19.1%

Three years of 6% raises in the final 3 years before retirement compounded is 19.1%. This is more than 2 1/2 times the rate of inflation the last 3 years and more than 2.5 times the average inflation rate for the last 10 years.

Where will the money come from to pay these increases?

It sounds nice to give someone's pension an unwarranted boost, but remember it will be paid one way or another by our taxes.

19% pay raise during the final 3 years, that we will be paying for during the life of each teacher's pension?

Sounds like the GEA has no interest in working with the community on a reasonable solution.

Pension Spiking sounds like something that has no integrity and is self serving. Let's eliminate it now, before we go down the path of accepting business practices that are incoherent and which promote self serving interests in public employment. This is a basic violation of public trust.

In all instances of public employment, the tax payer's interests need to be the top priority.

What a teacher is able to obtain in a privately funded business is entirely up to them, and I have no problem with a private company negotiating such a deal - however none ever would.

A lot has come out in the past month about the practices employed by the GEA to force their ways of doing business... as those have come out, we see that not only does the GEA use threats if their ways are not followed, but they force shady deals that have no integrity and which are based on sliding around the public view- trying to hide things, and for obvious reasons.

My question to readers is this... if it has to be hidden, and if it applies only after all of the teaching has occurred for the sole reason of increasing retirement benefits - then isn't it just going around the system of retirement benefits? And how does it benefit the quality of education?

Shouldn't the issue of retirement benefits be openly understood by the people paying those benefits? And shouldn't it be based on fair, honest benefits for fair, honest earnings- not spiked earnings needed to get spiked benefits for life?

Geneva is a fair community - let's be open and honest with our employees and provide quality benefits- but let's not allow the tax payers to be treated like idiots and taken advantage of so blatantly.

Maybe in the 1950's, when these types of programs were introduced, the public did not have the information to understand the games going on... but now we do. How can we accept this type of blatant abuse of tax payer funds?

This is a racket-

I guess teachers no longer want your eternal debt of gratitude, just your eternal debt.

I thought I was outraged before Mr. Grosso's letter.
3.65% - 9% per year!
No wonder why teachers are so disliked. Shameful.

As taxpayers, the GEA munchkins expects us to ignore the man (Michael Madigan & Co.) behind the curtain pulling all the strings that will inevitably dump the unfunded and deficit ridden teachers pension obligations on to our local community.

I agree with Fred. couldn't have said it better myself

As if the outrageous scheme for "pension spiking" is not enough, it seems that retired teachers in the district get preferential treatment for substitute positions. Apparently they cannot live on their $80,000+ a year pension, they also have to "double-dip" by taking short and long term sub assignments in the district. Given how many qualified, certified, unemployed educators would love the opportunity to work, it seems ridiculous. Greed knows no limits.

The GEA representatives have been lying to parents… I LOVE the teachers that we have been graced with over the years, and I KNOW my children are better students because of the wonderful work that they have been doing in the classroom. Until today I have supported our teachers 100%, and even wore Viking blue to show that support. The GEA “final offer” has changed everything.

Parents were told that teacher pay raises were already budgeted for this school year, and that all they were asking for was step and lane so that they could stay competitive with local schools and attract top candidates for new teaching positions. I now can read for myself that 1) the teachers are asking for more than just step and lane, and 2) this is about much more than just making our school district more attractive to new hires.

I am very disappointed in the way that the teachers have presented this situation to parents… It was a dishonest representation of what was really going on.

If the teacher's strike, I think I might contact the major news networks (Fox News, CNN, MSNBC) and ask them to do a segment (or at least mention) this drama on their networks. Geneva should become a nationwide symbol for the need for Education Reform (i.e Teacher Compensation and Evaluation Reforms)

Bob McQuillian ought to be interviewed by Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, etc. I think they'd be impressed. I think I might contact them specifically and ask them to do a segment on Geneva 304.

Teachers, take a pay freeze for gosh sakes. Its not much to ask, everyone else is doing it. We cannot afford to pay the high property taxes anymore!

