Everyone with an opinion on these important matters should email the Board of Education and let their thoughts be known. Their email address is:

board@geneva304.org

How about Geneva sports wear or Geneva blue?

I was told parents who support teachers are wearing blue. I am so confused???

Thank you Anonymous!

this is Geneva's turn to strike, next year Batavia can cry that they don't earn as much as Geneva, the next year, St. Charles....and so it goes

The IEA is sowing seeds of dissension all over Illinois - the teachers are being used as their pawns and are buying into the party line.

The GEA loves people like you Laurie R. that think the teachers make so little.

Per the last published numbers, Geneva teachers on average make somewhere between what their counterparts in Batavia (higher) and St. Charles (lower) make. Check for yourself at http://familytaxpayers.org/salary.php.

You might also want to educate yourself on the benefits packages in each districts teachers contract, so you can break free of the "poor teachers" misconception.

Aside from that, as Sue J. says below, surrounding communities pay shouldn't be a factor in what Geneva pays it's teachers. We can only support so much for teacher compensation. Do either Batavia or St. Charles owe 300+ million?

I thought the teachers' wanted more green, as in cash, that's why the color of their shirts is green and NOT Geneva blue. Wearing blue will just confuse the main issue, money,

Are you kidding me? Johnny tells mommy, Jimmy is getting more in allowance pay than him? Here we go with the class warfare concept. Everyone should be making the same amount of money according to your philosophy? This community is 305-309 MILLION in DEBT is that not a priority? This community will be seeing an increase in their taxes for the next 15 years that is an every year increase for the next 15 years.

Laurie, I think by that token that Batavia and St. Charles need to catch Geneva residents and get 309 Million in Debt! They also need to get new school busses every other year. Poor Geneva, we're surrounded by laggards!

Bring Geneva teachers up to the pay of surrounding towns. Pretty simple. Taxes will not go up. There are reserve funds....use a small percentage of it. Teachers in my district laugh at what the Geneva board is stating. Geneva teachers get paid much less than other districts.

Chris - do you live in Geneva or do you teach in another district?

Yes...Live in Geneva and teach in another district.

Well Pat, why aren't private educators part of your 'industry standard' for comparison? I suspect, it wouldn't support the idea that teachers deserve a raise.

Pat L - that's interesting that private educators don't have the same standards as public teachers. I know of a couple of private schools that have significantly better ACT scores than are being advertised by Geneva. I don't think the standards you refer to have anything to do with the success of the students. Oh yeah, they get paid less too.

Private school teachers do a better job educating (as measured by test scores) for about 30% less money than Public Union teachers
And without the bloated pensions that are set to bankrupt this state

Privtae sector does EVERYTHING better than their governemnt run counterparts, especially education..

Now don't you have some big inflatable rats to blow up to get ready for the strike, Pat?

Sure thing Pat

Geneva: Avg ACT 23.9 Avg Teacher Salary:72.305
St Francis (Wheaton) AVG act 24.9 Avg Teacher Salary: 52,700
Rosary (Aurora) Avg ACT 25.4 Avg Teacher Salary 45,600
Elgin Academy Avg ACT 25.3 Avg Teacher Salary 47,400

Sources:
http://www.chicagomag.com/images/2007/December%202007/PrivateSchools.pdf
https://www.geneva304.org/district_information/index.asp

Pat L.
I actually taught in a private elementary school before moving to Geneva, IL so what I have to say is FACT not opinion. We consistently scored HIGHER on standardized tests with less resources then our public school counterparts. When students transferred out of our school because of the economy (couldn't afford tuition) they consistently were assessed as being AHEAD OF GRADE LEVEL in all subjects. Why? Because high salary does not equate with high quality teaching. Our salaries were small, our classroom budget for "extras" was only $100 dollars a year. We didn't have access to unlimited resources, copies of worksheets, luxuries for the classroom. I paid for a significant portion of my health benefits and my own advanced degree. We didn't have tenure. My class size was 30 students and I shared a part time aid with the other grade level teacher. We didn't have air conditioning, new desks, new busses. Our students took all the same state tests as their public school counterparts. BOTTOM LINE: Teachers who truly teach for the love of the children find a way to inspire a love of learning despite limited resources and salary. Quality of a teacher has nothing to do with the size of a salary. Union teachers know this. They are afraid if tenure is taking away the quality of their work will put them out of a job.

