60 Comments - Obamas Puppy - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 9:23 am: Ahh teacher bashing I was wondering when that train would come into the station. “Special deals” like the Tier2 pension plan and Senate Bill 1 where pension benefits have been slashed under Social Security levels and a multi million dollar lawsuit prevented further cutting? How about being responsive to the tax payer who is trying to send their kid to a public university and the tuition is sky rocketing because of your anti-worker agenda. Being responsive to the taxpayer who needs assistance with child care that had to live through the nightmare that YOU put them through last year. Hypocrisy is always the most bitter pill to swallow. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 9:25 am: (Scratches head, a look of puzzlement on his face. Hits link. Reads article slowing, mouthing words. Reaches the end) Hmm. (Reads ‘with determination’, searching. Mouths some words again, gets to the end) “Sigh” Did I miss the decimate collective bargainin’ part and endin’ prevailin’ wage? - Anon - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 9:29 am: OW, I think you have misunderstood — end the unions — end prevailing wage, and economic growth, transparency, quality education, and term limits magically grow. Policy is for chumps. Economic growth is magic. - AC - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 9:30 am: Easily explained, the list of items was zero based, and the 0th item was to reduce the power of unions by limiting collective bargaining and prevailing wage. - Trolling Troll - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 9:36 am: 0 for 4. 0 for 5 if you include governin’. Hang in there. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 9:40 am: - Anon - and - AC -, I know I may be slow in the uptick on this, that’s on me, for sure, but golly, if I didn’t know better, I’d probably think Mr. Rauner, 2013, was hidin’ all that anti-union “stuff” with jargon and rhetoric used specifically to hide the true intent. But, hey, the 2013 Rauner seems a bit different than the 2016 Gov. Rauner… … or is he? - thunderspirit - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 9:41 am: “I want to make Illinois government the most efficient, transparent in America.” Until I get there, that is, and people start asking questions about who is paid from where. That’s off limits. - burbanite - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 9:43 am: How many current Republican legislators would have to give up their seats with the proposed term limits. Will never happen. Plus I don’t think you could do 8 years based on the current structure of Senate elections, it would have to be six or 10 or specific no. of terms. Pro business=destroy unions and lower wages and benefits and no corp. tax. Tenure works both ways, it was created to protect good teachers. - Juvenal - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 9:45 am: As I said earlier this week, Rauner is approaching his one year anniversary as governor, a time we typically reflect on a governor’s accomplishments. 1) What are the governor’s top three accomplishments? 2) Is Illinois better off than it was one year ago? In the words of one veteran poster: show your work. - Handle Bar Mustache - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 9:48 am: It’s almost been one year since January 12, 2015. What has been made of our state in that time? Are we better than we were a year ago? Eager to read the first thorough retrospective on a year of Rauner rule in Illinois. - RNUG - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 9:49 am: Talking down the State is a great way to stop taxpayer flight and attract corporate investment and growth. /s - Apocalypse - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 9:51 am: =Tenure works both ways, it was created to protect good teachers.= Good teachers should not need tenure. Mediocre teachers benefit from tenure. - AC - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 9:57 am: ==I’d probably think Mr. Rauner, 2013, was hidin’ all that anti-union “stuff” with jargon and rhetoric used specifically to hide the true intent.== OW, my mathematical/comp sci snarkynessregarding 0 based arrays aside, I’m seriously torn on this issue. There are counterexamples to this article, such as his comments regarding Regan and air traffic controllers. The only consistent theme I see is that Rauner was careful to hide his true intentions when speaking to a larger audience, especially during the general election. But that raises the question, is it on Rauner for obfuscating his true objectives, or on the public and the media for not digging through his past comments. Maybe I follow this stuff more closely than most, but it doesn’t take much research to find Rauner’s true objectives based on earlier comments he made. It’s why I think that the 40% of union households that voted for him should’ve known better. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 9:58 am: ===Good teachers should not need tenure. Mediocre teachers benefit from tenure.=== Really? What do you base that on? How do you measure the benefit between both since both “types” of teachers are allegedly protected? This should be fun… - Bemused - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 9:58 am: The longer he is around the more Rauner appears to be a one trick pony. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 9:58 am: ===Good teachers should not need tenure=== Only in a world where all administrators are perfect. And there is no such world. - olddog - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 10:01 am: Do your homework, Apocalypse. Tenure is designed specifically to protect good teachers from political intimidation. The principles are the same from kindergarten through postdoctoral studies. http://www.aaup.org/report/1940-statement-principles-academic-freedom-and-tenure - walker - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 10:04 am: AC: Smart comment. One thing clear during the campaign, was that Rauner tailored his substance to his audiences, saving the strident anti-union stuff for the small groups of right-leaning advocates and business groups. Kinda like Romney saving the best for his country club audiences. Not to say many others don’t do the same. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 10:08 am: He was an empty vessel during the campaign, just to be filled up with a word salad by his handlers geared to the taste of the audience. He got in trouble whenever he spoke his own mind. So that had to stop if he was going to be elected and pursue his real goals. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 10:11 am: - AC - Reality? A man spends $60+ million, millions of his own money, and basing the spending of that cash on; * Quinn Bad! * Shake up Springfield, Bring back Illinois * Lower income tax * “Pat Quinn failed” … you do all that at levels of spending unprecedented in Illinois, it really doesn’t matter what you really stand for if the above formula gets you the Mansion. Remember? “It’s baloney” Everything was “baloney” Everything including a Sun-Times endorsement, when the CST stopped givin’ endorsements. And like you pointed pout and I point to often; the 40% union household voters. Why do high? “I’m in AFSCME but I’m voting for Rauner” … voting against their better selves. Welp, Rauner won. Nothing is… “new”. Nope. But lol at the “Nth” level of the destruction Rauner demands. Geez Louise, the president of Ounce of Prevention, Diana Rauner, vouched for her husband and his “no social agenda” as her husband embarrassingly makes her look foolish. The snickering at Diana Rauner now has to be disheartening. But… Diana Rauner “had” to have known, while doing commercials… Bruce will destroy social services. If Diana Rauner didn’t know, I’d be embarrassed as much as Diana Rauner must be. “I vouched for the man ruining the safety net of Illinois, but I looked swell in those ads, didn’t I?” - Fake Diana Rauner. Who really knows, maybe Diana Rauner was fooled, like those fooled by $60+ million spent saying nothing? - Juvenal - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 10:14 am: === Only in a world where all administrators are perfect. === The exact opposite in fact. Behind every great school, there is a great principal. Behind every failing school, you find the opposite. - walker - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 10:14 am: Let’s say that Rauner was sincere in those four objectives, or at least the general goals behind them. That’s perfectly reasonable to believe. The problem remains that the Governor hasn’t and doesn’t seem to have found a good route to get there. I have always been hopeful, but sometimes waiver on believing in his competence for this job. - Captain Illini - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 10:15 am: obfuscation, stealth conversation, stultifying…temerity to hide the facts…it all adds up that our Governor lied about his primary intentions and if he would have run his campaign as he has governed, he would not even have been a footnote in history but a barking spider caught in his own web. - Jack Kemp - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 10:15 am: Didn’t the Dems sign on when length of the school day and talks on contributions to pensions were taken out of collective bargaining for CTU? Guess they were decimatin’ bargainin’ and bustin’ the union. - Motambe - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 10:17 am: He is making progress on a four year term limit for governor. - Apocalypse - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 10:17 am: ===Good teachers should not need tenure=== Only in a world where all administrators are perfect. And there is no such world. = Hmm! Interestingly, most private and parochial schools don’t have tenure and they seem to do just fine and the teachers seem to be generally happy. I guess, since there are no perfect administrators, then everyone working should have tenure. - AC - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 10:20 am: Thanks walker! Word, I’ve grown so tired of “word salad” that I think every journalist should sound a party horn at any event where these nebulous terms are used. Thus morning I heard Sanders talking about “structural reforms” with objectives that clearly had no commonality with those of Rauner’s, and it shows how meaningless these nonsense phrases are. I think the people we elect have an obligation to the public to clearly articulate policies they advocate, rather than hide behind “word salad” seasoned with vague concepts on which there is general agreement. - Carhartt Representative - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 10:21 am: We will get the best schools in the state by increasingly making teaching a job that nobody wants to do. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 10:21 am: ===Interestingly, most private and parochial schools don’t have tenure and they seem to do just fine and the teachers seem to be generally happy.=== What do you base THAT on? How many schools? How many teachers? What defines “generally”? What is the criteria to be “generally”? ===I guess, since there are no perfect administrators, then everyone working should have tenure.