There is no money, offer is $0 & 0% increase. Option, fire them all and start over. The increase at retirement is INSANE.

BOE - Let's get started on the open postings
http://www.teachinkane.org/vacancies.html?choosedistrict=true&applitrackclient=327

This demand is simply unconscionable!

The chickens have come home to roost. Gaming the pension system has clearly become so pervasive that younger employees now expect to be able to benefit from the same trick when it's their turn to collect a pension. Still the cost to the taxpayers is small potatoes compared to the truly outrageous arrangements all over the state when administrators are given huge pension increases that are in no way earned. Is there any wonder people will be tempted to approve the ridiculous amendment to the Illinois Constitution in this election? It's not bad enough that complicated formulae might clutter up a document it has no place being in, but it turns a serious issue over to the control of the minority. Notice how well the U.S. Senate is functioning now that the GOP has twisted the already questionable filibuster into an unrecognizable tool for the sole purpose of bolluxing up the efforts of the majority.

I recently heard of a proposition that might be the best solution to the problem: charge the increased costs incurred in order to pay these goosed-up pensions to the local district. Now, the districts remain essentially unpenalized--while the total cost of pensions that are not paid by any career-long salary deductions are picked up by the state. Now that I would vote for. Let the local districts face the wrath, if any, of the voters.

(Continued) Until then, all we can do is (1) encourage the school district to hold-out against the demand that the final three years be arbitrarily increased so that the pension formula doesn't cause the earned pension to be higher than the pensioner has earned and (2) vote no on the proposed amendment to the Illinois Constitution.

Fire every single one of these greedy GEA'ers, and start over! No more reaching-out-in-friendship to those whose priorities run counter to those of our families.

GEA have willingly placed themselves in the hands of an aggressive State and National left-wing organization whose priorities have nothing to do with education, but have everything to do with lining their own pockets.

We have hundreds of enthusiastic well-qualified replacements awaiting the opportunity to demonstrate the difference between professionalism and greed. Let's give them the opportunity to reinvigorate our schools, and to help Geneva remain an exceptional community.

So unrealistic - I question the integrity and education of the teachers to propose such a outrageous demand. Respect the teachers - after this? It will be hard to give them respect when they are not respecting any of thier community, or themselves. They know the funds are not there, but they don't care. Librarians making $98,000.00 a year, Kindergarten teachers working 3 hours a day making $83,000.00 (Mrs.Young). There was a time and place where unions were needed - but that has passed. Greed is not masked by your rally cry of attracting and retaining talent, or because Batavia is making more. The aged teachers driving this will be hard pressed to find another place to teach. BOE send a message - we will not be bullied!!!

Union Greenshirts retire at age 59 and get $ 2.3 million in pension after working the equivalent of 25 twelve-month years. Illinois’ children are condemned to suffer the burden of paying most of that pension, as necessarily- increased Illinois income taxes. The Overpaid-by-50% Union Greenshirts pay a small part of that pension.

The teachers’ union bosses, together with the corrupt Illinois government bosses they have paid off over the last 40+ years, cleverly set up the total compensation system in a way that most citizens would just focus on the teachers’ salaries (set by the local school district contract) and not realize the pension scam (under Illinois law) that is being perpetrated against them and their children. The teachers’ unions spent millions in payoffs to corrupt government bosses, and got billions in gigantic pensions and other special benefits in return.

“The state will have to come up with another $670 million for the teacher pension system in the next budget …… The state is paying $2.7 billion into the fund in its current budget. Without any adjustments, the state would have owed about $2.89 billion in the new budget year that begins next July 1. But the changes approved Friday increased that price tag to $3.37 billion.”
9-22-12 Chicago Tribune article by Ray Long.

“The state” will have to pay more billions for teachers’ pensions. Guess who “the state” here is.

It's all about the children.

I agree that what the teachers are asking for does not mesh too well with reality. However, will you all be responding similarly when the policemen, firemen, community-college instructors, etc., ask for the same thing? Guess what? They do get the same thing! I am just playing devil's advocate.

