TaxFACTS Blog: How Much Can Geneva Homeowners Afford To Pay School Administrators and Teachers?

Recently, Jeff Ward wrote a piece about his belief that Geneva . Most people have an opinion on this topic and that’s what it is, an opinion. Everyone is welcome to their own opinion, but I believe that opinion should be based on facts.     

The writer challenged everyone to teach for just one day. During the 1998–99 school year, I spent two periods each week at in an upper-level business class. I did this as a parent volunteer. I shared my professional experience introducing and developing sales plans for new consumer package goods products.

At the end of each semester, the students formed small groups and presented their sales plans to the teacher and me.  he students were very receptive and actually did an excellent job in creating, developing and presenting their “new” products. I felt that they took ownership and that they learned something. While I didn’t teach a full day, I did spend at least 26 weeks in a classroom. It wasn’t an easy job, but it wasn’t a difficult one, either. Like the vast majority of teachers, I enjoy my profession.

A close family member has an elementary education degree, so I fully understand the requirements and demands of being a teacher. Due to the lack of teacher openings, she has spent the last two years as a full-time teacher’s aide. She is paid a very modest hourly wage with direct responsibility for two students with learning needs. In reality, she supports seven students in a regular classroom.  The district placed seven students with needs in one classroom because she is a  certified teacher; most aides are not. 

Teacher compensation is a double-edged sword. If you think teachers are underpaid, you are viewed as an out-of-control spender who can’t say no. If you take the overpaid view, you’re anti-teacher and anti-education. Everybody has an opinion, but very few understand all aspects of a teachers’ contract.

In the past, the unions controled teacher compensation through threat of a strike. That is not true today. Now teachers can only strike under specific circumstances.  If a school board and union can’t come to agreement, each party’s final offer must be posted on the Illinois Board of Education website for the public to see. Salary and benefits are the key issue in most every teachers strike. Right or wrong, the new law takes the strike threat off the table.

Geneva TaxFACTS focuses on providing factual information so the community can make an educated decision. The following factual information is posted under the "current news" tab on www.genevataxfacts.org

• An explanation of the Step and Lane compensation plan and out-of-classroom earnings
• A four year history (2008-11) of every administrator's and teacher’s salary.  Dollar and percent salary increases from year to year and four-year totals are listed.
• The cost of medical benefits for every teacher as well as retirement enhancements
• Length of service and their education history for most individuals are listed.

The website is the only place where you will find four year's of salary of each employee listed on one report. While this information is listed at www.GenevaTaxFACTS.org, it is public information.

Every school board member, administrator and district employee is responsible and accountable to the taxpayer. The educational system in Illinois is built on the belief that everyone uses public funds in a fiscally responsible manner. Review the information at www.GenevaTaxFACTS.org and decide if you believe the School District is spending your tax dollars in a responsible manner.

The current Geneva teachers contract expires before the start of the 2012-13 school year. The Geneva School Board is currently negotiating a new contract with the union. All discussions are behind closed doors and will not be revealed to the public until a tentative agreement is made with the union. 

As a taxpayer, and responsible for payment of the teachers' salaries, what would you like to see in the new contract? What would you like to see changed, added or eliminated? The economic environment has changed since the last contract was signed in 2009. Review the salary changes that occurred in the last four years and decide if the last contract was fair. How can the next contract be a win/win for everyone? After you review the past factual history you can start to answer the tough questions about the next contract. Then an intelligent discussion can start.

I hope you take the time to get the facts before you form any opinion on what Geneva homeowners can afford to pay school administrators and teachers.