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Recent Questions & Answers Regarding Negotiations (FAQ)Updated November 7, 2007 p.m.
added November 7, 2007 p.m. 17. IHSA State swim competition is scheduled to begin this weekend. If the teachers go on strike, will swimmers be able to compete in the state meet? No. The IHSA has provisions for allowing teams from a school or school district that is on strike to compete in state competitions if the team began state competitions prior to the onset of the strike. The District’s position on this issue was stated in a response to FAQ #12. IHSA rules clearly state (see below) that in order for a team to compete during a strike, the state series competition must have begun prior to the beginning date of the strike. Strike Policy – Participation in State Series During Strike If a school is on strike and not in legal session, as defined by the State Board of Education, on the date of the beginning competition in any IHSA state series, students from that school may not participate in the state series. However, when students from any member school first participate in the beginning level of competition in a given state series that state series is considered to have begun for all entered schools. If any school subsequently incurs a strike, the qualified teams and/or students will be permitted to continue participating in the state series, so far as the IHSA strike policy is concerned, even though their school may not be in legal session on the dates of subsequent state series competition in that sport.
added November 7, 2007 a.m. 16. The District 211 budget for the present school year allocates a 4.1% increase in salaries. Why is the District not offering a 4.1% increase to the base salary schedule? There are two reasons that the District cannot offer a base salary increase equal to the percentage increase in budgeted salaries. The first reason is that from one year to the next, costs for the step increase as well as the base increase must be paid from the salary account. The second reason that the amount of increase in the base salary must be less than the budgeted percentage in the present budget is that in addition to the regular salary amount, we must budget the “lump sum” payments that the District has offered as part of the Two-Year Proposal and the Three-Year Proposal. Though the amounts are based on avoidance of costs increases in health insurance, they must be budgeted in the salary account.
added November 7, 2007 a.m. 15. If a Union contracted employee holds a position in a non-union employee group or a non-striking union group, can he/she report for work for one position and not the other? No, not reporting for work for both positions may result in the subsequent loss of the additional non-union work hours.
added November 7, 2007 a.m. 14. I read in the newspaper that teachers will be voting on the best offer. How will they, and we, know what is the best offer? The one-year proposal and the three-year proposal were developed during bargaining and were outlined in the August 14, 2007, letter to the Union. The two-year proposal was developed during mediation over two days, November 5 and November 6. No assurance was given at the end of mediation early Wednesday, November 7, that any of the proposals will be voted upon at Wednesday evening’s Union meeting. The Union will determine if its membership is provided the opportunity to vote on one or all of the proposals. One-Year Proposal Two-Year Proposal Three-Year Proposal The three-year proposal also provides for a partial delay in the premium increase that is scheduled to increase for the PPO-2 plan on January 1, 2008.
Attachment 2
added November 2, 2007 a.m. 13. If teachers strike and school is cancelled, how will I find out that schools are closed? Once the administration receives notice of a teacher strike, we will notify our communities of school closings using the same procedures that are in place for emergency school closing days. We will post information to the District 211 web site, as well as on the District and school announcement lines and telephone greetings. Local radio and television stations also will be notified via the Emergency Closing Center. If the administration does not receive notice of a teacher strike in advance of students arriving at school after the strike begins, we will deliver all bused students home as soon as possible. We ask that parents make arrangements for children to be properly supervised in such an event. Should a strike occur, we will evaluate daily the possibilities for conducting student programs and providing opportunities for students to be educated. Please continue to refer to the District 211 web site, along with media announcements, for current information regarding the opening or closing of schools.