Please, let them strike! Our children can recover from a strike much more easily than from the rediculous burden that the teachers union wants to put on their financial futures.

BOE-Stand tall and do not give in. We are extremely upset and cannot believe what we are reading. You simply must do the right thing for the people who live here. WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH. Thank you for being responsible.
Rick-What you write is NOT true! Please do some research of local PD and FD's. The pension structure has changed a lot and I can personally tell you that many police and firemen haven't had a raise in over 2 years. Also, not all members on particular departments are in a Union in all communities. The unions need to go! They are responsible for the majority of this HUGE mess!

Who paid for the teachers green shirts, their picket signs, the yard signs & the mailings they had printed & paid postage to mail??? Were those being worked on while they were "on the clock". Hoping our taxes weren't paying for these too!

Any news on the mediation yesterday?

Regarding increasing the starting teachers' salaries to stay competitive...think about what this truly means. My daughter is a first year teacher. She received a fabulous education in Geneva schools and fabulous education from the University of Illinois. Honors graduate, 3 job offers (2 part-time) and now a full-time teacher. I'm incredibly proud but incredibly realistic. As confident as I am that she is a wonderful teacher, the fact of the matter is that there is a TREMENDOUS learning curve during that first year. I see how hard she works, I see the long hours BUT at the end of the day, she is still NEW and inexperienced!. And for this we need to pay more? Just because? She drives almost an hour to get to work, works in a district with 67% low income families, is paid quite less than Geneva but she will tell you:1) she feels she is fairly compensated, 2) she knows she has a lot to learn and 3) she is happy to have a job!! The students coming out of college these days are made aware of the challenges and changes facing the educational system as they will be shouldering the burden. Teaching is still an excellent profession but will not be as lucrative as it is today. These kids are realistic yet still passionate about teaching. Perhaps there is hope for the future after all.

Are they nuts! If the School board argrees to this they are crazy. The tax burden in this district is already to high for most us. stop this and break the Unions death grip on our schools.

The Illinois unfunded pension liability is likely to result in either a higher retirement age or a massive push back of the liability to the local communities. The pension spiking and the step and lane are very risky under this scenario with the Geneva BOE running an operating deficit this year. The deficit is partially caused by the repayments on the school debt but those repayments will go on for years. It would be irresponsible of the BOE to take on the liability of higher salaries and benefits. The fact that other communities are doing it is irrelevant. I don't go out an buy a car just because my neighbor did. I do it when I can afford it and have the money to make the payments.
The BOE does have a surplus from previous years and I believe that the Geneva community has benefited as a whole from the quality of the education in D304. I would like to propose that a portion of that surplus should be spent as a one time bonus to the teachers in the next contract year. There should be no salary or other benefit increases until the operating budget is again at a surplus at the current levy rate. Additional bonuses should be given when the tax receipts improve and the debt is paid down. The step and lane program must be abolished and future salary increases should be negotiated directly into the contract.
Even under the best economic circumstances the Geneva tax payers and the BOE must be able to plan their future and we can't do that under yearly tax increases.

No one has mentioned the Fair Pay portion of the contract. The board should not give into this demand by the GEA. I can't imagine why anyone would want to pay the union dues without being a member, especially if they have moral objections to the union. This amounts to taxation of the non-union teachers without representation. The non-union teachers have no say in this matter since they are not being directly represented in the negotiation and will not get a vote on the contract.

Does anyone know the location of the St Charles and Batavia contract? I have searched but I can't seem to locate the actual contract text. I am trying to understand where we fit in relation to those districts and I want to compare the actual contracts.

Unacceptable. Let 'em walk.

Nice to know Geneva has so many experts on education. Seeing the comments made by people on here has made me look elsewhere to raise a family. Batavia and St. Charles are looking a lot better.

BTown95 ... do you honestly think that if the Board doesn't take a strong stand with our teachers, that the same actions won't be repeated by the unions in the neighboring communities?

