Well, At Least The Teachers Have A Contract Now
The Fourth of July is still a long way off, yet the fireworks are are in full gear in Orland School District 135. It's good to know that, at least, they have settled the teachers' contract and avoided a strike.
I know what these negotiations are like, having been through two of them during my term on the school board. I don't necessarily fault anyone for the length of time it took to come to an agreement. If the union just folded and accepted the first offer from the board, this would have been over several months ago. The same could be said if the board gave the teachers everything they asked for. It would have been quick, but it would not have been responsible.
The teachers union is paid to represent the interests of the teachers. They have an obligation to get the best deal for their members. If they don't they should be voted out. The board has an obligation to get the best deal for the taxpayers. The trick is to come to an agreement that is acceptable to both sides.
There is no doubt that the teachers in District 135 work hard and deserve to be paid well. But, you can say that about almost anyone. Electricians work hard, so do nurses and insurance agents; do they get what they "deserve?" Don't secretaries and mechanics deserve raises and excellent benefits, too? It's difficult to ask those people to pay higher taxes to pay for the teachers' raises when many of them are making less money and have reduced benefits.
I know that the district is sitting on a large surplus right now. Typically, a district passes a referendum (like in 2005) and builds up a surplus. The growth of expenses usually outpaces the growths of revenue and eventually, you run a deficit. Having a large cash surplus makes it possible to run a deficit for a long time before another referendum is needed. It's also nice to have money available for an unforeseen problem. Roofs can leak and a near-bankrupt state can cut funding at any time.
Like I said, I've been through this twice. I was president when the last contract was done. That was difficult too, but there was a big difference. There was a mutual respect between the board and the union. Unlike now, where some people on the board have antagonized the union, we respected each others positions. Issues were often handled with a phone call instead of lawyers. The whole Melanie Walsh fiasco proves this out.
Like Mr. Carmody, I was president of a 4-3 board. The split was political and personal, but it never interfered with us doing the right thing for the district. We fought some hard battles, but I never doubted the "other side's" commitment to District 135. Ironically, Tom Cunningham was one of the three back then and he always demanded that the minority point of view be respected. I guess that changes when you're in the majority. I don't think Mr. Cunningham would have allowed the majority to play political games with a secretary's career like with Mrs. Walsh. He would have been furious with the money being spent on lawyers to perpetuate this mistake; and he would have been right.
I know that many of us have been beating the board majority up over the Melanie Walsh error. What I don't understand is how can the board preach about being fiscally responsible, yet be willing to waste tax money on a secretarial position?
In a time when many people have become critical of public employee unions, why would a board do something that proves why public employees still need unions and why do something that get people, like me, to side with a union?
Fortunately, this is a strong district. Years of tight financial management have made it that way. The people of this district are good too. We have good people working in the district and we have good citizens supporting it. The district is bigger than the school board and whoever happens to be on it at any given time. It's also bigger than any personal agenda or vendetta that any particular board member may be persuing. A school board election is never more than two years away. The next one is in April of 2013, just over a year away.
It'll be here before you know it.
frank
6:28 am on Thursday, December 29, 2011
Happy New Year !
Nice to see your comments.
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paul cervenka
9:17 am on Thursday, December 29, 2011
It's just to bad that the education system is more about politics than learning. Their union is the highest of political campaign contributors in the state. Pawns in a shell game. Now how do we compensate (?) the hundreds of non classroom patronage workers that demand our highest of property taxes. I say, OUTSOURCE. Let the free market determine the real cost of these services. Compete like we do every day in the private sector. Show the tax payers what your really worth. Don't hide,compete.
J Kennedy
12:56 pm on Thursday, December 29, 2011
"It's just too bad that the education system is more about politics than learning".
So true! But, leadership starts at the top. Almost all of these Administrators make over 100K. Maybe they need to be in the unemployment line to realize that you should NEVER play games with the taxpayers money, and you certainly should NEVER take the power of the people for granted.
There's rumblings that a board member will be asking for resignations at the next board meeting. Whether that can be accomplished or not is doubtful, if anything it will publicly shame them. John Paul, you are correct, its just too bad that the "fab four" and their Head Cronie at the top are just too arrogant to realize this.
For all the readers out there: Keep the pressure up, and don't let this issue die. I encourage all readers to stop these people, even if its at the Grocery Store parking lot, and let them know that we WILL hold them accountable!
John Paul
1:50 pm on Thursday, December 29, 2011
It's not the administrators that are the problem, it's basically four school board members (Carmody, Cunningham, Zekich and Gentile) that are the problem. As far as administrators making over 100K; that's the going rate for administrators in a district the size of 135. I can also say that I worked with Dr. Howell and Mr. Renieche and they are very good administrators. The reason that this district is in such a strong financial position is because of John Renieche. You have to remember, they work for the board. The way the Melanie Walsh situation was handled by the administration was an example of this. If this board is willing to play games with a secretary who is protected by a union, what would they do to an administrator who has no such protection?
