School’s Out, But Debate Over Teacher Pay Lingers

June 17, 2011 6:13 PM

Julie Waller, a teacher at La Salle Language Academy, is angry that the school board is blocking teachers’ raises. (CBS)

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CHICAGO (CBS) – School may be out, but the fight for teachers’ pay remains.

The city’s board of education this week said it does not have money for a 4 percent raise for teachers.

Mayor Emanuel’s decision to cut the teachers’ across-the-board raises has provoked reactions among the rank and file, from anger to resignation. There’s a wide range of opinions about what it all means.

At La Salle Language Academy, second-grade teacher Julie Waller’s summer is off to a bitter start.

“We work so hard, and for them to take it away, it’s as though they don’t appreciate all that we do,” Waller told CBS 2’s Derrick Blakley. “And for them to say, ‘4 per cent, no way,’ it’s very, very upsetting.”

At La Salle, one of the city’s top-performing schools, there’s strong support among parents for retaining the teachers’ raise. And while none of the teachers are eager to give up the pay hike, some see little alternative.

“The deficit is so huge in the public school system that everybody’s got to cut back,” teacher Mary Fister said.

Still, for teachers like Waller, there’s deep suspicion over whether the crisis is real.

“I think there’s lots of money that can be found in many areas,” she said.

Three out of four teachers will still get more money — pay raises rewarding seniority and advanced degrees. The teachers union has already made it clear it wants to negotiate over the eliminated raises. If those talks fail, the whole contract could be re-opened.

Schools Out, But Debate Over Teacher Pay Lingers

billyd

Right on, Rahm. This is what we elected you to do! Times have changed, the money isn’t pouring in anymore, and tough decisions must be made. And don’t expect the unions to cooperate. They will fight tooth-and-nail to protect the status quo.
johnw

Waller is just another union brainwashed whiner, completely out of touch with the new reality.

betts_y

Im going to try and be nice because you have no Idea of whom you are speaking about but Julie Waller is truly one of the best teachers you could be lucky enough to have. She is what every teacher should be and the teacher that every parent fights for. She and teachers like her are the reason why the parents in the video and hundreds of others at that school believe they should get the %4 that was promised.

Johnw, you have absolutely no Idea what you are talking about and have no respect for the people like Ms. Waller who teach our children to be the men and woman that will run this place when you are old and and hoping for someone to listen to you. You can refute my comment however you want but as one of the parents at LaSalle I can tell you that anything other than “Im sorry” is bullsh*%

Roberta Waker

I don’t think the problem here is that the teachers don’t DESERVE the 4% raise – the problem is that the money isn’t there. Maybe the parents of the children that go to the schools should pick up the 4% salary increase; then there wouldn’t be a problem. Don’t forget about the program in some Chicago schools where students are getting a good education via the internet from people in INDIA for a lot less money. Do we want India to educate our children, or do we want teachers in the U.S. to educate them? Is cost a factor – you bet. This is NOT the time to fight for a raise, especially since there WILL be raises given out; just not the 4%.

julie waller

johnw, this is Julie Waller. I would love to see you do what I do for 1 week. Then let’s see if you feel the same way. 1 week.

johnw

Nobody put a gun to your head and forced you to be a CPS teacher. If it doesn’t pay what it’s worth, get another job.
betts_y

When you think of the morons in the world who get paid 6 figures to sit on their a$$es one has to wonder why it is that nurses, firefighters and teachers would even bother. They bother because they want to help people. If everyone quit their job because it doesn’t pay what its worth then you would be a sick, toasted, idiot. Im beginning to think you are one of those anyway but the fact is that a teacher would teach you anyway, not for the money but because it would make you a better person, give you more chances at a good life, open up doors for you and with any luck teach you a little respect. Do you mean to say that someone who is willing to do that doesn’t deserve what they are owed?

Logic Fails

Meanwhile, administrators still make six figures, as do aldermen who work part time. But it must be the teachers’ fault that the economy is in the hole.
For the Love of Common Sense!

There is no money to pay the teachers the 4% raise they deserve, while the budget line was found to give the CEO position a 12% raise ($20,000 more than useless Hubberman was getting). Test scores are increasing, graduation rates are increasing, and yet these stories aren’t being brought forth. Another important fact that is being left out of the stories about the $75 million “cuts” that were made in the CPS downtown offices is that most of those people were rehired in different positions at equal or higher salaries. This upward trend with test scores and graduation rates will become a quick downward spiral as good teachers will realize their worth and move to schools willing to invest in their children.

johnw

Yah right…CPS is graduating a real flock of geniuses.

nizzer

These teachers work about 8 months a year, if they really care about these kids they’d quit trying to milk the education budget. MORE importantly, these teachers arent exactly the highest rated teachers in the country anyway.

Dan

That is so true and then they speak in all this circular logic about how they LOVE what they do except they aren’t compensated enough for it. Well I would LOVE to be a lifeguard all the time and hang out at the beach but the stark reality is that nobody can raise a family on a lifeguard’s salary. So I choose to do something for a living in which I can earn what I want, not because I LOVE it.

betts_y

This is money that was promised them and money they deserve. Im so glad Dan that you decided not save people so you could have that plasma tv but some people aren’t so “smart.” And nizzer, the fact that you would say that teachers were trying to “milk the education budget” gives me enough reason to realize that you have no idea what the quality of “these teachers” are. Who do you think is going to teach your children for nothing? Teachers LOVE what they do because they can see the difference a good education can make in a childs life. Sometimes they are the only people who give a damn about these kids. They have to go through metal detectors and put up with threats just to get through to a handful of kids. If they didn’t who would because I can see that it sure as he!! wouldn’t be you two.

Ex

Did you ever talk to a teacher and hear what they have to put up with inmost CPS `s,it`s incredible,the behavior of many of these children is horrible.Please ask a teacher in a west side or south school what goes on.I couldn`t do it!!!
Teachers deserve a raise,the Mayor is wrong!!!

Tony

Bad behavior by students is not a reason for a teacher pay raise. What do they expect from black kids? Expellng the bad students is more cost effective.