This demand is unconscionable. What a great math lesson for our children in school. Have them work out what they are going to have to pay when they are in their 30's and 40's, raising kids and trying to live in Geneva. They can hand in papers showing what they will have to pay if this ridiculous contract is approved. I feel sorry for the kids that these teachers are currently teaching.

I have kept quiet about my personal criticism of the education my children received in the Geneva schools. Other than one excellent teacher I mentioned a while ago, and several others that come to mind, I found the Geneva schools lacking.

The perfect instance is studying Shakespeare's great play Romeo and Juliet by watching the Leonardo DiCaprio film WHILE in class. I was outraged at the time. All of the kids in that class had already seen that movie. It took up 2 entire classes where the teacher didn't do anything. What about actually READING the play and then guding a discussion. You know, teach! Work sheets are the tool of the Geneva educators.

Compared to the Maryland school district we came from when my kids were 9 and 11, the Geneva schools lack imagination and the teachers are lazy. Both my now adult children state there are only a handful of decent teachers in Geneva.

This request is a farce. The teachers have not proven their worth to me for any raise at all. I say let them strike, and start the work on replacing them.

Kathy Zang

If they strike, they will not get fired. There are laws protecting them. Did the CPS teachers get fired? no. How about Lake Forest? no.
And if you all think (hypothetically)that if Geneva teachers actually strike and get fired as a result; the new, fresh, enthustiastic replacement teachers would not one day ask for a raise and step/lane advancement!? Then I have a bridge to sell all of you fools in Brooklyn!

The logic and facts clearly support the majority opinion of the taxpayers. The school district is far too in debt, teachers are currently more than adequately compensated and the current economic enviornment we all share does not support a compensation increase. While the anger and frustration is understandable it is a waste of enery. If the wishes of the taxpayers are going to prevail it will take action, not words, The teachers union is very good at taking action. And their trump card is a strike. Until the taxpayers are willing to do the uncomfortable things it will take to neutralize a strike then the current cycle will continue. The people who will bear the pain are students and parents. They will require the support of those not directly affected. If that sounds like war that becaus it is. It really is just that simple, not to be confused with easy. Sad

This is beyond anything even close to reasonable. I happen to know a Geneva teacher who attended Geneva high school and a classmate of theirs with an accounting degree. The accountant had a significantly higher GPA in both high school and college. Both have graduate degrees and the accountant is a licensed CPA. The teacher is paid a bit over $10K (w/o extra-curricular pay) more than the accountant and receives more benefits and perks as well.

Pensions are almost unheard of in many industries today. You contribute to a plan out of your pocket through a 401K and hope for a good employer match. If you get any type of pension it’s not even close to what the GEA is proposing. And if your job performance is substandard there’s no tenure to hide behind or union to fight your battles, there is a pink slip waiting for you. That’s how the free market works, but teaching is no free market. And it’s certainly not free to those paying the bill.

I find the greediness appalling and even moreso in this economic downturn. These teachers aren’t hurting. As far as I’m concerned, I’d let them strike and replace them. In this economy there are plenty of qualified people looking for jobs who would be thankful to work for much less. A significant number of Geneva teachers are not so spectacular as to be irreplaceable. And good luck to them as they go out in search of similar pay and benefits elsewhere.

and as for hours. That accountant arrives at 8 am and works until 5:30. During busy season more like 65-70 hours. There are no federal holidays off, extended Christmas vacations, spring breaks, nor 2 1/2 months off each summer. If you took the two salaries and divided by the number of hours worked (even taking into account the hours teachers spend planning lessons, grading papers, etc. that teacher is making far more on an hourly basis. If I had to choose between the two i think I'd be a teacher!

Maybe its time for a Geneva Citizen Walk-In. With all the complaining on here we, which I think is well deserved, us citizens could be coming up with our own contract terms that we propose to the BOE for them to push.

