District 99 Forum: Question 10

Allyn Barnett
Quite honestly, that’s a state legislative issue, one that the school board would not have any control or say over. Certainly, through all the years I served on boards of education, every board that I’ve served on has dealt with and collectively bargained with—successfully, I might add—those public employee unions and have worked hard to make sure we have a good, collaborative relationship with those associations.

Cliff Grammich
I pretty agree with what Allen said. It’s a state issue.The teachers in District 99, to my understanding, their compensation is what I've heard referred to as the "Goldilocks zone," not too much, not too little. We are competitive with other districts. We get a good bang for the buck in the district. The teachers, the state law is they have the right to organize. Therefore the board would have an obligation to negotiate with them. The teachers have done well. I wouldn't want to see some of the fiscal issues that have arisen be used as a club to beat up teachers, because I don't think that's going to improve teacher performance—which, in our district, is already pretty high. 

Nancy Kupka
I agree with my colleagues—what they’ve said—I think it is a state issue. I think we have to make sure that we do offer, that we do keep our teachers at market for their salary and they are given good working conditions. I also think we have to build in way to support our teachers, in terms of mentoring, helping them get over rough spots, applauding them for their value. And that we need to have a strong system of evaluation for teachers to make sure that do have teachers who are at the top of their game.

Keith Matune
Does anybody want me to recuse myself from this question? (laughter) I do agree that teacher pensions are a state issue. The reason, historically, that they were created were for people like my father who retired from Downers Grove North after 35 years of service. When he started in the late 1960s he was making $4,500 and it was a way to adequately help people like my father. My mom was at home with three kids, so how do you survive on one income? One of the things they tried to do was make it more equitable—well, let's do something with you pension. I  agree that it was a necessity back in the 1960s and 70s for those teachers. I believe I am more than fairly paid and I think most teachers are like myself in that I became one because of altruistic reasons. I was in the corporate world making lots of money, but I volunteered my time as a gymnastics coach at Downers North and, after a few years, one of the seniors said, "How come you don’t you do this full time?"I'd never really asked that question, but I searched and said, wow, this is where I belong, this is my sense of purpose, I'm needed here. And I believe when you're fairly compensated those others things really don't come into play.

Mike Davenport
It’s a state issue, so it sounds like we’re all in agreement, off to a good start. I guess I’ll use this opportunity to say a couple words about teachers.  A lot of commonality with architects there. I've often said, the only profession I know of that really pays less than architecture is teaching. I know what motivates me every day isn't money. And I know enough teachers and have enough good friends who are teachers to know that they’re in it for more than the money.  So I’m wondering what do we do to really reward and recognize good teaching, and could we be  doing more to do that. And that’s something I'd like to look into.