Pat L.

You asked "Why did you teach in the private schools compared to public?"

I taught there because it was the first job available in my geographic area when I was applying. I stayed because I loved it.

I do not want to get into a "public vs. private education" debate. There is value in both approaches, strengths to both, weaknesses to both. Some private schools excel, some don't. Some public schools excel, some don't. The blanket statements that private schools are bad and public schools are best has to stop. I was just using my personal experience to make a point that high salary does not guarantee teaching excellence. Also, there are definitely teachers in this district, like every district, that have tenure and have stopped bringing their "A game". It is extremely difficult to remove a mediocre teacher when the union supports their right to be mediocre and overpaid for a mediocre performance.

Pat L - you seem to have a lot of teacher friends in other districts. Do any of the facts that you have been stating apply to your personal experience with teachers who teach in Geneva?

Pat L in the future when you quote facts you receive from your teacher friends can you please let us know if these are 304 friends or friends from other districts or states? I don't think we should be considering facts from other districts or states. We should be focusing on our situation in Geneva.

If the teachers' salaries are frozen for a year or two, do you think your child's test score will go down?

Interesting. Did you abdicate all responsibility to the teachers? Do your children not live in your home? Did you never read to them? Did you have no role in their getting breakfast in the morning, getting to school and doing any homework?

I guess the teachers are also at your house making sure your kids get their homework done and quizing them for test!! I believe more of the credit should go to the parents and the ability of the child!! My children have done the same level of work with great teachers as well as adequate ones!!

Absolutely- Thank you teachers!

Now let's talk financial reform, accountability, and fiscal restraint. As for threats to shutting down our school system and for following the demands of the IEA and GEA, NO THANKS.

Yes - the teaching is great!
Yes- it sucks to have pay freeze
Yes - it sucks that it can even happen to union employees, as it has to everyone else
Yes- you can support teachers and NOT support pay increases...

This is not about disrespect for the teachers ... this is about fiscal restraint and acknowledging that the teachers are well-paid with great benefits. There is nothing to feel insulted about - tax payers are not beholden to constant price increases - and we need to assume our role in democracy and governance, which is to express ourselves and control costs, so we have a long term stability - that is why people move into our community.

Pat L writes
In regards to you "You can't defend the facts, that is why you attack a group that has educated the community for the last 4 years" I don't have to defend my stance that you display the wrong facts. Mrs Keyzer presented an ACTUAL, while Mr. Grosso acknowledged and appreciated her position.
Below is the increase Mrs. Keyzer received from 2011 to 2012. If she increased her salary by $15,300 in one year because of stipends, we have a serious problem in this district. A 20.9% increase in one year is outrageous. Mr. Grosso said that the board understands that state & district reports include stipends in base salary, that is all he said. The state & district reports are not wrong and GenevaTaxFACTS can only report what the state & district reports. Stipends are not broken out but maybe they should be, if as you contend, the vast bulk of a 20.9% increase is in stipends.

Name Base 2012 Base 2011 Increase
KEYZER, MARY E 90,574.94 75,299.00 20.29% SOCIAL STUDIES

Seems as you never need to defend anything you say, you just say it.
Mrs. Keyser did not break out her payment for stipends, nor does the district or state. As to your tantrum remark, watch the video when it is posted.

Pat, when you say, "Out of curiosity, wouldnt a public school have a wider spectrum of students actually watering the stats down?" ( in response to the fact that private schools in this area outperform public schools and teachers are compensated approx 30% less than their Public Union peers )

I guess I don't really understand what you're saying, Pat. I know teachers here like to trumpet the success of their students to justify their pay - are you saying that high test scores have more to do with the demographic of the student population than the skill of the teacher?

Bob I wish you would check your numbers a little better and get your facts straight. The fact is that the projected salary numbers the district had posted for 2012 included base salary, insurance benefits, and other compensated stipends. You are comparing it against a 2011 salary that was base salary only excluding the $12,696 in benefits and stipends you would find on the ISBE website.

An explanation not an accusation. Do you live in Geneva? Parents step over each other to get their children preferential treatment in the schools. It only makes sense as a parent not to draw attention to any opposition you may have to the pay raises demanded by the teachers' union.