Andrea Williams
4:34 pm on Thursday, December 29, 2011
Enjoyed the blog JP. Time for some house-cleaning on the D135 board. I hope you keep an open mind and respond to the calling should it come your way.
chuck augustyniak
6:03 pm on Thursday, December 29, 2011
as a school board member myself,I enjoyed your perspective John,thanks for sharing your thoughts.We have a contract up in June and hope it goes better for us.
Yikes
5:38 pm on Saturday, December 31, 2011
JP you talk about how bad the four majority board members are. Weren't you just like them when you were president with your majority of Teshke, Bragg, and Sutherland? You gave a 5 min speech that if the board didn't agree with you and your majority, then they weren't any good? You fought with Cunningham, Cachey, and Svabek all the time. You violated the open meetings act if I recall which is why the minutes on the website had to be reclassified. Anyone else remember that? When you were involved in the contract negotiations with the teachers, you didn't participate really did you? It was Rita W. who did everything. I've been a staff member for a while and you seems to forget how bad it was back then with Dr. Anast May.
John Paul
6:53 pm on Saturday, December 31, 2011
Yikes, those are some fair points you make, so I'll try to address them. I never gave a speech saying that the minority wasn't good. I was trying to stem the tide of bad press about the district, especially after we just won a referendum. Looking back at it, it just started another round of bad press. It seemed as if we convinced people to support the referendum, and now that it passed, lets badmouth the district they just voted to support.
Second,most of the disagreements came about because we had a difference of opinion on HOW things were done, not on WHAT should be done. Neither side ever played games with any secretary's job or anyone elses, for that matter.
As for the open meetings, we had a closed session to discuss hiring the new superintendent. We were advised by our attorneys that since it was a personel matter, it qualified for closed session. Some anonymous person complained to the Attorney General and we were told to make the minutes of the meeting public. I suppose I couild have done what this board might have done and spent thousands of tax dollars on legal fees fighting the AG, but I felt that since we already made the public aware of what we did ( we hired Dennis Soustek, no secrets there), there was no point to fighting just so that I might be able to say I was right.
John Paul
6:53 pm on Saturday, December 31, 2011
The last contract was negotiated, primarily by an attorney. Rita was involved with the first one we did; I don't think she was still with us when we did the last one. Regardless who actually sits at the table, the board gives direction to the negotiating team and has the final say on what the district agrees to.
I thinks its fair to say that every superintendent is going to make some enemies. If they don't its because they never tried to do anything. You thought it was bad under Dr. Anast May; others say the same about other superintendents. That's a matter of opinion
I hope that I cleared this up for you. I realize that, when writing these blogs, I subject myself to questions like this and I will always do my best to answer them.
frank
5:51 pm on Saturday, December 31, 2011
Boy, here's another perspective.
Who do you believe?
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Yikes
8:32 pm on Saturday, December 31, 2011
Well JP at one time I had your "rant" emailed to me. If I happen to find it in the next couple weeks, I'll post it. From what I recall your one of your main points that if one was not with you (meaning the majority) then one was against you (the majority). Didnt you also go against the recommendation of the administration to wait a week before starting the school year in the fall of 2005. Construction had just completed and the teachers and other staff only had about two or three days to get their classrooms in order. Wasn't it because another one of your majority members didn't want her two daughters on different schedules?
John Paul
1:07 am on Sunday, January 1, 2012
Was it a 5 minute speech or a rant? I'm sure you could get it under FOIA. For the record, if you're either for someone or against them. All I was trying to do was settle things down and keep the district from becoming a joke in the media. I'll admit that it probably backfired because it gave the cub reporter from the now defunct Star more dirt to write about.
John Paul
1:16 am on Sunday, January 1, 2012
As for the start date controversy, the district had already said when the school year would start. A handful of people worried that the construction might not be done in time and insisted that the superintendent move the date back a week. She considered it, but I and three other board members felt that the original date was fine. Let's face it, if we moved the date back, we would , effectively, be giving the contractors another week to finish. Why would we want to do that?
If you remember, the project finished on time (and under budget) and the school year started with no problems.
frank
8:43 pm on Saturday, December 31, 2011
YIKES, Two daughters on different schedules. What a memory. And, JP do you recall this event?
The current board members must be really making MERRY this New year's Eve.
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The Truth
11:52 am on Monday, January 2, 2012
@ Yikes, Actually John Paul and his four votes kept Rita off the negotiation's team, because the four all were in bed with the Union. There fear was she was a strong negotiator. Hence, all of his posts now. All geared towards the Union or the Village. No different the Donegan and LaMargo. Speaking of rants, he broke his gavel screaming at other board members, and then tried to silence them by taking board member comments off the agenda. Under his leadership there was an Attorney General investigation and a State's Attorney investigation. And now he is the one give advice. That I find joke. And Yikes is correct,it was a board member that did not want to upset her schedule and wanted the 230 and 135 schedules to align.
