Barrington Dist. 220 teachers: 19% raises are not enough we’re going on strike. What other goodies are in their contract?

One of the many Chicago area school districts threatened by teacher strikes, Barrington School District 220 shows again the immense power of the IEA (Illinois Education Association) in Illinois. Despite an average of 19% salary increases for certified employees over the time period July 1, 2009 thru June 30, 2012 teachers have authorized a strike action.

Here is the standard boilerplate pabulum handed out by every overpaid teacher union rep trying to justify their strike as reported by the Daily Herald:

“Our argument is for quality and fairness,” said BEA President Melanie Collin in a statement released Wednesday, Oct. 31. “We want to maintain the kind of quality school district that attracts and retains great teachers to serve the students – the kind of quality professionals that have made this a great school system.”

Of course the words “quality and fairness” are a euphemism for overpaying and overcompensating union teachers. You see it everywhere before a strike action.

Ms. Collins made $105,000 last year after only 18 years teaching grades K-5. That’s an increase of 19.1% in the last 3 years and only makes her the 109th highest paid teacher at District 220. Top paid is Bruce Berger who made $155,012 teaching reading. Like Ms. Collins his salary increase since 2009 is 19%.

And what about fringe benefits?
Those salaries do not include such contract goodies as:

1. Bereavement leave up to 5 days.
2. Sabbatical leave up to one full school year for such activities as study, travel, writing or other professional activities. This is after working all of 6 years without having any sabbatical leave. Salary and insurance are provided during sabbatical and promotion continues upon return.
3. Sick leave up to an amazing 23 days per year out of a 182 day contract. That means our $155,000 teacher, Mr. Berger, works the equivalent of 159 days (32 weeks) last year then retired with a pension of $106,000 after working only 33 years. Oh yes by the way he used 340 days of sick leave to receive 2 years of work credit allowing him to receive a full, undiscounted pension just as if he had worked 35 years. But of course he did not work 35 years he only worked 33.
4. Three “personal days” per year. If you don’t use the personal days you get 6 days sick leave credit. Meaning Mr. Berger most likely only worked the equivalent of 153 days or 7 months in 2012 for his $155,000. That’s $1,000/day. What a brutal schedule for such an underpaid public servant.
5. Tuition credits of $160 per semester hour. This gives teachers something to do during the summer when, of course, they are not working. And every free semester hour boosts their pay.
6. School paid disability insurance.
7. 100% school paid PPO health insurance for teacher and 50% of upgrade from single to family coverage.
   Note that “children” up to age 30 may be covered under the family insurance plan. Only in the public school system is a 30 year-old still a child.
8. School paid $50,000 life insurance.
9. School pays 80% of dental insurance.
10. And my favorite a “service recognition benefit” upon retirement of up to $39,600 calculated at $1,200/yr. of service. A Six figure pension is apparently not enough.

Workday doesn’t look too bad either.
And how hard do they work during the 160 or so days a year in the contract? Well here is the clause right out of the contract for 2009 to 2012:

“Section 14. The school day for students will be as follows:

High School – 7:20 a.m. to 2:35 p.m.;
Middle School – 7:55 a.m. to 2:50 p.m.;
Elementary School – 9:00 a.m. to 3:40 p.m.;
Pre-K and Kindergarten – 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:10p.m. to 3:40 p.m.; and
Extended Day Kindergarten 9:00 a.m. to 2:40 p.m.

The regularly scheduled day for teachers in the Extended Kindergarten Program will end ten (10) minutes after the end of the regular afternoon kindergarten session.”

So after deducting 45 minutes for their guaranteed lunch period and adding 10 minutes before and after school (yes they have to be there 10 minutes before the students and 10 minutes after the students leave) we have about 7hrs/day for HS and MS, about 6 hrs., 45 minutes for GS and 5 hrs., 15 minutes for Kindergarten.

And in case anyone thinks staying 10 minutes after students leave school is too harsh there is this clause:

“On Fridays and days before holidays, the teacher day will end immediately after the close of the pupil day. Any complaint that there has been a violation of this provision will be processed only through Article XVI of this Agreement.”

So as to not hold up teachers headed to Wisconsin for the weekend they are allowed to leave early on Fridays and holiday eves. And if some brutal principal forces them to stay that extra 10 minutes (Gasp!) on Friday afternoon at 2:40 they can file a complaint through Article XVI which is the teachers’ grievance procedure. Please note that the contract does not provide for a grievance procedure for taxpayers.

No one will confuse that work-schedule with the gulag. Ms. Collins is a Kindergarten teacher so her $105,000 is for a contractual 845 hours (161 days [182 day contract less 18 sick days and 3 personal days] times 5.25 hrs. per day) or $124/hr. not counting fringe benefits or pension. No wonder they are going on strike. Who could live on that?

How about those evening parent/teacher conferences meetings?
The contract specifies that evening engagements are limited to 4 per year which the teachers receive ½ day compensatory time off. If the teachers have to attend more than 4 evening events (Science night for example) the get compensatory time plus $25/hr.

Yes, the $25/hr. is pensionable pay.

Yeah but how about all that volunteer time as scorekeepers, ticket takers and time-clock monitors?
No, those are not volunteers. The IEA does not allow teachers to volunteer even if they wanted to do it. Scorekeepers, ticket takers and virtually every other function teachers perform outside of their 5.25 to 7.25 hour workdays are paid for at the rate of $19.58 per hour.

Yes, the $19.58/hr. is pensionable pay.

We need taxpayers directly involved in contract negotiations.
The IEA completely controls the contract negotiation process to the detriment of the students and the taxpayers. The negotiations are done behind closed doors completely hidden from the public. Only when the rip off of the taxpayers is complete do we see the results of the IEA’s taxpyer mugging and by then it is too late to change anything.

So let’s open the contract negotiations to the public and before it is signed get voter approval. Only then will the public school system in Illinois cease being “of the IEA, by the IEA and for the IEA.”

Barrington District 220 Salaries 2009 – 2012