I don't know why you mention Idaho from the links I provided (except to distract from the fact that I gave you what you asked for) but click around on the payscale site. You can search by large city, school size, state and more. It's educational.

Edward 54
Here is the link to the 2012 salaries that the board released on September 24th. https://v3.boardbook.org/Public/PublicItemDownload.aspx?ik=32941996

The insurance benefits are not included in the base number, they are in the other benefits number. Tuition reimbursement is also in the other benefit number.
My facts are straight.

Thanks for your contribution to this debate along with your common sense because I think moral fiscal responsiblity and common sense doesn't seem to be a priority to However, when the system and us taxpayers are bankrupt don't let me say I told you so.

AMEN!

Excellent points!

@someoneWhocares: Trust us. We agree with you 100%. No more free lunches and yes teachers! If you are unhappy with your package and salary find another teaching job and or apply for a job in the private sector. If any of us in the private sector walked off our jobs our employers would tell us to keep walking. As for the ridiculous "I HEART Geneva Teacher" signs, watch for our sign: " IF YOU HEART GENEVA TEACHERS FEEL FREE TO PAY THEM EXTRA MONIES OUT OF YOUR OWN POCKET!"

Thank you to all of you that have presented the facts. I greatly appreciated them. Sometimes it is hard not to get lost in the emotion. The BOE hopefully will consider the Geneva residents in their decision and the facts. We need to now more than ever be fiscally responsible. I knew that we were headed in the wrong direction when the last referendum was passed, but that is water under the bridge and now we must deal with what we have.

it only takes support from 30% of those employees covered by the union agreement to approve a petition to decertify. http://www.state.il.us/ilrb/subsections/pdfs/Rules.PDF

Based on my vehicle count of the last union confab, there is a large percentage of GEA members sitting this one out. Or, they have a very disciplined car pool.

Fun with... am I to understand that the taxpayers have no say in the matter of whether or not their local schools are subject to self serving, dues mandating, politician buying unions?

Lou - in the State of Illinois a public school teacher is required to join the Union

Here's some insight into the whole slimy machine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVyNlJUKgug

Carmen,
You state "Lou - in the State of Illinois a public school teacher is required to join the Union". Many of Geneva's teachers do not belong to the Geneva Education Association.

Leslie - Are you trying to say that the teachers (not support staff) in 304 are comprised of both Union and non-union members? Interesting. Do the non-union members still get the teacher pensions? Can they opt out of union dues? What about step and lane? Do these non-union teachers get that? How about tenure? Do the union teachers get it and the non-union ones don"t?

This is interesting - I had no idea that the teachers in district 304 were a divided house.

Terry,
For accurate answers to your question, I would suggest either contacting the GEA or Human Resources for 304. It is best to rely on first hand information. However, non union teachers have the same benefits as union teachers.

Leslie - with all due respect, that doesn't make any sense. If a non-union employee has the same benefits as the union employee - why would anyone pay union dues?

Ben,
As I suggested to Terry, it is best to go directly to the source for information about non union teachers' benefits. Blogs are rife with misinformation that gets repeated until people believe it to be true.

Leslie - maybe you could go the the source, after all, you're the one who made the claim

Usually in teacher's unions you have the right to be a part of the union or not be a part of the union. If you are not part of the union, you so not have to pay the full amount for membership. You do, however, have to pay a "fair share" amount. Even though you are not a part of the union you still benefit from what the union does.

Ms. Ryan,

This 'Permanent Penalty' is EXACTLY the same stale baloney sold to past school boards (with no counter argument - mostly blank stares and nods of approval) as to why District 304 has requested the Maximum Possible Tax Levy EVERY YEAR!

Let me paraphrase this bogus fiscal management argument delivered by Administration officials to School Board members:

"Dear School Board….If you don't approve our TAX TO THE MAX THIS year, our future TAX TO THE MAX capabilities will be from a lower PAST YEAR taxation base, thereby reducing our taxation revenues year after year. We will run MILLIONS in surpluses from this obscene overtaxation, but please don't undermine our TAX TO THE MAX levy this year, since next year's levy will be from a lower taxation foundation."