=== The public education industry has “tenure” in their labor. Please, pick up the loose straw that keeps seeping from your strawman. Thanks. - ash - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 10:22 am: Apocalypse — they also get to selectively decide which students attend… - Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 10:23 am: For all his criticism of Illinois, past and present, the irony to me is that Bruce Rauner is arguably one of the worst governors in America. He could have seen a while ago what was possible budget-wise and could have had a budget–one that would no-doubt improve our state. He uses up precious time pursuing anti-union policies, while state residents dependent on government help and taxpayers are hurt. We constantly see stories of those who are hurt by the budget impasse. We’re definitely moving in the wrong direction, from an already-bad place (but improved thanks to the 2011 income tax increase). I’ve been reading here and there about teacher shortages in places like Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas and Arizona. We have to walk a fine line between providing quality affordable education and being harsh to the teaching profession so that people won’t want to teach because it’s not economically worth it. Here are two articles on Arizona’s teacher problem: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/06/19/why-teachers-are-fleeing-arizona-in-droves/ http://tucson.com/news/local/education/shortage-puts-uncertified-teachers-in-arizona-classrooms/article_b0344334-7730-5356-89d7-bdbc9eb461a7.html - AC - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 10:35 am: ==lol at the “Nth” level of the destruction Rauner demands== Thinking through this, I think that makes the most sense. While no one should be surprised that decimating unions is a Rauner objective, he never indicated that it was his only objective, and that he’d be willing to burn the state to the ground if that’s what it takes to get his way on labor issues. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 10:36 am: Lets just say it. Behind every great school are great students. They come from homes where education is valued and parent are involved in preschool years, preparing their kids. You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. It’s far more than teachers and principals and learning materials. Easy to deflect the blame—-so easy. - Streator Curmudgeon - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 10:37 am: More transparent government from a governor who redacts his schedule? That’s one thing he can’t blame Madigan for. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 10:38 am: And transparency? For who? Rauner wasn’t very transparent when he ran for office! Say whatever you want to get elected, then do whatever you want. Some transparency. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 10:41 am: –Interestingly, most private and parochial schools don’t have tenure and they seem to do just fine and the teachers seem to be generally happy.– Tell us more about those “generally happy” teachers. You must base that on empirical evidence. As for most parochial schools “doing just fine,” you really haven’t been paying attention, to enrollment or revenue. What do you think the voucher movement is about? It’s about getting taxpayer dollars to prop up struggling private and parochial schools. - AC - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 10:42 am: ==And transparency? For who?== I did see folks cleaning windows at the mansion a few weeks back. Explains who the transparency is for. /s - Mama - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 10:47 am: Private and parochial school teachers do not have to teach children from all walks of life. A huge difference! - Mama - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 10:49 am: “What do you think the voucher movement is about? It’s about getting taxpayer dollars to prop up struggling private and parochial schools.” Spot on Word! - Jack Stephens - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:01 am: Really Bruce? Why dont you step down now so we can elect a Governor who wants to work for all of the people of Illinois? I’m disappointed and ashamed of you in the way you said you were with Rahm. - RNUG - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:02 am: The voucher movement is also about the perception of “double taxation” for the schools when the kids are in private schools. And it’s nothing new; I remember my parents (who sent us kids to Catholic schools) complaining about it 55 years ago. - Stones - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:02 am: How does that transparency thingy jibe with releasing your public schedule, Governor? - RNUG - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:07 am: == Private and parochial school teachers do not have to teach children from all walks of life. A huge difference! == Yes, it IS a huge difference. From personal experience, I can name parochial schools that deliberately cull out special needs kids and anyone not on the college fast track. I could have generated enough clout to have kept my kids in said schools but choose not to keep them where they were not wanted. I also stopped my annual donations to said schools even though I am an alumnus. - JS Mill - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:08 am: =Good teachers should not need tenure. = You have not spent much time in a school district. The first thing the board and community want to cut when finances get tough is our most expensive teachers. If we are doing our job we keep the good ones and pay them well. =Only in a world where all administrators are perfect. And there is no such world. = Ouch Rich! That hits close to home but it is entirely true, as are my comments above. It is a system, to be successful all parts of the system have to be student focused and that just does not happen enough. But I would be lyin’ if I didn’t admit that your comment didn’t hurt a little. - Nick Name - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:37 am: “most private and parochial schools don’t have tenure and they seem to do just fine and the teachers seem to be generally happy.” Based on what? The wages in parochial schools are so low they can’t afford to fire anyone because, good luck hiring qualified teachers at that pay. And by “qualified” I mean people with a teacher’s certificate. Because most dioceses require teachers in parochial schools to have a teacher’s certificate, just like public school teachers. And if I have a teacher’s certificate, what do I choose? Criminally low wages, or decent wages, union representation, tenure, a pension, etc.? No brainer. So the people