16
The
north suburban school will use administrators, substitute teachers and nearly
60 community volunteers to lead what school officials promise will be a day of
educational activities.
"These
are lectures and interactive sessions that will cover all the key content areas
of science, math and English," School District 115 board president Sharon
Golan told ABC 7. She said similar, non-mandatory, sessions last week attracted
300-500 students. Monday is a required attendance day for the school's 1,700
students, according to Golan.
The
Lake Forest High School district is not budging. School leaders say they plan
to require students to continue coming to class indefinitely.
"We're
offering what we can pay," Golan said. "It's competitive in our area,
competitive for schools at our level and there is no more. It's all we've
got." No negotiations are scheduled for Sunday as both sides await the
assistance of a federal mediator.
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=8812718
This
is about so much more than money. For me and most teachers, the salary
percentages are the least important part of the negotiations. The most
important issue is the two-tiered salary system the Board is proposing, which
could devastate future education at LFHS, as well as create division among the
faculty. Most teachers at Lake Forest would not even be affected by this
change, but the future students and teachers would be greatly harmed, so we are
fighting to protect the future.
I
am very proud of to be a part of a top-shelf school like LFHS. Our school is a
reason many people move to Lake Forest. Our school is viewed as a pinnacle of
public education, where students want to learn and parents
value education. I count myself extremely fortunate to be a part of such an
outstanding place. The two-tiered system could wipe all of that away. But I
also have a personal reason for fighting against the proposal. Because of
budget trimming, two years ago I was cut to part time (a 25% cut). Because of
that, I’m not tenured, even though this is my 6th year here (and my 14th total
teaching). If the two-tiered system were in place, the Board could just lay me
off at the end of the year and hire me back under the second salary tier, under
which it would take me 45 years instead of 25 to reach the highest step of
experience. The district would save money by laying me off and rehiring me,
though most likely I would try to find another job and they would hire someone
with less experience. I would be devastated to have to consider leaving, but I
want to work in a school where my experience is valued, as it is under the
current system.
Finally
(and I’m hesitant to bring this up because it could be misinterpreted that this
really IS all about money for me) — our country is in the middle of a crisis of
conscience. When public employees get blamed for the bad economy, something is
wrong. The anti-union, anti-teacher, anti-public sector mentality has caused such
division in our country. What I don’t understand is why people just assume that
teachers should not make much money. People have a set notion of how much a
teacher should make. In most places in the country, teachers make about the
same as the median household income of that community. In Lake Forest, teachers
make half of the median household income. Now don’t get me wrong–I’m in no way
saying that I should make twice what I do. But why do people think that someone
like me, who has two master’s degrees and 13 years of experience, someone who
has a small hand in helping to shape the lives of students (and therefore in
helping to shape the economy of the future by educating future workers and
consumers), does not deserve good compensation? Why does a large salary
(relative to other teachers, not relative to the community) for a teacher cause
people to freak out, but if I worked in bond trading or investment banking, I’d
deserve a $350,000 salary? Why aren’t people asking, “Why doesn’t every teacher
make good money?”
http://gazebonews.com/2012/09/16/a-teachers-perspective-on-strike-its-not-just-the-money/
The
Lake Forest High School teachers’ strike will continue on Monday, Sept. 17, but
the high school will be open, attendance will be taken, clubs will meet, teams
will practice and students will even be asked to wear plaid in honor of Spirit
Week’s “worst plaid preppy day.” They just won’t have any regular classes.
The
District 115 administration has created programming for an “alternative
educational experience” that will be supervised by 50 certified substitutes and
50 volunteers. (Just two teachers have crossed the picket line, said Superintendent
Michael Simek). Last week when D-115 administrators
asked for volunteers from the community, so many people offered to help that
they had to turn people away.
At
a parent meeting on Sunday, LFHS Principal Jay Hoffman said the administration
has a solid plan for Monday and Tuesday and that it’s developing a schedule for
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in the event the strike continues throughout the
week. The administration vetted the plan by a committee of 50 student leaders
as well as representatives from local police and fire departments,
municipalities, clergy, Lake Forest College and others.
“Will
quality programming be in place? Absolutely,” said Principal Hoffman, who
jokingly added: “I’m worried the kids will like it better than real school.”
http://gazebonews.com/2012/09/16/lake-forest-high-school-to-open-with-alternative-program/
Will
these days count as school days?
We
have done our homework about what constitutes a school day and anticipate that
the day will count.
Why
aren’t we just closing school and waiting for the end of the strike?
Community
feedback on this issue has been emphatic – our parents expect us to open
school.
Why
are parents being asked to have their students cross a picket line?
This
school belongs to the community and its children. Once on campus, school will
be and feel like school for students. It is a very safe and orderly environment
– with some great programming in place to inspire your student.
What
will the security measures be for this week?
We
will have our regular and night-time security staff on hand, as well as our
resource officer and the Lake Forest Police will be available. We will monitor
cameras and all but two entrances will be locked. Howe Security will also assist
day and night to ensure safety.
What
about Homecoming and Spirit Week?
Students
are organizing this and doing a very good job of it. A complete list of
activities will be posted on the Athletics homepage. Don’t forget this week
includes Spirit dress up days: Monday – mad about plaid; Tuesday – preppy;
Wednesday – 80′s; Thursday – class distinction (Freshmen:
Neon, Sophomores: Superheros, Juniors: USA, Seniors:
Toga; Friday: blue and gold. Also, homecoming shirts will be sold during the
lunch periods.
http://gazebonews.com/2012/09/16/d-115-update-school-in-session-on-monday/
The
Illinois State Board of Education's 2011 report card for Lake Forest District 115
states that the average teacher salary was $106,457, far above the state
average of $64,978.