The above information was outlined in a letter dated October 23, 2007, and mailed to parents.
added October 29, 2007 p.m. 12. Please review the decision to cancel all athletic and activity events and practices in the event of the strike. Some of these events, especially athletics, are state contests and cannot be made up. We have reviewed the decision to cancel all athletic and activity practices and events and have determined that, in fairness to students who are at the end of a season and have earned the right to compete at the state level, the decision should be changed. Thus, if a strike occurs in District 211 during the time frame where one or more District 211 athletic teams are in state competition, the team may participate in accord with IHSA rules and regulations and the following conditions:
Though the non-attendance rule is appropriate in most situations, state contests cannot be re-scheduled by District 211 and/or the District’s schools. As a result, the decision has been changed as it regards teams in state competition. Practices for locally scheduled events and/or contests will not be permitted during a strike and, as a result, some games, music events, etc., may necessarily be rescheduled after the strike, should it occur. While the District wishes to avoid any negative impact on athletes’ opportunity to compete in state tournament competitions, the focus on safety and adequate coaching and supervision cannot be overstated. The presence and participation of our coaches, sponsors and teachers are essential to a safe and appropriate environment.
added October 22, 2007 p.m. 11. How do the salary offers presently “on the table” from the Board of Education compare to the increases to the base salary agreed to in past bargaining sessions in recent years in District 211? And, under the Board of Education’s proposal, what would a teacher’s salary increase be for the next three years? For a number of years, the base salary increase in District 211 was tied to the CPI. In each school year, teachers received the step increase plus the base salary increase unless they were at the top of the schedule. The base salary increases were as follows, with the Board of Education’s proposals for one year and for three years listed as well: School Year Increase to Base Salary Schedule
Proposed by Board of Education for three-year contract extension The Board of Education’s proposal for the three year contract extension includes lump sum payments that recognize the cost-increase-avoidance stemming from the health insurance plan bargained in the 2005-2006 school year. In addition to the increases to the base pay, approximately 73% of District 211 teachers who are not at the top of the schedule have already received a step-increase to their pay for this school year, 2007-2008, based on an additional year of experience and/or the completion of additional graduate coursework. For a teacher with 10 years of experience and a Master’s Degree in 2006-2007, the salary increase for the next three years under the Board of Education’s three-year proposal would be: Teachers also spend a great amount of time coaching, sponsoring, and directing activities, chaperoning events, and serving as Department Chairs. Some drive a school bus to assist with the transportation of students. Appropriately, they receive additional pay for those activities. As part of their work with students and improving student learning, teachers also provide many hours of assistance before and after school to District 211 students and to the elementary/junior high students in our school communities.
added October 22, 2007 10. Why do school districts use salary schedules that include steps? Why can’t schools do salaries like private sector does? Salary schedules, over the years, have served to recognize the increased expertise of experienced staff. Additional experience usually results in a higher level of competence and effectiveness. In District 211, many of our experienced staff provide leadership as Department Chairs, leaders in athletic coaching, and generally as mentors to less experienced staff. However, many of our newer staff members bring new levels of training and expertise to our schools, as well. To recognize the increased expertise that experience provides, over the years, annual steps of increased salary became part of salary schedules. As training requirements and expectations increased, lanes for master’s degree and beyond were added. Presently, salary schedules that include varying numbers of steps are common to all school districts. There are significant differences, however, in the amount of the steps. District 211 has a fairly aggressive annual step in its salary schedule. As a basis of comparison, the top of the Master’s Degree salary in District 211 is 2.16 times the beginning Bachelor’s Degree salary. In a nearby district with which District 211 is often compared, the multiplier is 2.15. The result of this difference is that a base salary of $45,000 in District 211 becomes $97,200 as the salary for the top of the Master’s Degree schedule. In the comparison district, that $45,000 beginning salary would be $96,750. Because of the difference in salary schedule steps, the comparable district could have a starting salary of nearly one-half percent higher and end with the same top salary on the Master’s Degree schedule. In similar fashion, a one-percent raise on the comparison district schedule would cost nearly $400 less per teacher at the top of the Master’s Degree than in District 211. The size of the step makes a significant difference in the cost of increases to the salary schedule. The other option for schools would be to adopt an approach similar to some private sector salary plans where the salary schedule essentially includes a salary increase at every point of an employee’s experience so that every teacher would receive somewhat of an equal increase annually throughout their career. The effect of such an approach would be that no teacher would reach the top of the salary schedule until retirement. An advantage of this approach would be that all teachers would receive an equal percentage or dollar raise each year. The disputes about those at the top of the schedule receiving only a base salary increase would be resolved. However, our ability to attract and retain highly talented teachers in education would likely be compromised. We would be unable to compete with private sector in a teacher’s early years of teaching When one examines District 211’s salary step amounts, it becomes clear that the steps are significant in terms of percentage. Some other districts have schedules with smaller steps, some with greater. In the end, it is highly unlikely that salary schedule steps will soon disappear from school district salary schedules. But, it is likely that at some point in the near future, strong pressure to match other districts’ salary increases will cause careful review of the size of a district’s annual salary schedule steps and the impact such differences cause in the cost of base salary schedule increases. Comparisons to private sector are difficult to calculate because of the many and varied approaches to private sector compensation. However, health insurance plans in public school districts are increasingly reflecting changes already in place in private sector. Pensions in public sector remain based on a defined benefit rather than the defined contribution present in most private sector plans. Though the public and private domains vary significantly, movement to adjust public sector salary, benefit, and pension approaches to private sector models is not yet evident in most settings.