who typically get hired in parochial schools are women whose husbands are the family’s main wage earner. In fact I’ve been told to my face, “We don’t have to pay our teachers that much because their husbands are the main wage earners.” Which is a lawsuit just waiting to happen. - Nick Name - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:42 am: “== Private and parochial school teachers do not have to teach children from all walks of life. A huge difference! == Yes, it IS a huge difference. From personal experience, I can name parochial schools that deliberately cull out special needs kids and anyone not on the college fast track. I could have generated enough clout to have kept my kids in said schools but choose not to keep them where they were not wanted. I also stopped my annual donations to said schools even though I am an alumnus.” This too. Far from their original mission of being an affordable alternative to working class Catholic families who did not want to send their kids to public school, Catholic education — parochial and especially high school — is rigged to cater to the elite. Special needs kids need not apply. - RNUG - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:48 am: == So the people who typically get hired in parochial schools are women whose husbands are the family’s main wage earner. In fact I’ve been told to my face, “We don’t have to pay our teachers that much because their husbands are the main wage earners.” == That bit about the spouse having a good job is also partially true in the public schools … And a lot of the parochial teachers are there because they got tired of not being able to effectively discipline the unruly kids in the public schools. Say what you want, the parents of parochial students are involved in their kid’s education. Outside of the charters and magnet schools, you can’t always say that about the public schools. And any teacher will tell you it’s the parental involvement that makes the difference … - Gumby - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 11:56 am: With regard to the number of AFSCME households that voted for Rauner…hindsight is always 20/20. As a member, this is what I knew about the candidates at election time. Quinn asked us to “defer” COLAs which we members voted overwhelmingly in favor of. Quinn then tried to renege on the agreement and even took it to court costing the state who knows how much in legal fees. DHS offices were severely understaffed and getting vacancies filled were next to impossible. Many of us were being asked to do work equal to 2 or 2 1/2 employees. Morale was at an all-time low. Offices were being consolidated with seemingly no regard to the recipients of those services and working conditions for employees were abysmal. Then there was Rauner whom I believe many AFSCME members viewed as not a great choice but couldn’t possibly be any worse than Quinn. Not much of a choice there. Personally, I didn’t vote for either but can certainly understand why AFSCME members voted for Rauner at the time. - RNUG - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 12:31 pm: == Then there was Rauner whom I believe many AFSCME members viewed as not a great choice but couldn’t possibly be any worse than Quinn. == A bit late but, hopefully, they know better now. - JS Mill - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 12:47 pm: = Say what you want, the parents of parochial students are involved in their kid’s education= Yep. Has a lot to do with success, so does the participation rate at the schools. Good post. - Flynn's mom - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 12:49 pm: You can say one thing about the governor. He’s consistent…he’s consistently doin nothin! - Big Foot - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:13 pm: School Administrators hide behind the tenure law because it takes effort to document deficiency. I recall an administrator saying it took to much time. - JS Mill - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:29 pm: @Big Foot- have you ever been involved in a teacher dismissal process? I guess since one person told you something that means you can apply it to everyone. Makes perfect sense. /s - Aldyth - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 1:40 pm: If I were a betting person… - God's Country - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:10 pm: I read Rauner’s comments with Donald Trump’s voice in my head. I was very disappointed to not read that he’d build a wall around Illinois, and make Wisconsin pay for it. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:40 pm: Does everyone who participates in this blog understand “tenure”? Tenure does NOT protect a teacher from ever losing their job. Tenure protects due process. Doesn’t everyone want that? - A Citizen - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 2:53 pm: - Anonymous -Dont confuse us with the facts. Next you will be telling us how agreeable to compromise Lord Madagin is. - jt - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 3:29 pm: Maybe Rauner could buy another state (call it Bruceland) and use it as a model for Illinois. - hey there - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 4:49 pm: Transparent my @ss. Rauner and his people have a built in political employment highway, creating new positions, at big bucks, politico’s from Florida are winding up with high paying jobs at a state agency. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 6, 16 @ 6:02 pm: “allowing bad teachers to stay in the system through tenure” How embarrassing that our governor, supposedly a learned man, does not know what tenure means. No wonder he’s against it if he thinks that eliminating a bad teacher is impossible because they are tenured. Can someone please, please educate those who do not understand that tenure simply allows for a process of ending employment. In other words, the teacher gets to know WHY they’re being fired! Imagine that! 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