The tentative agreement reached Thursday between the city, Chicago Public Schools and the CTU allows union members to bank 244 sick days, up from 40.
That’s more than enough days to cover an entire school year — an increase that could allow a longtime employee to retire a year early and still receive their full pension.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson recently traveled to Springfield with a big wish list, including $1 billion in extra funding for Chicago Public Schools. Among the reasons his demand should be categorically rejected: the growing rate of CPS teachers simply not showing up to school.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently promised electric car maker Rivian $827 million in taxpayer subsidies when he shouldn’t have given the company a penny. The question is, was it negligence or something more?
Details emerging about Chicago Teachers Union’s upcoming contract show just how divorced its demands, both extreme and expensive, are from the reality at Chicago schools. It’s not just about massive salary increases, but also about money for migrant students, climate initiatives, abortions and gender-affirming care. About blocking parental notification. Count on CTU’s demands to veer further from reality until the public finally says no.
Ted joined Dan and Amy to talk about a new law passed by the Democratic supermajority and signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker that results in brazen election interference, keeping Republicans off ballots; about a referendum that tests the waters for a renewed progressive income tax hike; about how the Parental Notification referendum question was knocked off the ballot; and why laws like that pass so easily.
Weekly crime statistics from the Chicago Police Department: Report through 5/4/2024.
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What are the odds that the city files bankruptcy before this 5 year deal comes to an end I know cities in Illinois cant do that right now but 5 years is a long time when your treading water with your finances so screwed up
Still waiting for an explanation as to how this benefits The Children
244 sick days up from 40 is over a 600 percent increase in this benefit. Who said Mayor Lightfoot isn’t an effective negotiator? After all, teacher salaries didn’t increase by 600 percent.
This non-negotiating is a great example of the abuse of the Chicago taxpayer.
How many sick days per year, I mean per 3/4 of a year, do they get?
Teachers are taking contractually alowed sick days, vacation days. Ontop of that who knows how many fmla days, disability, traing days, maternity leave, and on and on during 185 days worked (or however few day are worked. Believe new cont alows non paid imigration days (whatever that is). As usual, Cps doesnt release any date on how many days cps staff is actually on the job or what is $ spent on subs or shifting around staff. When my kkds were at cps the # of days they had subs was a joke. Theres no staffing shortage (as with all… Read more »
What a great employee-friendly work environment you’ve described here! I’m presuming you are not likely a teacher and wondering why given all those marvelous bennies. Maybe it’s not too late to advise your progeny to do so. Such a deal for them! Now, on the other side of the coin it’s said that both state-wide and nation-wide there is a teacher shortage. Maybe there are other factors operating here that you fail to mention or even recognize. Give it some thought.
James– not sure there is a teacher shortage? or if supposed shortage is just more hype put out by teacher associations/unions, or if supposed techer shortage is any wourse than any other proffession? Do know you have reporters like karp @ wbez that write articales about teacher shortages but then offers no #, but when you email her she says it only 252 teachers? Once again–JUST RELEASE THE DATA for cps and all city depts, wouldnt that be part of a progressive gov tranparency agenda? And yes i tell my 20 something kids every 5 miniutes your crazy if your… Read more »
Your comment suggests might be thinking that all teachers have a “general” certificate as is usually true at the younger student age levels. But, for those who teach at the 6-12 grade levels a greater degree of specialized accreditation is usually required. Thus, where you have either no, or few, applicants for those more specialized job classifications shortages can, and often do, occur—think of math and science certifications as two common examples. There are others, of course. One way around it is to have someone who gets temporary accreditation, then there are the true emergencies where someone is appointed “off… Read more »
SO art teachers should get paid the same as a science teacher?
That’s a large part of the problem right there. Kick the unions out and let teachers be paid on merit not some hyped up contract that creates wages higher than most deserve that penalize the well deserving.
There’s no teachers shortage in Chicago. Otherwise, they never would have offered an early retirement incentive.
More likely to be student shortage..big mystry, why hasn’t cps released 2019-20 student enrollment #s
Colleges are turning out teachers at record levels that can’t find jobs. The teacher shortage is in areas of Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and related science fields and we can blame that on the standard wage rate brought upon by the union contracts that treat all teachers as equals at the pay window. Eliminate the unions and then teachers pay would fall to the market equilibrium where all teachers would get jobs and by allowing STEM teachers to get a higher rate of pay would allow for more qualified individuals entering the teaching fields. Speaking of qualifications I note that a… Read more »
The previous contract allocated teachers 1 sick day per month, 12/yr. Assuming that rate of accrual is unchanged in the new contract, a teacher can take 4 sick days per year and still be able to accrue the maximum 244 sick days by retirement.
Don’t forget to spike the pay of the greedy teachers during the last year the lazy bums aren’t working
Why not retire just as you sign your name on the job application? It would save a lot of paperwork. No reason to put your 20 or 30 years in. Soon they will be able to purchase an entire work credit career for just some spare change. While we’re at it after kids graduate kindergarten give them a pension too maybe $5K per year from 1st grade to senior year or $60K/yr pension upon graduation. I know Sounds ridiculous but if you add up the total costs of raising kids with free healthcare/free lunches/day care/food stamps/subsidized housing/free transportation/etc the pension… Read more »