Chicago schoolteachers go on strike

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by sokinwet

Let me see...this is the same Chicago that you guys have been bitching about because of violence...teachers haven't striked for 25 years...you have no clue what they make or when their last raise was....but they're in a union so they must be bad. Did you even read the story link?

"Union leaders and district officials were not far apart in their negotiations on compensation, Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis said. But other issues -- including potential changes to health benefits and a new teacher evaluation system based partly on students' standardized test scores -- remained unresolved, she said."

"Lewis said among the issues of concern was a new evaluation that she said would be unfair to teachers because it relied too heavily on students' standardized test scores and does not take into account external factors that affect performance, including poverty, violence and homelessness."

I'd love to see what some of you would do if put in a position where your job was on the line because you couldn't get through to some of these kids.

"teachers haven't striked for 25 years..."

There is no justifiable reason for public schoolteachers to strike. not the way they are treated today...

"you have no clue what they make..."

I don't? Average salary is $74k in the city of Chicago, plus the usual benefits. That's a damn nice standard of living, when you factor in the benefits...I also know that no one in the private sector is guaranteed anything, let alone a 16% pay hike in 4 years...

Do YOU know what they make? Why do you assume we're all ignorant?

"I'd love to see what some of you would do if put in a position where your job was on the line because you couldn't get through to some of these kids..."

Ah, I see you were quite selective with what you posted. The story specifically said that test scores were ONE OF th efactors that would be used to evaluate teachers.

Guess what? If the teachers cannot get through to the students, then they cannot be effectiv eteachers, therefore why should the taxpayers break their backs to pay the property taxes to pay for ineffective teachers?

If you owned your own business, how long would you keep ineffective employes on the payroll? And keep in mind, these are expensive employees. we're not talking minimum wage here...