Freeze the Freeze

Below is an op-ed from the Suntimes. And below that are my comments.

No way around CPS teacher pay freeze

Comments

February 26, 2010

Chicago Public Schools CEO Ron Huberman on Thursday painted the grimmest financial picture the Chicago schools have ever seen.

The budget deficit could top $900 million, a hole so big that Huberman says he needs major concessions from teachers -- a move that could easily lead to a teachers' strike if the unions refuse to play ball.

We're not alerting parents to cause a panic or to bash beleaguered teachers.

We're alerting parents now, when there's still time, to try to resolve this crisis and avoid a strike.

The best hope is for the Chicago teachers to accept a wage freeze.

Huberman can't say that out loud. On Thursday, he simply laid out the sorry facts of the deficit, saying concessions are one piece of a multi-part solution. He's courting the unions now, giving them a chance to pick their poison, hoping they'll offer up cost-saving ideas.

But it is nearly impossible to see a way out of this mess -- or a teachers' strike -- without a wage freeze.

The Chicago Teachers Union contract locks in 4 percent raises through 2012 -- really about 5.5 percent with experience and higher degrees added in. Eliminating that raise in 2011 saves $135 million.

Undoubtedly, the union will balk at a wage freeze. Already, Union President Marilyn Stewart has rejected altering the union contract.

In turn, Huberman won't budge, arguing he has no cash to spare -- and he won't be lying.

Then what? Months of stalemate.

In fatter years, CPS would avert a strike by caving. This year, CPS does not have the dollars to give.

CTU has no choice but to seriously consider the wage freeze. Not because teachers don't deserve a raise. Not because teachers should pay for poor planning and mismanagement by CPS over the years.

But because we see no alternative.

CPS' massive budget deficit, Huberman says, is driven by three biggies: a $138 million drop in tax revenue, $135 million in increased salary costs and, most significantly, a $280 million increase in its pension bill.

Dealing with that pension bill is part two of Huberman's strategy for reining in the deficit.

Between 2009 and 2011, the cost of pensions jumps from $178 million to $587 million to comply with a formula set by state law. Huberman is lobbying Springfield to drop that bill by $300 million. He's also, wisely, pushing to correct a funding formula that unfairly favors the pension fund for non-Chicago teachers over the CTU's pension fund.

The union will resist on reducing the pension payment, though CPS could use their help. The union blames CPS for creating the problem -- for decades, a portion of property tax dollars was dedicated to CTU's pension, but CPS ended that in 1995. The union has a good point. The pension fund lost out on between $1.5 and $2 billion in payments over a decade. But CPS must deal with today, not the past.

Huberman also wants more money from Springfield, which almost certainly won't happen, and plans on deep cuts in central office and school programs. This is on top of 1,000 layoffs and vacant position closures expected this school year. CPS needs to be transparent about these cuts, which it hasn't been so far, to assure the public that real cuts are taking place.

Wages for non-union CPS staff are already frozen, and they'll take 15 unpaid days this year.

No one wants to deny hard-working teachers a raise.

But we see no other way.

Without union concessions -- one of CPS' only guaranteed ways to save money -- CPS is looking at devastating cuts in every corner of the school system.

Ron Huberman isn't crying wolf.

It's time for big concessions now -- rather than face massive disruption in the schools and an ugly and fruitless strike down the road.

FREEZE THE FREEZE

Freeze the fireworks for a year.
Re-negotiate the parking meter fiasco to at least get a percentage of the revenues.
Freeze the festivals for a year.
Freeze park programs for a year.
Freeze turnaround school program for a year.
Reduce CPS non-union pay positions--administrative, board--to the maximum amount that the most veteran teacher makes.
Freeze the greenery of the medians for a year.
Close schools on snow days and reduce salt use.
Freeze the guns-for-cash program.
Freeze the traffic directors program for a year.
Freeze the Universal Breakfast Program for a year.
Make an Olympic effort to have the world's best school system.

A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned

www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-chicago-schools-cars-14-jan15,0,4102489.story

chicagotribune.com

Tribune watchdog

Chicago schools vehicle-lease deal: Inspector general investigating staffers' use of cars

Spokeswoman says proper procedures were not followed in leasing vehicles

By Todd Lighty and Azam Ahmed

Tribune reporters

January 15, 2010

The Chicago Public Schools inspector general has launched an investigation into senior staff's use of leased cars, including an SUV driven by schools chief Ron Huberman that's equipped with satellite radio and heated seats.

The investigation was sparked by a Tribune story Sunday that disclosed Huberman's use of two taxpayer-funded cars -- a perk not available to previous school chiefs.

The schools on Thursday returned Huberman's 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid and five other vehicles to the leasing company at the urging of the inspector general.