The Teachers Union is now trying to build upon this same Orwellian Anti-Logic and use it in their tired, and worn out union grab bag, which seemingly contains only half truths, emotion evoking nonsense and poorly crafted rationalizations.

Cat's out of the bag, btown95. Spoken like a true P.E. teacher, lol.

"Looking at the obesity rates among children and adults in this country," I'd say the P.E. teachers have failed miserably.

Given what my children tell me is happening in their PE classes, I think they are getting way more physical education through their active play in the back yard, park district classes and sports teams. No offense to PE teachers the district employs, but some luxuries (PE, specials) must be considered for sacrifice in favor of fiscal responsibility. Once our district is back on track with debt repayment we could reinstitute the employment of specials.

not a P.E. teacher, thanks for jumping to conclusion without facts. I'm in the field of fitness and I know what is going on at the elementary and high school level in P.E. classes. Most schools around here only give kids 1 hour of P.E. per week, hardly enough time to make a difference in obesity trends. Some high schools and elementary schools do a great job with the time they have with students and their very limited resources to buy equipment for their programs. Just the Facts, P.E. programs aren't just about getting exercise, they are about teaching kids why physical activity and nutrition are important. Most parents are the downfall of the obesity trend. They are setting their kids up for failure by what they are feeding them. School districts also need to do a better job providing good healthy lunches, the food programs at most schools are awful.

btown "in the field of fitness" Great, now we've got personal trainers weighing in. Probably married to a teacher.

The results are better and the costs are lower, so yes --they ARE different.

ONE of the reasons is that the parents care and are involved. Oddly enough, when unionized teachers have to face public-school parents who care and are involved and also find that they are not getting their money's worth, then the unionized teachers have to result to intimidation to force their greed unto the tax-payers' backs -- because they certainly can't point to value-per-dollar in comparison to private schools.

Yes, there ARE a number of differences. And all of them point to private schools as the model for "public" education.

Pat L
Teacher salary increases aren't limited to the 2009-2012 contract. The 2007-2008 salaries go to your statement that during good times teachers received 2-3% increases. Many received more than 2-3% increases. Since you understand step & lane, you know that the 20% increase you mentioned was not due to getting a Masters degree.

Should of become a teacher James. You sound pretty envious.

Pat, you should HAVE listened to your teachers. You sound pretty ignorant.

John, this has been repeated so often on this and associated posts, If you don't get it by now, maybe you never will. We all know, many teachers here do a very good job. Nobody is advocating "getting rid of teachers".
BUT, the reality of the situation is that this district is in dire financial straits. Repaying the huge debt incurred during the 2007 referendum is going to make everyone's taxes balloon over the next decade - even if teacher salaries freeze.
Maybe that's not all the teacher's fault - but it doesn't change the reality of the situation.
I think the rhetoric gets a little heated when the majority of the community is feeling the effects of the economic downturn and the teacher's (at least the Greenshirted ones) seem oblivious to that.
Now you want to talk about people not buying houses? How about if the tax bill on your 250K house goes from 7,000 to 9,000? Or how about if it jumps to 12,000 when the unfunded pensions get dumped back on the homeowners because the state can't meet its obligation?
I've already told my kids - as much as I love this town, you'd have to be out of your mind to move back here and buy property.

Unions only benefit unions and their mob-style bosses because if they cared so much about the "children" as they proclaim they would stop threatening tax payers that they are going to walk off their jobs.
The only silver lining would be a change in Illinois state law that bans teacher strikes once and for all. A total of 37 states have banned teacher walkouts, and even Pennsylvania, the teacher strike capitol of the nation, is considering legislation that would do so.

Very good point, Mr. Cullen. What the citizens of Illinois do not realize is that the Chicago Public School system is not entirely funded by Chicago taxpayers and the state of Illinois. Illniois citizens outside of Chicago provide 34% of the operating revenue the Chicago Public Schools need to operate. What is alarming is the continuing deficit the CPS add up year after year. How is that shortfall going to be closed? Compound this situation which means higher taxes for all of Illinois, and the inevitable pension tax to be passed on to the school districts by Mssrs Madigan, Cullerton, Cross, and Quinn and a Geneva school district with an insatiable appetite for no control in expenditures we have a terrible fiscal catastrophe at our door.