No contract
Current teachers get a hard freeze for 2013
Step and Lane is eliminated altogether
Each teacher sets individual objectives to obtain during the year. Reach the objectives and get a cash bonus and raise - don't reach objectives no raise, no bonus, potential performance improvement plan - termination
Each school sets a couple of objectives as well - all teachers get an additional cash bonus if school achieves targets
No tenure, no job protection.
Teachers can opt to participate in a retirement program with the school district contributing a 10% match on all money contributed, vesting immediately - no pension program
Health premiums at 75%, family included
12 sick days - no carry over - repeat NO CARRYOVER
School day increases to a full 6 1/2 hours
Starting pay = $45,000
Market determines teachers pay - i.e., limited supply of math teachers and they get more money
Hard freeze on all administrators salary and benefits -
Future raises determined by school results, economy, etc.

I agree and would attend a meeting w/the BOE.

Why shouldn't a teacher make more than an accountant? Is there some law that says an accountant has to make more than a teacher? I'm tired of hearing all the sob stories on here about people not getting raises. Every one of my friends who work in the private sector have received raises the past 3-4 years. I think some of you need to be concerned with the line of work you're in if you aren't getting a raise. Some on here are trying to make it look like the teaching profession is the only profession getting raises in this economy...NOT TRUE!!!!

bbtown95: well said! If you are complaining that you didnt have a rasie in 3-5 years then you should maybe switch jobs or possibly careers. Everyone that is complaing here that teachers are paid too high and that they are greedy are just jealous, plain and simple.
Quit complaining and go back to school, get an education degree and become a teacher. Remeber the old saying , "If you cant beat em', join em" ?

Teacher's Union Expelled from School District

If the majority of the citizens of Geneva are truly upset, then propose candidates for the next BOE election in April. Read the included link.

http://finance.townhall.com/columnists/johnransom/2012/07/06/teachers_union_expelled_from_school_district/page/full/

Increasingly, the public has had it with the private country clubs known as “public” unions.

So it should surprise no one that one county school district is fed up. And they have finally decided to boot their left-leaning union and try life and education in the 21st century.

The Douglas County School District, a suburban community south of Denver, Colorado, has decided to part ways with their teachers’ union in the absence of progress on a new contract which expired June 30th, 2012.

“The Board of Education finds and declares that the Collective Bargaining Agreements between the District and the Unions,” said the district on July 3rd in its formal resolution dissolving the bonds between the union and the district, “which had been effective from July 1, 2011 through and including June 30, 2012, are now expired and of no legal effect whatsoever.”

The dissolution between the district and the union is unprecedented and sources close to the union tell me that unions are pensively watching, worried that other districts around Colorado and the country could take the same action as Douglas County has.

Geneva community, it's time to speak up

Please, folks. SHOW UP at the Board meetings. Your silence is deafening. In the last two weeks, the GEA has had numerous talking heads in the audience, fully prepped with propaganda and mis-information, touting the "poor" teachers from here to Kingdom Come. Everyone from Carol Young's neighbor to teachers and teacher's spouses. There were TWO Geneva residents at Monday's meeting who spoke eloquently and passionately against these demands but not against the teachers. If you cannot seem to show up to fight for what you believe in, then at least email board@geneva304.org and let them know of your support.

Here is an interesting proposal for each of you, tonight.Copied and pasted from today's email. (Their last meeting had a grand total of 8 people there, according to a little birdie). Might be a good chance for some of you to "show your support."
All,
Reminder that there is a meeting tonight at 7pm Graham's 318 to ask Carol Young GEA president and Barb Freeman questions about the contract negotiations. This isn't pro teacher or anti board, it is about getting information and asking questions no matter how tough they are. I think it's important to know as much as possible.
I hope to see you,

barky, you inspired me to go to Graham's 318 to see what kind of new coffee flavors they had. I can tell you that there were no more than 12 people there, not including Mr. Young, although he waited outside of the meeting room. They ordered some drinks and then had some fondue delivered to their little meeting. From what I could hear, and it wasn't much, they were talking about how other districts pay their beginning teachers more than 304 does. They also stated that there were 34 teachers that announced their retirement during the summer and I believe they said they anticipated 60 teachers that will announce their retirement next year. Hmmm...must be why they want to pad the pension fund so well. From those who attended, I would say that 80% of them were in there 20's or very early 30's. Two men attended. It was awesome to see a handful of wonderful "I love Geneva Teachers" signs on site also. I say for the next meeting, we join and ask if they would mind us just sitting in? My question is, if there are 400+ teachers in 304, where were the rest of them if they are so committed to the cause? I mean, really, it's for the children!