added October 18, 2007 9. Fund reserves serve several purposes. In some aspects, the District’s reserves now on hand could be adequate. In other aspects, they are not yet adequate. Please consider the following:
8. What is being negotiated? What are the main items under discussion? To review the most recent Board of Education offers toward settlement, please review the October 10 posting and the attachments to the District 211 web site.I understand that the District wishes to restore the fiscal strength to the District. Given the cash reserves now in place, has the District achieved its goal in regard to fiscal strength or are additional reserves necessary?
7. If the teachers go on strike, will my children be able to participate in after school athletic and activity programs? No. The most important issue for any school district is its students’ safety. If teachers are on strike, the District will be unable to ensure that a safe environment is present in our schools. And, the District’s teachers, along with its Administrative and Support Staff, are needed as a complete unit for school to occur. If a strike is determined by the Union as its course of action, students will not attend school and all activity and athletic practices and contests will be cancelled for the term of the strike. Simply put, all of our staff are essential to operating our schools safely and in the midst of a strike we would be unable to assure parents that students would be safe. Should enough teachers report for work during a strike for us to feel confident that the school day could be safe and of benefit to students, we would review the possibility of offering tutoring and other learning opportunities to interested students.
6. I attended a referendum meeting in 2005 where Dr. Thornton made a commitment on salaries and benefits: Does the salary/benefit package meet that commitment? The salary/benefit increases included in the Board of Education’s proposals will comply with the commitments made during the referendum. Though salary increases in the budget reflect an increase of 4.1%, fringe benefit costs (including a 3.8% health insurance premium increase) are well below the promised rate of 8.5%. Health insurance premium costs did not increase in either the 2006 or the 2007 calendar years. The proposed lump sum payments, available due to cost controls in the health insurance plan, are generated from the fringe benefit line but must be budgeted in the salary line of the budget. Another of the disagreements between the District and the Union is the use of referendum revenues. The Union contends that a portion of the proceeds from the referendum should be used to increase teacher salaries. The District recalls that the referendum was presented to the taxpayers of District 211 as the means to preserve and maintain curricular programs for students and to restore fiscal strength to the District while ensuring that another referendum would not be necessary for many years. Cash reserves have been strengthened and are available to carry the District’s cash flow needs in times like the present when tax bills are late and revenues will not be received until late in the calendar year. Strong cash reserves hold great benefit for students, employees, parents, and taxpayers. Students are assured that needed programs will be in place for many years to come. Employees have assurance that their employment is based on their performance rather than the need to reduce staff. Parents, especially parents of students now in the primary grades, can have assurance that their children’s educational needs will be met. Taxpayers have assurance that they are not paying interest costs or repaying bonds for operational expenses. The District also is aware that at no time did any District official or any member of the public suggest that any of the proceeds from the referendum would or should be used to increase employee salaries. In fact, assurances to our public that we would contain total salary costs and fringe benefit increases to specific levels were the focus of both media endorsements of the referendum and were central to many taxpayers’ support of the referendum.