Thanks RBarna. When I hear people stand up at these meetings and talk about what a great job the teachers do - I want to scream. That's not the point! It's like listening to a car salesman talk about all the wonderful features of a new car - but you've already been put in debt up to your eyeballs and can't afford it, no matter how nice those features are!
Of course, resourceful salesmen that they are, they're willing to keep pushing more and more loans - but in this case it's going to be putting our children on the hook for them!

James....you're a real drama queen! I wish you could hear the sad song I'm playing on my violin to go with your sad story : (

Well, the olive drab duffel imagery might be a bit much - but he's right. The multi-million dollar pensions that the Union/Politicians have worked out in this state for the teacher's union will be borne by the very young people that the teachers seem to be so concerned about.

Tom if anyone is a drama queen it is the union teachers of Geneva and their constant whining. One needs to think twice about their motives. I think parents need to think about an organization like the Union Green T-shirts who proclaims their regard is all about the children. Their association with the IEA speaks volumes. IEA is nothing but a legal corruptive organization who funds the Democratic party so they can continue to pollute the educational systems of Illinois. Using the schools as their rally center and using parents and students as their poster pawns to distort more of their agenda to rip off taxpayers has to be stopped.

@DaveLarson: What difference does it make Dave? Geneva Teachers are already compensated and given the state of the economy both on a local, state and national level we as taxpayers cannot continue to honor these demands for increased salaries and benefits. The burden on the taxpayers is overwhelming.

Answers from Bob:
1. the 5 year salary table is a simple recap of what each teacher has received in salary increases. Nothing more, nothing less. It was completed because teachers haven't received just 2-3% yearly increases. There are more than a few large percentage jumps and lanes increases do not increase that much on a yearly basis. Stipends might show an increase in the first year that a stipend is earned. After that, the increase should be nil or very little.
2. There isn't a need to calculate totals, the calculations are for individual teachers. You can't assume that teachers leaving the system are replaced with those making less money. Again, I'm not looking at total stipends and where they come from because stipends are not reported on an individual basis. Again the report looks at individual increases or decreases, not total increases or decreases. If you are saying that annual salary costs have been reduced, they can easily be calculated by looking at the yearly total for all teachers and the number of teachers included each year. This report doesn't recap total annual salaries of all teachers, it was not meant to.

Dave Larson
Here is another look at teacher salary since 2007. This time it includes all full time teachers for each year, the total enrollment per year, the total base salary (including stipends) for all teachers and the average teacher salary per year. I'm just giving the information, you can draw your own conclusions.

Year Enrollment # Teachers Total Base Salary Avg. Salary
2007 5900 383 $24,400,589.00 $63,709.11
2008 5962 401 $26,508,452.00 $66,105.87
2009 5963 408 $27,750,745.00 $68,016.53
2010 5923 406 $28,136,267.00 $69,301.15
2011 5910 404 $29,044,365.00 $71,891.99

I don't like using average base salary but that is how the state reports it. This chart says a lot about the district and how the board respects the teachers. That is, if as the teachers have said, yearly salary increases are a sign of respect.

Oh brother. The informal polls in the papers and on patch (1 vote per IP address) as well as conversations indicate the overwhelming sentiment inthe community is that the Union needs to give us a break.

Yes, we know the teachers are good people.

@TomFortune: Readers on this page have voiced their opinion & much to your chagrin, readers have this right. And too, your observation is correct. Overwhelmingly the taxpayers are tired of teachers not only in Geneva but in the state of IL, holding taxpayers hostage by threatening to walk off their jobs sends the wrong message to the children. Basically teachers are telling students when you are employed and you want a pay raise & don't get what you want, just simply walk off the job! Wow Tom. What a valuable teaching lesson for our young people. Of course in Corporate America if an employee walks off the job they are not given the luxury of coming back, they are told to "keep walking". Further, by demanding raises and benefits when the economy & loss of jobs dictate otherwise, is absurd. As to your comment that you personally know Patch staff and that Patch staff has disclosed private information to you, Patch needs to confirm or deny this serious allegation.

Remember to EMAIL the BOE and let them know that you SUPPORT THE TEACHERS! If you support the teachers, please wear VIKING BLUE!!!

