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* The Chicago Teachers Union reportedly has a “bus convoy” on its way to Springfield. Today is apparently the union’s lobby day.

They might want to head to the Senate Pensions and Investments Committee this afternoon at 2 o’clock and keep an eye on this bill.

Just sayin’…

* Speaking of the CTU, the latest Tribune poll has some interesting results…

The poll found 62 percent approve of Emanuel’s effort to keep students in school longer each day, compared to 32 percent who oppose it. Support was even greater among parents of Chicago Public Schools students, at 66 percent. […]

Perhaps somewhat surprising was the support the teachers union garnered over Emanuel. On the question of who voters sided with in the more comprehensive debate over improving the city’s public school system, the union scored a better than 2-1 ratio over the mayor, who has had a testy relationship with the union’s leadership.

Among all respondents, 40 percent sided with the union, compared to 17 percent who backed Emanuel. Thirty-six percent said they supported neither. Among public school parents, 48 percent sided with the teachers union and 18 percent sided with the mayor. Thirty percent said they sided with neither.

The support for the union may reflect concerns that Emanuel has moved too aggressively against teachers in his first year in office, overtly attempting to portray the teachers union as the obstacle to comprehensive school reform. It could mean that parents worry about how a strike might disrupt their daily routines, or it could underscore the city’s long tradition of support for organized labor.

The poll also found that 86 percent of Chicagoans and 92 percent of CPS parents believed that teachers should be paid more for working longer school days.

* Meanwhile, Illinois Action for Children has a big Statehouse rally of at least a thousand people planned for today at 11 o’clock. They’ll be protesting a threat to delay state payments to child care providers. SEIU protested against the threat yesterday.

Illinois Issues has a story about a solution to the problem…

According to Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, a Democrat from Chicago, Senate Bill 2450 would restore $73.6 million to pay providers to the end of the Fiscal Year 2012. The subsidies are used to cover child care for low-income families. The bill also calls for $151 million to pay down FY12 Medicaid bills. The money would come from unspent federal funds. “These are jobs, these are mostly single parents who really need to get to get to the workplace, and they need consistent, stable child care, and its our obligation to provide it to them. We under-appropriated last year to them, so this is an emergency supplemental, and we need to push it through so women can get to work and their children [can] have child care services,” said Feigenholtz, who expects the bill to pass Wednesday in the House. A delay in payments would affect up to 40,000 child-care providers and 85,000 low-income families. Feigenholtz said she and other lawmakers have been flooded with calls from providers and parents.

* The 4-H kids heading to town are about to get a real education.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, May 16, 12 @ 10:15 am

Comments

The wheels started coming off the Rahm Emanuel Express months ago, so nothing in the Tribune poll surprises me terribly. Despite the unpopularity of the CTU, teachers themselves are hugely popular. Everyone had a teacher, and nearly everyone can name at least one teacher who had a tremendous positive impact in shaping their life.

Add to that resistance from parents’ groups over the extra-long school day, the rent-a-protestor scandal and other missteps undermining Rahm’s credibility, and the basic value that people should be paid more for working a longer day, and here we are.

If Rahm is smart, he’ll:

- Patch things up quickly with the CTU and begin serious, evenhanded negotiations over the contract;

- Engage the CTU as a partner in solving CPS’ funding problems…both the current deficit and a way to pay for a longer school day and school year;

- Tie pension reform to school funding as part of that plan;

- Get some good, outside, expert advice from someone who understands both the politics and the policy of school reform.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Wednesday, May 16, 12 @ 10:36 am
I think teachers are fairly compensated for the most part, even very well compensated. I do think that if you extend the school day, they probably should receive some consideration.

I feel the most for daycare providers as they are losing income in this mess.

Comment by Wumpus Wednesday, May 16, 12 @ 11:12 am
–The poll found 62 percent approve of Emanuel’s effort to keep students in school longer each day, compared to 32 percent who oppose it. Support was even greater among parents of Chicago Public Schools students, at 66 percent. […]–

–Add to that resistance from parents’ groups over the extra-long school day,–

Two out of three in favor doesn’t add up to strong resistance.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, May 16, 12 @ 11:26 am
It is my understanding that the CTU and retired teachers are coming down to focus on the Executive Committee subject matter hearing this afternoon on HB 4246 as amended. This bill will effectively shift the burden for the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund (CTPF) largely from the citizens of Chicago to the state as a whole with CPS being required to cover the current accumulated shortfall. In FY 13, the state would pay into CTPF $191.3 million up from $10 million in FY12.

This bill contradicts the Governor’s plan to have local school districts over time assume responsibility for their own pensions. The amended bill was sponsored by Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie and only is sponsored by her and Rep. Monique D. Davis. Because the House Executive Committee is packed with Chicago Democrats HB 4246 might actually get out of Committee. But it seems as though this is some type of feel good bill that will die. But none the less the union, CTPF, and CPS have been sending out legislative alerts relating to it.

There is, however, the outside possibility that HB4246 could be somehow linked to Mayor’s Emanuel’s proposals, no bill yet filed to my knowledge, for pensions as some type of a sweetener. In that case the CTU and CTPF are being double crossed, but I doubt that is the case. More likely HB 4246 is a feel good bill that will not pass the House assuming it gets out of Committee.

Comment by Rod Wednesday, May 16, 12 @ 12:10 pm
@Wordslinger -

Rahm and CPS have ALREADY scaled back their plan to lengthen the school day by 25%, to 7 hours instead of 7 1/2.

My bet is that once Rahm, CPS and the taxpayers realize that every hour you tack on to the school day costs roughly $1000 more per pupil per year, or $400 million for the district, we’ll be back down to 6 1/2 hour school day as many parent groups are suggesting.

Yes, taxpayers want a longer school day, but how much longer remains to be seen. I’m betting they’ll say that 6 1/2 hours is the most they are willing to pay for.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Wednesday, May 16, 12 @ 12:13 pm
When I attended public high school, there were 9 periods in the school day. Now there are 8. dis teachers take a pay cut when time was reduced in the school day? If they did, they deserve a raise if the school day is extended. If not, well…

Comment by PublicServant Wednesday, May 16, 12 @ 2:13 pm
@PublicServant -

I’m not sure when or where you attended high school, but if ever a school district shortened the school day, I’ve never heard of it.

It could be they simply eliminated one “period” while lengthening others.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Wednesday, May 16, 12 @ 2:45 pm
Rich, I think you might have thrown a red herring to a few people about this committee. All shell bills, no action.

Comment by Choice? Wednesday, May 16, 12 @ 2:46 pm
@YDD-70-74 Chicago - Got an F junior year for cutting gym to get to my tool&die job. Thought they’d see my potential and move me up to the front office…when that didn’t happen, I joined the Marines to get some help with college…got both legs broken, and honorable discharge, college and here I am today trying to get my kids through college to give them a chance to succede in life without being buried in debt.

Comment by PublicServant Wednesday, May 16, 12 @ 6:39 pm