Huberman used the Ford Escape to drive to work and for school-related trips at a cost to taxpayers of more than $800 a month. The vehicle was in addition to a Ford Crown Victoria he rides in while in Chicago; the district leases it for about $1,000 a month, not including driver pay.

The Tribune story prompted criticism about the vehicles' costs, especially with layoffs looming and deep cuts to school programs.

Inspector General James Sullivan confirmed Thursday that his office is investigating but declined to elaborate.

The story also prompted the administration to review its leasing program and discover procedures were not followed, said Monique Bond, schools spokeswoman.

The schools have a contract with Ryder Transportation Services to supply vehicles. But Bond said Huberman's Escape and five other vehicles assigned to senior staff were -- for undetermined reasons -- leased from Enterprise Leasing Co. in violation of school policy and procedures. She said the schools do not have a contract with Enterprise and that the problem resides with the Transportation Department.

"That department is responsible," Bond said. "I don't want to implicate any individual, but we found out that policies were not followed ... Those found to be responsible will face severe disciplinary action."

Vehicles should have been leased under a three-year contract with Ryder that the school board approved in August 2007, Bond said. Ryder has been paid more than $1.5 million under the contract, according to records. Bond said officials also learned Enterprise was to supply 36 cars to the student-driver program and there was no contract for the cars.

"Ron is upset that proper procedures were not followed," she said. "He's troubled. He's embarrassed, and he's angry."

Bond defended Huberman's use of two vehicles, saying he works long hours and it made no sense for a driver to make trips to his home.

"At this time, he is not going to have two cars," Bond said. "He's given up the SUV."

tlighty@tribune.com

aahmed@tribune.com

Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune

Find the Ho

Me, in my Baltimore accent: Find your Holes.

Israel: Let me leave so I can round them up.

Me: What?

Israel: Let me leave so I can round them up.

Me: I don't understand. I said, find your Holes.

Israel: If you want me to find my "ho's" I need to walk around the block and look for them.

Me: blank stare (Why? I don't know.)

Israel: Get it? My ho's. I need to find them.

Me: (Pause....then very professionally erupt into uncontrollable laughter.)

Another day at the office.

Find the vibrator

So, in science, I was explaining the difference between direct current and alternating current.

Me: Can someone give me an example of something that runs on alternating current.

Student 1: The computers.

Me: Right. What about direct current?

Student 2: The pencil sharpener.

Me: Try again.

Student 3: The television.

Me: Try again. Remember batteries provide direct current.

Student 4: A cell phone.

Me: Yes when it is not plugged in and charging up. Anything else?

Ismael: A vibrator.

Me: Correct. If it's battery operated. Anything else?

Student 1: A Gameboy.

Me: Yes. O.k. time to get ready for Social Studies.

Absenteeism

Sorry to all my "fan" that I have been absent from the Chalkboard. The month of December is just crazy. Progress reports go out. The kids are extra...uhmm....energetic. Assemblies are planned and put on. It's exhausting. Good exhausting. But, exhausting. Also, I felt like I was blahging about my students and that's not the point of the Chalkboard Warrior. I want to highlight the policies and laws that contradict each other and interfere with the teaching process.

Here's a new one. 12 year old students who are hospitalized in psychiatric wards now have the right to sign or not sign "Request for Information" forms. An RFI is a form where doctors and schools sign agreements to share each other's findings. This is in the interest of collaborating with experts to provide the best care and environment a student needs.

Well. Let me refresh your memory. My student, Ismael, is a well known "wannabe"--a kid who wants to be a gang banger. In my experience, every wannabe I've met succeeded in becoming a gang banger. So, really, a wannabe is in the community college stage of gang banging. But, I digress. Ismael is the student who pretended to first stab, then shoot me, then feigned a woman screaming as she died. Then, when after the big "help Ismael" was organized, he refused to go to the hospital and was eventually taken there in handcuffs because he had become so belligerent to the police. Ismael then spent two weeks in the psychiatric ward of a local hospital. Now, I have had students sent to the hospital for psychiatric reasons who were sent home that day and never saw the psychiatric ward. I have had students sent to the hospital who were then enrolled in the hospital's day program in the psychiatric ward. And I have had students sent to the hospital who were committed for two weeks. Rarely. But, it happens. And when Ismael was taken to the hospital, he stayed for two weeks. He was in bad shape.

When he returned, he was a different kid. The sweet side of him shined--he stayed in his seat, raised his hand when he wanted to speak, came to school in uniform and followed all the rules without question. He was obviously on medication. Not so much that he was "drugged out," but on the amount he needed to help him focus and succeed. The release form from the hospital, which is always sent to the school, had absolutely no information on it except to say that Ismael had indeed been in the hospital and his absences were excused. No information about medication. No information about therapy. No information about how the school can help support Ismael.