Pat L
I thought you said you understood how the stipend programs works. By your comment, you clearly don't understand how they work. Re-read page 45.
I said, "Stipends might show an increase in the first year that a stipend is earned. After that, the increase should be nil or very little." This statement is correct. The first year a stipend is earned, there will be an increase in salary. Each year a teacher earns a stipend, it only counts as .5 year of service and the "step" time frame to receive an increase is 1-3 years, 4-6 years, 7-9 years, 10-12 years & 13+ years. That means someone would need to receive the same stipend for 7 years (3.5 credit years rounded up to 4) before they jump to the next step. So, as I said earlier, the first year a stipend starts there would be an increase. Then because each year of getting a stipend only "credits" them a half year service, the year to year increases would be nil or very small until they jump to the next step in years of service.
If your intent is to discredit the credibility of GenevaTaxFACTS, you continue to fail to do that. If you don't like GenevaTaxFACTS and it is clear that you don't, that's fine. Trying to discredit information that is correct only brings your credibility into question. If you need a further explanation of the stipend program, I suggest you speak to one of your many teacher friends. Maybe you'll listen to them.
I'm finished responding to your comments but they aren't true.

Jill, thank you for the apology. I think both sides are getting heated. Sometimes we have to agree to disagree.

Jill, how do you suggest our town getting back to normal? We are 309 MILLION IN DEBT which will follow every taxpayer here for the next 15 years of increasing taxes every year till the bond repayment is satisfied. Taxpayers were given inflated enrollment numbers to get an expensive referendum passed. There are still several members on the Board of Education who contributed to the special interest groups which is an ethical conflict of interest. We live in a State that is broke and corruptive. There were 111 home foreclosures here in Geneva from June to present in 2012 alone. And I am sure the number is higher as that is only for 5 months and does not include the first half of 2012 or current foreclosures. And you cannot dismiss the list of delinquent payments of property taxes in Geneva. The IEA is worth millions of money and now they want to continue to take more money from us taxpayers?....There is no money and us taxpayers are tired of the manipulation of their agenda polluting the educational system with their rhetoric. The Geneva taxpayer bank account balance is zero and is in the NEGATIVE....

Dave I wish people would stop making assumptions that anyone does not support an increase for the teachers is retired or no longer have children in the system. That is not the case. I still have two children in the system. I have lived in Geneva for 20 years.

I am not a member of the taxFACTS group but I do support fiscal responsibility. Everyone has to make sacrifices in bad times. Maybe you haven't had to or maybe you have. The bottom line is our school district is in great debt. Everyone needs to make sacrifies, the residents, the administrators and the teachers. We all have an obligation to get 304 on sound footing.

Dave
You know anything about me, my wife or my children. You know nothing about any of our education or the work that we do. Your "I got mine - now screw you," comment makes no sense when it comes to this issue. This issue is not about supporting teachers, the board of education, the administrators, the support staff or anything else education related. This is about the financial condition of the district and the future of Geneva not as a school district but as a community. The school taxes in Geneva, and many other towns, are out of control and getting worse. Even if no tax levy increase is approved in December, the school taxes on a home valued at 288k will increase over $400 next year. That is just to receive the same amount of taxes that were received this year. And this year, the school budget is $4 million dollars in the red without a teacher salary increase. This issue isn't about reducing taxes because your taxes will not go down for many years. Sure a good school district benefits the entire community but high taxes kill it faster. If the teachers do not receive a salary increase for one year, the educational programs will not suffer, or at least they should not. A $400 yearly school tax increase could mean that a house will not sell. The first question a buyer asks is; "What are the schools like," the second and possibility more important is; "What are the taxes." If you can't afford the taxes, the answer to the first question doesn't matter.

Dave,

I have about 6 neighbors, all of whom have children in the Geneva schools. I've spoken with them on this issue, and this might come as a suprise, but they do not draw a correlation between teacher pay raises, in our current economic climate, and quality of educational outcomes. Most of them say something along the lines of "My pay was reduced at work, and my responsibilities increased. I do the same quality of work regardless." I do understand how easy it is to accept union marketing points, but that only means that the union is good at selling it's case. The issue is 'education' and if pay were the determinant of quality of education, Chicago schools would be the best in the state. The community, the parents, their values, and the educational leadership, are now and always, the primary determinant of outcomes.