The
school district spends about $12,008 per student, about double the state
average, for instruction. The operational cost per student is $21,931, compared
to the state average of $11,537.
The
district's test scores exceed state averages. For example, its composite ACT
score was 26.8 compared to the state average of 20.6.
http://glenview.patch.com/articles/poll-what-do-you-think-of-local-teachers-strikes
While
it is impossible to say exactly what the makeup of the facilitators will be for
Monday -- and any subsequent days where students are present and district
teachers are absent -- until the event takes place, based upon the information
available, it is a perfectly reasonable assumption to make that come Monday,
the school will be filled with stay at home parents and well to do community
members attempting to run a school filled with roughly 1,700 students.
Other
than what has already been referenced above, the school has failed to provide
even basic information regarding what is to take place once the students arrive
on campus Monday morning.
In
addition to the fact that any plan utilizing hordes of homemakers and retired
persons who are able to pass a background check to run a midsized school simply
reeks of stupidity and presents itself as a potential disaster, the idea of
youth being kept in school during union negotiations by volunteers who are most
likely unable to provide legitimate instruction to them seems morally
questionable at best.
Regardless
of whether or not the regional superintendent declares the day to be one of
legitimate attendance, I can attest, as a high school student, that there would
be too much educational interruption occurring in the aforementioned situation
to learn from a trained and experienced educator, let alone an individual who
may not comprehend the information contained in the lessons they have
volunteered to teach.
The
BOE claims that their plan is intended to prevent us from being affected
academically, but I feel as though the board know as well I do that my peers
are not going to benefit from coming in on Monday -- this doesn't seem to be
about us.
The
school board is sending a message to the teachers by bringing us in on Monday
and having us taught by volunteers: you’re dispensable.
Bringing
us to school for political motives does not make us students, it makes us
bargaining chips, and forcing us to be there while not providing a legitimate
education in the process equates to little more than
warehousing us.
Now
turn to Lake Forest. Lake Forest is not
broke. Neither are the teachers. At an average of over $100,000 a year, no, for
9 months, they are handsomely compensated.
But
it seems this city is going to hold its ground.
Thousands of applicants for teaching in the Lake Forest school system
are rejected annually. All presumably willing to work for less than the six
figures currently paid. Filling the teacher ranks would be done in short order.
In
Lake Forest, with all the compensation for its teachers, the Football Team has
to do fund raisers for helmets and pads. No room in the school's budget
apparently.
Curious.
So
the Chicago teachers, already compensated beyond the norm, are attempting to
get blood from a stone. And the Lake
Forest teachers must be suffering from a delusion that school can't go on
without them. How wrong they both are.
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2012/09/a_tale_of_two_teachers_strikes.html#ixzz26dlVVtVI
Teacher
contract talks remained stalled and bitterly divided in Lake Forest Saturday as
district officials declined to come to the bargaining table before they
received a "last best offer" from the union.
"Despite
the LFEA’s press release saying 'BOE walks out,'" the fact of the matter
is that the federal mediator sent an email to all parties stating that 'The
union did not have have a
formal proposal or counter-proposal,'" the statement said, adding that the
mediator then decided to stop talks Friday.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-lake-forest-strike-0916-20120916,0,807045.story
Representatives
of the Lake Forest Education Association, who've been on strike since
Wednesday, arrived Saturday morning at Lake Forest High School District 115
headquarters, where they said they were greeted by the superintendent and a
note asking them to forward their final offer to the board attorney.
Working
through the mediator, the school board offered to defer the two-tier salary
schedule to a faculty and board committee to come to a consensus, and agreed to
phase in an HMO insurance change that would require teachers to pay more
out-of-pocket, according to a statement released by the school board.
While
the union said they put another financial offer on the table, the board
contends the union is still demanding salary increases of 5 to 6.5 percent per
year. According to the school board’s statement, the board responded by
rejecting those terms and requested an undisclosed counter proposal, which the
union declined.
http://www.wlsam.com/Article.asp?id=2534009&spid=
A
suburban Chicago school district where teachers are on strike says there'll be
school Monday no matter what.
They're
calling it an "all-day educational program." Administrators and
community volunteers will be on hand, but the district didn't elaborate on what
exactly the day would entail.
Read
more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/09/16/4824777/lake-forest-therell-be-class-despite.html#storylink=cpy
Lake
Forest High School, despite a teachers strike, will reopen school Monday with
administrators, substitute teachers and community volunteers offering students
a variety of educational programs, parents were told during a meeting Sunday.
School
District 115 will try to meet the state criteria for conducting legal school days,
as part of the required 176-day calendar, without its teachers, officials said.
At least 50 percent of the student body must attend school, and officials will
need to demonstrate that certified teachers provided five hours of instruction
in core subject areas, officials said.
Officials
said 50 substitute teachers and at least 50 community volunteers will be on
hand Monday. The students will participate in programs that touch on the
school's curriculum, including math, science, English and social studies. Among
the scheduled programs are Lake Forest police leading a session on criminal
justice, and guest speakers addressing topics such as evolution and emotional
well-being. If needed, educators are prepared to offer similar sessions the
entire week.