Another way of looking at things
Tuesday, Feb 23, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From Rep. Rob Martwick (D-Chicago)…
Rich,
I read your blog post about changes to collective bargaining rights, titled “Then Do It Already.”
You correctly point out that the Governor’s proposal goes far beyond the restrictions placed on the employees of CPS as part of the School Reform Amendatory Act of 1995. However, that bill was passed by a legislature that was controlled by the Republicans. The Act not only gave the mayor of the City of Chicago complete autonomous control over CPS, but much like the turnaround agenda, it limited collective bargaining rights for teachers.
Since 1995, the Chicago Public Schools have been a complete and total financial disaster. The district didn’t make a single pension payment for a decade. They offered to pay the employee portion of the pension contribution in lieu of a salary increase (ostensibly to save money on the current operation), but then failed to make that contribution as well, exacerbating the problem. The board entered into misguided toxic rate swaps, that this year alone will cost the district over $500 million in penalties. There have been repeated instances of the board engaging in conduct that at the least is a blatant conflict of interest and at worst has been direct corruption. Finally, despite the wishes of the citizens, students, parents, and taxpayers, CPS has gone a binge of Charter School Expansion, closing neighborhood schools and creating sweetheart deals for questionable operators like UNO, without any evidence of improvement. In fact, while the overall performance of CPS has improved, the district has merely kept pace with the rest of the country. Unfortunately, the gains in academic performance have only been realized by white students. The academic achievement of blacks and latinos has been stagnant and in some cases worse.
Today the governor calls for the passage of the turnaround agenda. But here’s the thing: In 1995, the legislature passed the turnaround agenda for Chicago Public Schools. Despite the authoritarian control over the finances and operations, and the restrictions placed on collective bargaining rights, CPS has been an unmitigated disaster. If he truly believes that his agenda will improve our state, he really should come up with a better example.
Rob Martwick
OK, but the Democrats never withdrew those exemptions during their years of control and they allowed CPS to get out of making those pension payments.
* On a related note, Rep. Martwick’s legislation to elect Chicago’s school board recently passed committee on a partisan roll call. It now moves to the floor.
- NixonHead - Tuesday, Feb 23, 16 @ 4:37 pm:
While technically correct, I don’t think anyone familiar with labor negotiations would consider the collective bargaining autonomy given to CPS as “turn-around” oriented. If anything, it was only for very minor subjects of bargaining. By minor, I mean minor relative to the big cost drivers like wages, benefits, pension contributions, etc.
Just like those minor changes (school days, length of year, etc.) didn’t help CPS, it probably won’t help other schools districts much either. To be a “turn-around” you need structural, significant, labor reform.
- Earnest - Tuesday, Feb 23, 16 @ 4:38 pm:
Good response–some facts, some interpretation and opinion, no sarcasm or name-calling or victim hood. He seems like someone you could have a productive disagreement with, which seems rare these days.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Feb 23, 16 @ 4:55 pm:
Rep. Martwick certainly makes a case for an elected Chicago school board.
It’s not possible for an elected school board to make as bad of a mess of CPS finances as Daley and Emanuel have.
They never had any skin in the game, as far as having attended CPS, or their kids having attended.
I’m not sure if any of their hand-picked rubber-stamp board members ever had any connection to CPS.
Seriously, who would put up with that kind of remote dictatorial power for their own schools?
- Norseman - Tuesday, Feb 23, 16 @ 5:00 pm:
Nice point and counter point exchange Rich. My takeaway is that so-called reforms have a tendency to fail because they’re conceived in a crisis and passed without proper study on all the ramifications.
- Ottawa Phil - Tuesday, Feb 23, 16 @ 5:00 pm:
Prediction. Martwick’s bill will not make it to the floor.
- Anon - Tuesday, Feb 23, 16 @ 5:05 pm:
===OK, but the Democrats never withdrew those exemptions during their years of control and they allowed CPS to get out of making those pension payments.===
Rich, you should have just written touche`.
- Rufus - Tuesday, Feb 23, 16 @ 5:16 pm:
….”they allowed CPS to get out of making those pension payments.” And before Quinn, the state missed out of making 17 out of the previous 20 years of pension payments. They are all welshers.
- Rasselas - Tuesday, Feb 23, 16 @ 5:26 pm:
Two points. When charter schools have waiting lists, it is hard to say that they were created over the objections of parents. If parents objected, they wouldn’t be sending their kids to charter schools. It’s about parental choice.
Second, it is certainly possible for an elected school board to make as much of a mess of the finances as the Daley/Emmanuel boards have. They, too, will be trolling for votes and campaign contributions, following the elected officials’ imperative to push costs into the future and draw benefits into the present. The General Assembly is elected - how are they doing with the finances of the State?