Julie, I also attended the meeting this evening. It was very interesting to hear the teachers' side of this debate. Much of the information they presented was new to me. In many aspects of this negotiation I am seeing the validity of each side's perspective. I do not envy the difficult decisions facing the GEA and BOE. As a parent and citizen I fear that after all is said and done the difficulty moving forward will be repairing the relationships between the community and the educators. No doubt there will be hard feelings felt on both sides. Julieanne

Oh, Pat, you're such a charmer! BS...it isn't anti-board/anti-taxpayer. Bringing in those signs to pass out isn't pro teacher? Ssssssuuuurrrreee. Nothing you say here affects me anyway since you lied about where you live when you first started posting. Remember? You said you lived in Batavia and just read Geneva Patch for fun...but alas...you live in Geneva. Have a great night!

Yes, you should! Many of us "creepers" would like to meet you. Also, get yourself a grammar book! You're just upset because you got caught in your own lie. Funny, I think there are many people on my side. I take no offense to what Ann wrote and I agree very much with the fear she writes about because she is right!

Oh my, the Union boys are getting nasty. Don't be mad because it's over - be grateful that it happened.

Okay, spouse of a Greenshirt, whatever - you're still sucking away at the taxpayer trough.

Ok folks, this is getting really nasty. Both sides have very deep feelings about this situation but verbal assaults are not the way to resolve anything. Taxpayers are frustrated and feel as if they are being financially reamed by the unions. Unfortunately some of the unionistas respond by accusing posters (who are vocal in their concerns) of not respecting teachers, not caring "for the children," not understanding how hard the job is or any of the many standard responses the state/national union officials train them to use. It's so frustrating to hear those same lines over and over again--it's like a UAW/SEIU/NEA broken record. How do we get past this impasse? REALITY. We love our town but we're not living in some little bubble Pollyanna world. Our school district is in debt, our state is in debt, our pension systems are sucking air, and our federal government is $16 trillion in debt. Teachers--want respect? Then respect your bosses--the taxpayers--and be part of the solution--not the problem. Admit you have had it good and now you need to back down and stop listening to the state/national unionistas and accept a freeze. You teach in a good place and make good money with good benefits. You are in nice buildings and have job security. Suck it up, smile and act grateful for a change. If you don't want to be here then leave. You are not prisoners, but us taxpayers are--prisoners of stifling debt, and we are tired of YOU disrespecting us.

The title,of this story says it all: 18% increase in final 3 years before retirement. Wow, that's the ultimate hubris.

http://illinoispolicy.org/blog/blog.asp?ArticleSource=5180
582,000 people in Illinois unable to find work.

I suspect many post anonymously because their children's teachers are very vocal about their union entitlement, their "rights", their demand for "respect". If we use our real names, there is a fear is that our children would feel a consequence for a parent disagreeing with the union.

Teachers can be wonderful, but I have also seen them be extremely unkind and humiliate children to make their point (yes I reported it to the principal, nothing was done.) Anytime I have written the BOE, I used my real name. When I post on the patch, I do not reveal my real name so that may protect my kids. This is the world we live in as parents. Both sides have a lot on the line and many will stoop to new lows to get what they want. Children seem to be expendable in the unions drive to get what it wants.

Since I have been living in Geneva, I have paid over $119K in teachers Salaries and pensions. I am in the process of calculating the average % increase. Can I have a school wing named after me, or at least a classroom? The corrupt union has to go.