Post by title1parent on Mar 29, 2010 6:58:36 GMT -5
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/opinions/letters/2126540,6_4_NA28_LETTERS_S1-100328.article
Teachers unions need to help avoid cuts
I read the Monday article in The Naperville Sun on Page 7 about planned cuts Indian Prairie District 204 is taking. I read about a lot of increased fees for taxpayers (students), expenditure reductions, cuts/efficiencies and staff reductions. I understand 80 percent of the annual budget is teacher and staff expenditures and planned layoffs are forthcoming, but did anyone consider and discuss reducing salaries and wages of all district employees to limit the termination of teachers/support staff for an interim time period?
An across-the-board salary reduction would help the budget and save critical teaching and staff positions. Many companies and businesses have taken this path during these difficult economic times with the support of their employees for the continued prosperity of the business. It is about running the district like a business to preserve the whole by keeping the working parts.
This concept is more difficult to implement with a teachers union contract in place, but nonetheless, it is a path that can make the most sense for everyone. The union and its members need to be a part of the solution given the fact that it will retain members and continue to generate union dues from a larger population of teachers.
What a concept, given we are coming up on a contract anniversary date for all the teachers in the district. Nowhere in the past has the teachers union added value or function as an operating component within our education model. Maybe the union can support this concept and prove to us taxpayers that they can be an important component in helping us remain an "outstanding" school district!
Matt Peterson
Naperville
Teachers unions need to help avoid cuts
I read the Monday article in The Naperville Sun on Page 7 about planned cuts Indian Prairie District 204 is taking. I read about a lot of increased fees for taxpayers (students), expenditure reductions, cuts/efficiencies and staff reductions. I understand 80 percent of the annual budget is teacher and staff expenditures and planned layoffs are forthcoming, but did anyone consider and discuss reducing salaries and wages of all district employees to limit the termination of teachers/support staff for an interim time period?
An across-the-board salary reduction would help the budget and save critical teaching and staff positions. Many companies and businesses have taken this path during these difficult economic times with the support of their employees for the continued prosperity of the business. It is about running the district like a business to preserve the whole by keeping the working parts.
This concept is more difficult to implement with a teachers union contract in place, but nonetheless, it is a path that can make the most sense for everyone. The union and its members need to be a part of the solution given the fact that it will retain members and continue to generate union dues from a larger population of teachers.
What a concept, given we are coming up on a contract anniversary date for all the teachers in the district. Nowhere in the past has the teachers union added value or function as an operating component within our education model. Maybe the union can support this concept and prove to us taxpayers that they can be an important component in helping us remain an "outstanding" school district!
Matt Peterson
Naperville