It’s just a bill
Monday, Apr 23, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Learn something new every day…
* Daily Journal…
Legislation requiring a $40,000 minimum salary for teachers would affect some local school districts. […]
Under the bill, the $40,000 includes the pension costs districts pick up on behalf of teachers. For a teacher making $40,000, that amounts to an extra $3,600.
The Herscher district’s starting salary, including pension contributions, is about $35,000.
Herscher Superintendent Rich Decman opposes the legislation, calling it “political gamesmanship.”
“It’s great on the face. Most first-year teachers would be ecstatic with a $5,000 raise,” he said. “I don’t think it would be practical to do this without the funding. I’m a proponent of local control. I don’t think it’s reasonable for the state to dictate salaries. This is what I would call another unfunded mandate.”
* Press release…
Business groups representing employers of all sizes across the state held a press conference today to provide evidence that legislation, allowing third parties hired by local governments to view Illinois businesses and taxpayers’ confidential sales tax information, would codify current illegal behavior of both local governments and a contingency fee-based company called Azavar. Evidence indicates private sales tax information has been already shared illegally with Azavar, and the company explored ways to evade the protections in current law. HB 2717, proposed by Representative Chris Welch (D-Westchester) is poised for consideration in the Illinois House.
Currently, the tax information local governments receive from IDOR is protected by strict confidentiality requirements imposed by IDOR. Allowing access to this information outside a strict chain-of-custody endangers taxpayer information. In 2016, the business community conducted a FOIA of several municipalities’ communications with Azavar and revealed certain local leaders were already sharing confidential sales tax information with the auditing firm. This action violates current state law. This fact was later confirmed at a hearing in May 2017, when the bill’s sponsor and local officials admitted local governments “up and down the state” are engaging in this activity.
The business coalition along with the Illinois Department of Revenue have suggested several changes to the bill, including removal of the contingency fee proposal secured by Azavar (which in some cases is upwards of 45%). These proposals have been rejected.
* More bills…
* Government consolidation efforts gain traction in General Assembly
* Proposal would let more voters try to cut property taxes
* Statehouse bills would increase drivers’ awareness of bike safety
* Illinois plan: Replace armed school officers with therapists
- Thomas Paine - Monday, Apr 23, 18 @ 3:17 pm:
You know what would make teachers in Herscher ecstatic, Supt. Decman?
Your $155K salary, $18,000 a year in retirement set asides, and $9,000 in annuity compensation, for a total compensation of $183K.
A $5000 raise would just be like “Okay, now I don’t have to live in my old room at my parents’ house any more.”
- get real - Monday, Apr 23, 18 @ 4:26 pm:
Teachers shouldn’t make 40K. They should make 10x that. All day long they have to deal with issues that parents pawn off on them. Kids who don’t behave, happily disrupt class as though it’s a game and calling the parents means nothing anymore. It’s not like years ago when you got in trouble at school AND home. Nope. Now the parent wants to blame the school. A teacher is not just an educator but a cop, mentor, and parent to the children who enter their class rooms.
- Bill73 - Monday, Apr 23, 18 @ 5:26 pm:
Stop looking at the low end.
Instead, a law that if a teacher earns over $50,000 then the district may not ‘pick up’ the employee’s pension contribution. Instead, that amount that the school paid in the past would be sent to the state pension system.
No employers ‘pick up’ Social Security due by employees. Why is it done for teachers?
- Arthur Andersen - Monday, Apr 23, 18 @ 5:49 pm:
According to the always-informative TRS CAFR, the FY17 average salary for teachers with 0-5 years of service is just under $50k. I’m wondering how many Herschers are out there given that figure.