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发帖数: 29846 | 1 9/12/2012
by Scott Reeder
Journalist in Residence
ReederReport.com
You’ll hear a lot of numbers bandied around in the coming days regarding
the Chicago Teachers Union strike – average salary, anticipated size of the
district’s deficit, level of state financial support.
But the number I find most disturbing is: 19.
That’s what the average Chicago Public School teacher scored on the ACT
test if they took it when attending high school, according to a 2008
Southern Illinois University study.
Despite all of the bright teachers, there are enough who scored so badly on
the ACT that they dragged the average down to 19 out of a possible score of
36.
To put that number in perspective, today every high school junior in the
state – whether they are going to college or not – is required to take the
test. This year their average test score was just shy of 21.
Even though Chicago is drawing its teachers from a below-average talent pool
, it is paying them handsomely.
According to the Chicago Teachers Union's own figures, an average teacher
earns a salary of $71,000. The school district pegs the number a bit higher
at $76,000 without benefits.
But regardless of which number you believe, it is worth noting that,
according to the U.S. Census, the average Chicagoan with a bachelor’s
degree earns $48,866.
Don’t the taxpayers deserve better?
Before they went on strike, Chicago teachers were offered a 16 percent raise
over the next four years.
So why is the CTU on strike?
It comes down to standards.
Unfortunately, both administrators and unions have held the bar pretty low
when it comes to policing the ranks for underperformers.
Administrators have given meaningless, sugar-coated evaluations.
But now the school district is talking tough on evaluations. It wants to
link teacher evaluations to student performance. And some underperforming
teachers would be let go.
Not surprisingly, the union is saying no way.
CTU has a history of defending the worst of the worst under the guise of “
due process.”
After reading 20 years of tenure dismissal cases in which the union
vigorously defended each teacher, I can say, whether they ultimately kept
their job or not, none of these individuals were people I’d want teaching
my children.
Apparently, many rank-and-file Chicago teachers feel the same way about some
of their colleagues.
A 2004 Fordham Institute study found that 39 percent of Chicago public
school teachers send their own children to private schools. That’s compared
to a national average of 12 percent of all children who are educated
privately.
Think about that.
Four out of 10 Chicago teachers are willing to pay money to keep their kids
from attending the schools where they teach.
That speaks volumes. |
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