SD 299 $234,386.00
David Sebald Leyden CHSD 212 $203,154.91

Here are two closer to home that are overpaid:
Jon Schaus Geneva CUSD 304 $137,273.74
Wm Koehn Geneva CUSD 304 $126,378.17

These salaries are from 2 years ago. If they are still working, they probably are being paid 12.4% more this school year.

In your response, I will give you extra points if you can tell me the name of the right-winger that attacked Cuba and started the Vietnam War.

"Is is [sic] possible to pay a teacher "too much"?" - well, what if every teacher wanted to be paid $1 Million dollars/year? Would that be too much?

What if they wanted a 3% raise per year of their 3-yr contract then? That's $30,000 for the first year - each teacher would be making $1,030,000 after the first year. Let's assume you have 100 teachers in the District. That means those raises are going to cost $3,000,000. Where's that $3M coming from? Something getting cut in the budget or raising taxes? If you want to raise taxes, will it fit within the property tax cap allowable by the State (CPI or 5% whichever is less).

Let's assume you're raising taxes. CPI is predicted to be 1.5% - so that means that at a minimum the other 1.5% for those raises has to come out of some other portion of the budget because you have a contract. So what are you cutting to make it happen?

Moving along to year 2-each teacher gets a $30,900 raise. Which means their salaries move up to $1,060,900, and for our assumed number of 100, we have a total cost of raises of $3,090,000. What's happening in year 2 with the economy? Is the CPI still at 1.5%?Is it dropping even lower (perhaps 1%)? Or is it expanding a bit? For argument's sake, let's assume it remains at 1.5%. We have the same problem to contend with-less tax revenue to support our expenses, so what do we cut now to support salaries?

Continue the math. And don't forget to take into account pension contributions too...

Hey George you get a Strawman alert!

@ Jake.

I believe its Norway or Finland that consistently is number 1-3 in student achievement. Teachers for the above are paid and treated similar to doctors in their country. That's how import education is, if you want to be successful. In education teachers are not the problem, but an apathetic public, unwilling to critically understand our educational needs may well be the real problem. Its easy to complain, but difficult to learn about and find a solution to our challenges.

"george lemieux
Teachers' salaries are not the problem as they will always make less than what they should. "
<<< Yep, and Santa is coming soon too>>>

"I think teaching is as important as health care...as educated children will help you when you are old and unemployable."

>>You don't need a Brain Surgeon to remove a wart.<<

" You want me to give you a number but numbers lie my friend...inflation and stuff
.....
You tell me..is is possible to pay a teacher "too much?"

<<The conspicuous abscence of an answer speaks volumes. >>

The law doesn't require the education level and years of service be reported.

@David Greenberg

In response to your answer "so what" regarding collective bargaining I have to say that seems to be the problem. Call it what you will, salary envy, pension envy, whatever. Just because you're not getting something you think you deserve does not mean others do not deserve. If you're not satisfied with what you get then work to change it. If you can't change it, you now feel the frustration of not being treated fairly. Do you like that feeling? Or, do you wish you had an opportunity to be heard. There are some great employers out there. However, if you think that all employers will do the right thing and reward those who do their job well, you're dreaming. By your theory we should lower the standard of living for employees until you feel they are not getting more than you. I know a teacher who worked for the Chicago Arch dieses for 25 years. She never made over $30,000 a year in her career. Is that right? She's an incredible teacher and it was her choice to stay there. However, that is the exception not the rule. Good teachers need to be paid fairly. Our interpretation of fair probably differs. Be careful what you get for the bargain price. The point is this. There will never be a perfect solution. We need to treat employees and employers fairly. We need the opportunity to negotiate to keep the process fair so neither side is taken advantage of. I'm sorry but I just don't buy the attitude “if I don't have that then you shouldn't either”.

@Keepswinging: What I said was why should we consider Teachers a special class that deserves that which is not granted in the Private Sector? It has nothing to do with envy and everything to do with COSTS to the taxpayer.

The raises for all - regardless of their performance does nothing but drag everyone down to the lowest common denominator because there's no reason to be a high performer if you know you're going to get the raise just for continuing to show up to the building regardless of what you do. The 6% raises for the last 4 yrs of employment do nothing but spike salaries by 24% so they increase pension payments to the employee - often times those payments are MORE than what were paid in by the employee, so that money comes from the taxpayers.

In this day and age where employees cover more of their own healthcare costs, where pensions have long been abandoned by Corporations because of their financial unsustainability, where raises are 1% (if at all), where pay has been cut to help keep businesses in business in a lousy worldwide economy, and where not everyone gets a raise even if their performance warranted such consideration - I'm simply asking why the TAXPAYERS must continue to provide such benefits to teachers (or indeed any public employee). The only reason they continue to get such benefits at taxpayer expense is because of the threat of a strike. We ought to remove that extortionist tactic from them - just like Pres. Regan did...

For your own sanity, it's probably best you don't see the 219 figures--unless gym teachers making over 100K makes you feel good.

That's been the M.O.
I think the tide is turning though.