re: Chicago Teacher’s Union plans strike despite being offered 16% raise

One thing no one every talks about with teachers. If you take a teacher's total compensation thru retirement, not just the fact they only work 10 months out of the year, they are paid very well. 30 years and they get what 75% of the average of their last 5 years pay for the rest of their life and full medical benefits?

Pensions are not sustainable. 90% of Fortune 500 companies found out the hard way. Most were axed in the early 2000's. The government gets away with it because tax paying citizens without business sense are ignorant to how much pensions cost and won't vote it out.

As a teacher, let me go ahead and assure everyone that no one goes into teaching for the pay. Part of the trade off for less pay is having extended time off and a pension afterwards (a lot of incorrect info on that here, teachers pay into that). Plus teachers put in a lot more than 40 hours a week during the school year. So it kind of evens out.

Either way, a living wage commensurate to a job requiring a four year degree is still a necessity. I’m not sure how far 100k goes in Chicago. I know other big cities like Seattle and Oakland are having issues with public sector employees being able to find housing in the areas they work.

In NWLA, I could barely make it off of the 2500 a month I pull in as a teacher by myself much less supporting kids. Glad alajones2 works also.

Do all these teachers that constantly complain about their salaries do not know what they were getting into when they decided to enter the profession?

I come from a long line of teachers. 3 of my 4 grandparents taught forever, both my in-laws, my parents. They all complained. I knew I never wanted to teach. It's miserable. I've never seen or heard of any teacher who doesn't complain. Oh we've got to go back, oh break can't come fast enough, oh blah blah.

Can't stand the complaining. Do something you enjoy or shut up.

Teaching sounds like a shitty enough job in itself.

In an inner-city Chicago public school? Fuuuuuck that.

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For a 16% raise, I'd stop posting here during work hours.

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all we're talking about on here is the 16% raise, for all we know, they were offered a 16% raise in exchange for givebacks in other areas that far exceeded the 16%, i.e. reduction in paid sick time, increased cost in health benefits, or elimination of health benefits, etc., always more to the story

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Teacher Pay should at least be equal to Prison Guard pay.

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I think that’s the case pretty much anywhere.

If they are truly turning down the raise for more nurses and librarians, I can support it.

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Base the raise on student performance.

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Not even close to fair for the teachers.... you really think that student performance is 100% on the teachers? Its not even close.