We believe that public school teachers should be well-paid. However, the reality is that teachers as a group are overpaid. Here’s why: Teacher pay is a large part of our tax burden Public schools are funded by taxes. This includes local taxes in the form of property taxes, as well as state and federal taxes. [...]
Three Public Sector Retiree Outrages
June 9, 2010 By
1. John Conyers, 64: Retired in 2003 from Palatine Twp Elementary District 15. According to public records, he now lives in a $700,000 home in Seabrook Island, SC. In 2009, his pension from the TRS was $217,482. His pension goes up 3% annually; since he retired in 2003, these annual increases have totalled $33,556. 2. Laura Murray, [...]
Partisan Arguments Block Education Reform
May 7, 2010 By
By Lidia Downs Not surprisingly for Illinois, where leadership and bold innovation are in very short supply, the so-called debate on the School Choice Act (SB2494) was a sham. However, the real debate did not take place on the House floor, but in caucus chambers and in private discussions. And the real issue was not [...]
Voting to give hope to kids through school vouchers
May 4, 2010 By
Legislators in the Illinois House have a chance to bring hope to school kids with the greatest need and the least chance of getting a decent education through our current public school system. SB2494, the School Choice Act, would offer Chicago students in the worst-performing and most crowded CPS schools a chance to escape their [...]
It’s time we funded the student instead of the system
December 14, 2006 By
To: Star Newspapers – Tinley Park Dear Editor, In his November 26th letter, Addison Woodward of Palos Park talked about “an over-reliance on the property tax” to fund public schools. He pointed to the “property tax/income tax swap” as an answer to what he called the “structural budget deficit.” I’m sure that Mr. Woodward, who is [...]
Four Public Sector Employee Outrages
1. Henry Gmitro – Community Consolidated School District 93 (Bloomingdale/Carol Stream). 2009 salary of $369,000 included a base salary of $243,390, a $40,000 annuity, $20,000 bonus and $35,000 in an extra retirement contribution, among other things. Gmitro retired in June 2009. Gmitro oversaw a $59 million budget and eight schools (6 elementary, 2 middle schools). [...]