5. The teacher's Union President says that the final increase should be 4.1%. I read the web site and it seems to me that if you add 3.4% and .75% this is more than 4.1%. What am I missing? The District offered a base salary increase of 3.4% to the base salary and .75% lump sum for the 2007-2008 school year, totaling 4.15%, plus a “step” in increased salary. The base salary increase is aligned with the CPI that governs the tax levy received by the District in 2007, and the lump sum is a sharing of savings in anticipated health insurance increases. One of the disagreements between the District and the Union is that the .75% lump sum payment would not compound in future years. The Union understands that an amount on the salary schedule that compounds annually provides a larger salary throughout the schedule annually. The Board of Education does not wish to place the insurance savings amount in the salary schedule due to the compounding effect of the schedule. Also, should the health insurance plan cost controls cease to be effective, placing the lump sum amounts in the salary schedule would obligate the District to continued payment of the amount even though cost control savings no longer accrued.
4. Since District 211 serves the same students and receives tax monies from the same taxpayers as District 15 and District 54, does this mean that all teachers in all three school districts are paid on the same salary schedules? Districts 15, 54, and 211 have very different salary schedules. Typical of high school and elementary school districts in northern Illinois, District 211’s salary schedule is significantly higher than the elementary districts’ salary schedules. High school districts’ salary schedules also are typically higher than unit districts’ salary schedules as is borne out by a comparison with nearby unit districts, District 220 and U-46.
3. Since there was no agreement, does this mean the teachers will not get a raise at all this year? Teacher salary schedules are built around two concepts. A base salary is established, and then a series of “steps,” each based on an additional year of experience, are established that lead to a maximum salary at the top of the salary schedule. A similar schedule is established for teachers with a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and for additional graduate credit hours beyond the master’s degree. In District 211 for the 2007-2008 school year, 73% of our teachers received a “step” increase for an additional year of service and many also received an additional increase because they completed a master’s degree or additional graduate hours beyond the master’s degree. The typical “step” increase in District 211 ranges between 5.5% and 6% of the base starting salary for the bachelor’s degree. If you refer to Attachment #2 of the October 10, 2007, District 211 web site posting, the salary schedules for the 2006-2007 school year are included. An example of the schedule increase that a teacher has already received in the 2007-2008 school year can be determined for a teacher with a master’s degree and 10 years of experience by locating that amount on the 2006-2007 schedule ($73,641) and subtracting it from the salary for a MS and 11 years of experience ($76,184). For a teacher with a MS and 10 years of experience in 2006-2007, a salary increase of $2,543 or 3.45% increase has already been provided and is being paid. Teachers at the top of any salary schedule lane do not receive a “step” increase. Approximately 27% of District 211 teachers are at the top of their salary schedule lane and have not received a salary increase for the 2007-2008 school year. Most of those teachers are earning between $95,578 and $103,461.
2. Why does it appear that a multi-year contract is favored by the school board while the union appears to favor a single-year contract? The Board of Education’s proposals include both multi-year and single-year proposals. Bargaining between the two sides has included both multi-year and single-year proposals throughout the process. The three-year contract between the District and the Union covering the 2005-2006, 2006-2007, and 2007-2008 school years has a re-opener for salary for the present school year. Thus, both sides have to bargain the salary for the 2007-2008 school year. From the Board of Education’s perspective, a multi-year contract permits the Board more flexibility in its offer. A multi-year contract could ensure that the health insurance plan remains in place, thereby avoiding double-digit cost increases and permitting cost avoidance sharing with the teachers in the form of lump sum payments each year of the multi-year contract. A single-year contract offer provides no assurances beyond the present school year in regard to salary and benefits and forces the District to anticipate significant demands at the bargaining table when bargaining begins again in a few months.
1. A recent newspaper article stated that two board members did not vote for the budget. Does this mean there is not enough money to pay for the contract? Establishing the budget of a school district is a process of balancing the costs of serving students with the revenues received by the district. District 211, like most school districts in the suburban Chicago area, is dependent upon property taxes as its primary source of income. The Board of Education in District 211 has established a goal for the Superintendent to restrain controllable portions of the District budget to the rate of increase of the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The Board of Education carefully reviews the budget proposals presented to it prior to taking action to approve or disprove the budget. The budget for the 2007-2008 school year was approved by a 5-2 vote. The budget includes monies necessary to fund the Board’s proposal to the teachers’ union and all other salaries of the District’s employees.
Roger Thornton, Superintendent
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