- sal-says - Tuesday, Feb 23, 16 @ 5:27 pm:
== OK, but the Democrats never withdrew those exemptions during their years of control ==
But they never withdrew those exemptions?
What? Haven’t followed that string of bills, but….
How often does THAT happen AFTER legislation?
- TinyDancer(FKA Sue) - Tuesday, Feb 23, 16 @ 5:45 pm:
==When charter schools have waiting lists, it is hard to say that they were created over the objections of parents. ==
Thu, 04/02/2015
Chicago – In an independent investigation of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) data from the 2014-15 school year, parent education advocacy group Raise Your Hand has revealed that there are currently 12,637 empty seats in existing charter schools based on the CPS threshold for ideal enrollment. This equates to 64 schools or 50 percent of Chicago charter schools.
- Torre - Tuesday, Feb 23, 16 @ 6:00 pm:
PA90-548 allowed CPS to forgo their pension payments until the fund went below 90% funded and It was sponsored by Daniels/Watson.
- sal-says - Tuesday, Feb 23, 16 @ 6:07 pm:
Nice work, Rob.
Bio says you’ve been in GA since 2013. But you’ve got some staff or whatever to harken back to 1995. Good work, son. Better than whatever raunner & his Super Starts have been able to come up with.
- AnonymousOne - Tuesday, Feb 23, 16 @ 6:08 pm:
And after knowing this, anyone could possible wonder at CPS’s demands? It’s not like CPS employees have been treated with respect. How many people out there would work in this toxic situation?
- Controlbypatrol - Tuesday, Feb 23, 16 @ 6:13 pm:
Very interesting discussion. People say Martwick will be speaker one day. Frankly, I hope he runs for Governor against Rauner. Good looking, smart, well spoken, gets along with conservative dems but is great on Union and social issues. Although you would never know it, he also has some dough. He would be a great candidate.
- FYI - Tuesday, Feb 23, 16 @ 6:38 pm:
Rasselas nails it. Wouldn’t CTU money turn the elected school board into their stooges just as it has for Martwick? 20 districts and a city-wide elected chair?! Looks like Martwick is angling for a new job.
- weltschmerz - Tuesday, Feb 23, 16 @ 7:33 pm:
Anyone else remember when the governor was always a Republican and the mayor of Chicago a Democrat and between them they ran both entities like well oiled…? Unh, never mind.
- Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Feb 23, 16 @ 8:17 pm:
Rufus, the required State pension contributions under the laws in place at the time were made every year for the past 20 except for 2. Blago, with legislative permission, made partial payments in FY 06 and 07. Quinn made the payments in 2 years with borrowed money, for what it’s worth.
To the post, it would be nice to see one CPS/CTPF “stakeholder” acknowledge the hundreds of millions of dollars of State funds that were sent to CTPF, ostensibly to square up the State funding for Downstate TRS (see 40 ILCS 17-127) even during the times when CPS was contributing zero and which instead were (illegally) diverted to subsidize retiree healthcare. Anyone? Bueller?
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 23, 16 @ 9:54 pm:
The legislature passed a bill giving Chicago more control over the Chicago Public School system…
And somehow it is the legislature’s fault Chicago did not make their pension payments and refused to balance their budgets? Not quite.
- nixit71 - Tuesday, Feb 23, 16 @ 11:13 pm:
They offered to pay the employee portion of the pension contribution in lieu of a salary increase
That happened only once in 1981. Every other CPS contract had salary increases. There is zero evidence those salary increases were smaller due to the pension pick-up.
The district didn’t make a single pension payment for a decade.
OK, but let’s not forget that between 1990 and 1993, Springfield transferred dedicated pension revenue to district operations in order to pay for teacher raises and bonuses and CTU backed the move.
- siriusly - Wednesday, Feb 24, 16 @ 8:40 am:
A great response without name calling or child-like behavior.
Yes, Rep. Martwick isn’t offering much in terms of compromise - but he is using the CPS example to rebut the Governor’s policy arguments. The Governor’s arguments seemed to be based on his “feelings” and not in reality.
- SAP - Wednesday, Feb 24, 16 @ 9:26 am:
You said I passed on a partisan roll-call, but Dunkin voted with the Dems.
- Jack Jackson - Wednesday, Feb 24, 16 @ 9:42 am:
Waiting lists in Charters is a hoax. 13,000 empty seats. Decreas in Charter enrollment since 2014.
See this study: http://ilraiseyourhand.org/content/nearly-13000-empty-seats-chicago-charter-schools-%E2%80%93-increase-more-1000-2014