So, the case manager called the hospital. According to the hospital, there is a new HIPAA law that states anyone TWELVE years and older gets to sign the RFI and Israel had refused. A couple weeks back into school, he stopped wearing his uniform. He started "tagging" in his note books--that's the new fancy term for graffiti. He's shaking hands with fellow wannabes in the hallway, complete with the Raza R, the local boys club. I mean the local gang. So, the case manager called again, just in case. No go. Israel determines his post care.

Now, I have not done sufficient research on this law just yet. So, I will continue this post once I find out more about this HIPAA law. But, I ask you, should a CHILD be in charge of their medical care and the coordination of their medical care with their school system. And, if you think, well that sounds about right, I was mature enough when I was 12, let me put it this way: Should a TWELVE year old child who has been hospitalized in a psychiatric ward, who has a history of violence toward adults, be charged with their medical care. Because, I can assure you, a twelve year old wannabe charged with that much responsibility and that much history of violence and instability will one day be charged with a crime. Or end up in a morgue. And that is terrible. And society will pay for failing this child. And my heart breaks a little bit more as my hands are tied tighter behind my back.

It's the little things

"Why do you keep teaching in that school?" I hear this all the time.

First, the school where I work is excellent. We are a piece of heaven in the midst of chaos for a lot of my students. We have a former graduate who earned the Bill and Melinda Gates scholarship. That's a scholarship that sends students to school and covers every expense until they have earned their doctoral degrees. We have graduates who have received the prestigious Nordstrom scholarships. We have students coming back to visit to tell us how their college days, careers, and families are going. We have students here whose grandparents came to this school. Even though I often blahg about the instances that bring me down, there are many reasons why I teach and one big reason is the little things. The little victories.

Yesterday, Donovan asked to speak to me privately. All my students know if they have a concern, a question, a complaint, a desire to hit someone but don't want to get in trouble, they can ask to speak to me privately. Donovan asking to speak to me privately is huge. He was my student who all last year only spoke to me when he was calling me a "b" or telling me to go to "h." He's the one who earlier this year called me "liar" so many times, I was thinking of buying a vanity license plate with my new nickname.

As is all too often the case, the story Donovan needed to tell me broke my heart. He apologized to me for not turning in his science project on time because the night before he was helping his mother take care of his step-father who had come home drunk, throwing up all over the place. I thanked him for sharing and gave him all the feedback that we special ed. teachers are taught to give back in these kinds of instances. Then, we discussed the goals he has set out for himself this year, which includes graduating and adding another general education science class. I told him he needs to think about how seriously he wants to achieve his goals. I then explained that he needed to show me how serious he is about these goals and if he was, he would have to bring the project into me today. This surprised him because, as he noted, this was not a day students were going to be attending since it was a professional day (PD) for teachers. I told him someone would be in the office to let him in, and he could ask one of the office clerks to put it in my mailbox. Then, I let that conversation go and did not set myself up for disapointment or excitement or what have you.

After our morning PD and our celebratory lunch for the new principal, I went to my mailbox and there sitting in it like a pot of gold was Donovan's completed science project and the colored pencils he borrowed.

And that moment of seeing that science project in my mailbox is a moment I get to have every now and again as a teacher. And it is a moment that I never experienced in the corporate world. I am very lucky. And I feel honored over and over again that I am allowed to spend my days in the company of children who more than often beat the odds and pull themselves up by the bootstraps more times than I have ever needed to.

Smoking Pot

I have this student. He was one of my stars last year. So sweet. So helpful. Tried really hard.

This year, a completely different kid. When I give a direction, he crosses his arms, slumps back in his seat and sighs. If I call him on his inappropriate behavior, which escalates as the day goes on, he mutters under his breath, "she" this "she" that, "I don't care," "she can't make me do anything."

I've called his mom. I've talked to our security guard who is also the soccer coach to help him out. I've met with the school counselor several times about how worried I am that he is so different than last year. He is in the school leadership group that is run by the area police officers. He attends CAPS--a Chicago Police outreach program--on Saturdays. He is surrounded by support. And, he was chosen to participate in an after-school music program, which he has not been attending because, he said, he was grounded. He lied. His sister, very bravely, came forward with the truth.

From 2:45 to 4:30 every day, he is getting high.

Who is supplying him the drugs? Two people.

1. His cousin. A former student.
2. Ismael. A current student.

Fabulous.

A half hour after finding this information out, I attended a meeting where the theme was, "get those scores up."

O.k.

Now I am slumped in my chair and sighing.