Sue - I didn’t say “everyone” I said “most”, and I understand that you have kids in the district. Why is it that you think supporting the teachers and making responsible fiscal decisions are mutually exclusive? I really don’t believe that the teachers are making unreasonable demands and I hope that they can reach an equitable agreement with the BOE. The fact is, even in a bad economy, many costs unfortunately continue to increase. It seems that many of the posters here are saying “bad things have happened to me and I’m not going to be satisfied until bad things happen to the teachers too”. The problem is they will never be satisfied.

@DaveLarson: Guess what Dave! We are protesting higher costs of items ie insurance, gas, commodities and we do it by exercising our right to change the direction of this country and voting out the current White House occupant. Further, these teachers have chains wrapped around the necks of every taxpayer in this state. Why Dave? Because they have a MONOPOLY on education! And since you feel so strongly about teachers receiving more compensation, please feel free to write a check to the city and earmark your money to be applied to the "Teachers of Geneva". But oh! That's not what you want to hear is it Dave? You want us all to be equally miserable. Well, wake up Dave. What part of "WE ARE BROKE" do you not understand? We have neighbors who are out of work. One gentleman hasn't been able to find a job in two years and has basically given up and the others don't know how they are going to pay for the roof over their heads much less put food on the table for their family. In fact one family is using an EBT card because they are too proud and ashamed to ask their families for help. Do you know what and EBT card is Dave? FOOD STAMPS! And now you not only want hard working citizens to pay more taxes, you want to burden these struggling families even more so that teachers can be gtd a raise that they have not yet earned? Please save your Pollyanna comments and realize Dave, this community is not going to give these selfish teachers a pay hike during a recession.

Jill, "a few thousand you pay in property taxes is killing you, right?" No, I paid $11,800.86 last year to the School District of Geneva. The property taxes in Illinois have increased faster than the rate of inflation. That is the reality of the situation.

Thanks G.Ryan for telling us what you paid right down to the penny! That was really helpful...
See you tonight at the meeting! Remember to wear Viking Blue to support your
Geneva Teachers!!!

Sue – I don’t remember saying it was appropriate. I have nothing against the support staff – they do a great job. The teachers had a contract. Admin and Support Staff don’t have collective bargaining so I suppose that they had no choice, appropriate or not. The truth is, we don’t know exactly what was offered by either side during the negotiations. It seems like people are taking bits of information and conflating them to fit their preconceived beliefs that the teachers are making extravagant demands. Are you completely sure that some sort of a freeze hasn’t been offered up somewhere along the way? I’m not, but perhaps we will find out at some day. I sincerely hope that an equitable agreement can be reached between the teachers and the BOE.

Hi Pat L. I don't have a pool but thanks for the suggestion. Take care.

Dwight - thank you for speaking up and making a stand. While some of us can't be there (work travel) we are still submitting emails communicating our support for fiscal responsibility.

I also could not be there (I had a meeting tonight) but I did send the board an email in support of a salary freeze which included my name and address. Thanks for representing us, Dwight.

Dwight I was at the meeting last night. I arrived at the last minute and didn't realize you had to fill something out to speak. I had prepared something. However, I did write the board with my name and address and told them that their main concern should be fiscal responsibility and should consider the taxpayers. Thank you for your representation

Dwight, I am so sorry we could not be there to help support you because despite what you wrote, the majority of the TAXPAYERS were not able to attend the meeting because many of us were too busy trying to make ends meet! This better go to a vote by the taxpayers because if the BOE chooses to cave in to teacher-thugs & their demands, rest assured our voices will not be silenced. We will fight and REPEAL this decision.

Dwight
Many of us wrote letters or emails (using real names) to the BOE to make our point. You don't have to show up at a meeting and speak publicly to make a point or to have your voice be heard on important issues.

We chose to write an email, rather then going to the board meeting, so that my family could 1) finish work and commute home 2) prepare and eat dinner, 3) help kids with homework 4) get the kids ready for bed, 5) do household chores, 6) and finish up office work at home (after hours, no extra stipend for that!). Lack of attendance does NOT equate with lack of interest. There are only so many hours in a day.