Chicago's "class warfare"
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Chicago's "class warfare"
Meanwhile, back here in the homeland, Greg Palast exposes the reality behind the rhetoric:
CHICAGO -- In a public school with some of the poorest kids in Chicago, one English teacher who had been cemented into the school system for more than a decade and wouldn't do a damn thing to lift test scores had an annual salary of nearly $70,000 a year. Under Chicago's new rules, which holds teachers accountable and allows charter schools to compete, this seniority-bloated teacher was finally fired by her principal.
In a nearby neighborhood, a charter school had complete freedom to hire. No teachers' union interference. The school was able to bring in an innovative English teacher with advanced degrees and a national reputation in her field -- for $29,000 a year less than was paid to the teacher fired by the public school.
You've guessed it by now: It was the same teacher.
It's back-to-school time! Time for the editorialists and the Tea Party, the GOP and Barack Obama's Education Secretary Arne Duncan to rip into the people who dare teach in public schools.
Also, here's a Chicago teacher who I think summarizes the issue much better than I did the other day.
This is about remaking the 3rd largest school district in the nation as a scalable market for Rupert Murdoch’s and Apple’s benefit. This is about hedge fund managers placing their bets on these companies getting huge contracts in the largest school districts — that is why they have flooded Chicago with tv and radio ads demonizing teachers.
And this is about Democrats raising billions of dollars in campaign funding.
Solidarity.
Nah, this is about teachers who want to continue to make lots of money. Teachers work 35 weeks a year and the average income for teachers is in the top 10% of the country. That's just unsustainable.— Northeaster- We have hundreds of billions of dollars for Bush's wars and his tax cuts, but we paying the people who teach our children a decent wage is "unsustainable?' Why do you hate children, Northeaster?
Yes, Obama has continued the Bush wars and tax cuts, but Obama has been wrong on several issues. For example, the administration is on your side when it comes to this strike.— Blanketman - I'm failing to see your point. Just like the millions of people who have lost their jobs, and have had to take 33% salary cuts in industry, this teacher's salary was finally right-sized. Had this teacher been performing at an exceptional level at her previous union controlled school, would she have been let go? How exactly did the teachers union, with all of the dues that this poor lady had to pay in, actually end up protecting this teacher? How exactly is the teacher's union serving the cause of education and helping these Chicago poor?— IggleFan68
- Taking a cue from the Chicago Teachers Union, I asked my boss for a 29% raise for the next two years...during the worst economic times since the great depression. He looked at me quizzically and punched me if the face. I think I learned a lesson.....— BillyDelco
- So if your boss asked you to work 29% more hours for exact same pay you received now, would you think that was fair? You know that the teachers are simply asking to be paid for the additional hours they are being asked to work- or did you post a comment before actually knowing a single thing about this issue? — Blanketman
- Pay public school teachers for the extra hours, then deduct pay for the abysmal results they get. The public and private pay should come in about equal.
— jmc 
The teacher should have mentioned '1 per centers' and 'koch brothers'.....nothing like a few slogans to get our rebel without a clue fired up. How could one do worse than the Chicago School System?- 100% right on this one will. these educational reforms are not about the students. they are about empowering corporations to profit off of educating our youth on one side and getting rid of costlier veteran teachers in favor of hiring a younger inexperienced and less costly replacements on the other side. basing a teacher's evaluation on student performance when there is no way to fairly and equitably measure it due to variables beyond a teachers control is unfair and foolish. we are talking about children here, not widgets. not black and white, but a lots of grey.— slanted and enchanted
- 80% of 8th graders dont read at grad level.
Chicago teachers on average make almost 30% more than the average teacher nationally.
Of the 10 largest cities, Chicago has the shortest work day and they teach the fewest days.
Chicago is bankrupt despite huge personal and business taxes that are driving individuals and employers out.
But we need it for the kids. And who does the media support? You guessed it, the same, only more.
The inmates are running the asylum. I always thought people who compared the US to Greece are foolish, that their isnt a comparison, but when you understand the political environment and the media complicity, you can make the case that it is a very fragile thread.— tr88 - "We have hundreds of billions of dollars for Bush's wars and his tax cuts,"
Do you know the difference between federal and local budgets/taxes?— RG - "So if your boss asked you to work 29% more hours for exact same pay you received now, would you think that was fair?"
First, they're getting a 16% raise over 4 years. Second, they have off all summer.— RG - "This is about remaking the 3rd largest school district in the nation as a scalable market for Rupert Murdoch’s and Apple’s benefit. This is about hedge fund managers placing their bets on these companies getting huge contracts in the largest school districts — that is why they have flooded Chicago with tv and radio ads demonizing teachers.
And this is about Democrats raising billions of dollars in campaign funding".
So, you are saying Rombo, Barry's right hand guy, is corrupt??? WOW! Which side of the bed did you get up on this morning!!???!!! Don't really agree with your guy's take and it sounds like more union blather but this is shocking!! LOL!!!
— sarah89 - The problem. With these intercity schools is not the overpaid teachers but the under parented children. no amount of money could ever change that.— Phishface
- Blanketman -- $41,000 isn't a decent wage? Hasn't almost everyone's wages come down over the last 10 years? Why shouldn't teacher's wages reflect what is going on in the economy? $41k for a teaching job sounds about right to me. If this lady distinguishes herself, she will may get raises in the charter school system.— IggleFan68
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