Speakeasy forum: This won't help anyone's cause

There were two of them back in the 60s, when I was in grade school. I don't believe there's been one since. It's a tough call -- on one hand, yes, the kids are being deprived (in our case, they extended the school year after the strike ended, by shortening the winter and spring breaks). On the other, a strike is the most effective way for a union to force management to negotiate, and usually just the threat of one will do the job.

According to your link, wages are only part of the reason for the strike. The union also apparently feels it is not fair to base teacher performance evaluations so heavily on standardized test scores. I see their point on that one. Many different things determine whether a student is succeeding, not just a single state-mandated test. And if a student isn't succeeding, it may or may not be the teacher's fault.

Nobody goes into that profession for the money. Considering what they do and the enormous responsibility they have for the future of our country, they are all GROSSLY underpaid.

evaluations so heavily based on standardized test scores.........Once a teacher has 'tenure' it's nearly impossible to get them out........even if there is proof they are bad teachers, so when layoffs occur it's always last in, first out. That, to me, is the most unfair treatment to our students. Teachers NEED to be evaluated and ONLY kept on when they can PROVE their performance is succeeding. Unions should stop allowing crappy teachers to stay in place and shove good teachers out the door just because of years on the job. There are many 'older' teachers who are just burnt out and should be replaced with newer, fresher, and more qualified teachers who are keeping up with the educational technologies available today.

teachers are grossly underpaid anymore.

http://www.teacherportal.com/teacher-salaries-by-state/

This link shows Illinois to be near the top of the "comfort index" and I don't think an average salary of 64k+ is all that bad. I do suspect Chicago isn't the best and safest place to teach but I don't think that can be fixed with money. As for teacher evaluations, I don't know what would be fair. I suspect fairness of such in other public and private sectors is also difficult and it's likely very few people are 100% happy with how they are scored. It's just that there aren't people who can walk out en-mass and get away with it other than those who are in strong unions. I can't live with the idea of striking as being acceptable in other than issues of personal safety. The kids and families they serve are their customers and the ones who are paid by the community at large to support them. They need to respect that and not let the small stuff in contract issues cause them to walk out on the kids they would claim to be dedicated to.

The average teacher salary in Chicago was $74,839 for the 2011-12 school year, according to the district. On top of that are the benefits. The latest offer was a 16% salary increase over 4 years.

http://fox2now.com/2012/09/10/chicago-teachers-strike-leave-350000-out-of-school/

Teachers all over the USA have to bite the bullet too often. Sure, there maybe great school districts that don't feel the pain, but I'm sure anyone here knows that's not the common case. Yeah, it depends on the school district and all those taxes/levies and such and teachers get caught in the middle. There are few areas where the taxpayer can deny or lessen their burden by not passing this or that for schools. The point being that sooner or later any school employee, teachers included have to fight back or at least do what they feels needs to be done. I'm sure striking during the beginning of the school yr.s is hard not to reason why. Regardless, teachers have families too and they're not going to wait longer within reason for better pay if denied too long. They're using the tools they have to make their lives better or make it an issue to see their side. But yeah, its becomes a money issue for sure. Why don't we line them up and deal with them the hard way, NOPE can't do that. Get them more money, NOPE can't do that until the last minute or its so hammered out it's piece meal this or that. Dang, wouldn't it great if we all had decent paying jobs, work everywhere and the parents could afford the extra costs or levies passed and the kids get all the benefits. NOPE, can't live in a dream world, pass another "can't leave a child behind" law so it gets so complicated that money goes for other things and costs get so out of hand, you can't pay the employees reasonable wages. Remember, teachers are college degree people and usually teach in lowest pay scale for that degree all too often. Those that leave within 10yrs. do so because they can't afford to remain a teacher.

OH yeah, I can't afford to pass another school levy here locally. But, one did and we're stuck having to pay for a new school building that supposedly will be paid off in 37yrs.. I'll be dead by then and I'm sure some other levy will need attention. ------Willy

I was watching the CNBC report this morning on it and as they panned the crowd at some large fountain area I strained to find a single white face. Is this strike for Chicago city schools only or surrounding areas involved in this? I wonder what, if any, differences there is in pay scale for teachers in the city compared to those out of the city in the county, or nearby communities?

I think politically it's a smart move on their part doing this now. Obama's residence is Chicago when he's not president and Rahm Emanuel was one of his people. It's a good way to apply pressure to try and get Obama to do something in the background between him and Rahm to try and get this off the front pages. CNBC was strongly linking it all with Rahm and Obama today.

....seeing that news report on TV and the demonstrators. It's no new subject wondering if minority teachers are receiving the same pay as other teachers. You have a problem with that???

therefore I wondered.

They'd show up some place and see too many white faces, not any black faces, then suddenly felt the need to have some sort of protest over black faces not being included. It wears off on a person after awhile. ....

You feel it's deep enough for you to lie down in now? Someone even brought a rainbow colored box for you to lie in.

and Rahm isn't helping the situation by inviting all those illegals to come to his now 'sanctuary' city.

it would hurt the quality of their education.....in Chicago?