John Paul
12:27 pm on Monday, January 2, 2012
Truth, the reason Rita was not on the negotiating team for the last contract was because she didn't work for the district anymore. The board concensus was to use a lawyer for negotiating that contract anyway. When did I ever break a gavel? Realy? I already addressed the AG thing and the SA made an inquiry into a change in the superintendent's contract; a change that was approved on a 7-0 vote. All I know abour that was that someone, who to this day remains anonymous, called the SA about something on the contract. This was right after Dr. Ryan was busted stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from Dist 168 in Sauk Village, so they were interested in seeing what was going on. Oh, by the way, "Truth", there was never anything done by the SA on that. More likely, this was a feeble attemt by someone who would never identify themselves to discredit the superintendent.
frank
12:30 pm on Monday, January 2, 2012
JP's blog has brought up the past and present, let's get on with what can be done with our present board.
COMMON SENSE, it's contagious, catch it!
angel12
2:35 pm on Monday, January 2, 2012
I say fire everyone and start from scratch.... All board members and administrators. Have teachers reapply for their jobs just like it happens in the REAL world. Too many egos and too many who think the are Entitled. The union is the worst of all.... Please teachers need protection. They have awesome benefits and work 10 months out of the year. And the pension...oh the pension what a joke...Take it away and make them pay into social securty like the rest of us...... I would take their pension anyday....
frank
2:59 pm on Monday, January 2, 2012
Angel12, I'm sure a lot of others would like a teacher's pension like you would. Unfortunately, a lot of money, time, and commitment goes into becoming a teacher and achieving a pension. Our current society seems to be lacking these vital attributes.
They fire managers before the TEAM.
And what we have here, is a need to really get after this current board.
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John Paul
7:42 pm on Monday, January 2, 2012
Over the past couple of years, more and more people began thinking the same thing about public employee unions. That's why I was so hard on this board over the Melanie Walsh fiasco. Capricious decisions like that one reinforce exactly why public employees still feel they need unions. It also makes the public more sympathetic to public employees and why would you want to do that during a tough negotiation?
Sarah
4:38 pm on Friday, January 6, 2012
Teachers pay more into their pensions than workers pay into Social Security.
Andrea Williams
12:00 pm on Saturday, January 7, 2012
Who ultimately pays the "teachers" portion of their contribution into their pension system? Is it not common for the unions to negotiate into the contracts that the Districts pay the "teachers" contributions?
Sarah
5:09 pm on Saturday, January 7, 2012
Andrea, sorry, like most people, I have limited knowledge and understanding of how the pension system works. I do know that teachers get their pension instead of social security, and that the teachers' portion of their pension is taken out of each paycheck. I'm more outraged over the pensions being paid to government workers and big-wigs who receive a big pay-off after only working for a few months. My understanding is that the state is supposed to also pay into pension funds, and that is how the State of Illinois got into so much financial trouble. It's easier to claim that the teachers don't deserve their pensions than to admit borrowing the pension fund and not being able to pay it back.
Yikes
7:03 pm on Monday, January 2, 2012
@The truth -- never heard he broke a gavel, but I could see it happening. JP did try to silence the minority (Cachey, Svabek, & Cunningham) but he couldn't. If JP was such a good president, he would have run for a second term.
Angel yes teachers get great pensions. Unfortunately the non certified staff don't get any credit. The schools could not run without them. Teachers think they are so much better but they aren't. A wise lunch lady at one of the primary schools once told me, "sometimes the more degrees they have, the dumber they are".
John Paul
7:37 pm on Monday, January 2, 2012
Yikes, two out of the three minority members didn't run for a second term either.
frank
8:16 pm on Monday, January 2, 2012
Yikes,
"A wise lunch lady" ls a poor choice of words for you to advance your opinion. What do you think of the other lunch personnel as being? Less wise or dumber?
As to other non certified staff not receiving credit, what situations are you talking about?
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The Truth
10:58 am on Tuesday, January 3, 2012
John Paul I just find it amazing that you were one of the weakest board presidents and now you feel you are an authority on how to run a board. @ yikes he did break his gavel it was at Jerling in the media center, when he took board member comments off the agenda. I heard everyone in the meeting was laughing at him. He is a follower not a leader. He and LaMargo are in bed with the Union and the Village. Neither can think for themselves. JP what you did to Rita is no different then what is going on with Melanie.
John Paul
11:12 am on Tuesday, January 3, 2012
"Truth", Obviously, this represents YOUR opinion, which you are certainly entitled to. Like I said before about superintendents, if you don't upset some people, its because you never tried to do anything. I don't know who you are, "Truth", so I don't know why you don't like me very much. Maybe you were an incompetent employee that we tried to get rid of or maybe you were a vendor that dropped because we got a better deal from a competitor. It realy doesn't matter, as I said, you're entitled to your opinion. By the way, I am curious, what did I do to Rita; last time I checked, she was doing quite well as a superintendent in Worth.
The Truth
3:51 pm on Tuesday, January 3, 2012
John it is OK for you to criticize people by name, but when done to you it is because I don’t like you. You of anyone should know it is bad form to call out individual board members. Stick to the issues and not the individuals. But then again, you won’t because it about politics (Just like LaMargo) for you and not doing the right thing. Rita is doing well, which shows you were wrong in forcing her out. Remember.... to give Rains her (Rita’s) job. But that was OK. BTW I have never met you, but heard you are a nice guy, just don’t like the politics you bring.
John Paul
4:26 pm on Tuesday, January 3, 2012
The reason that I called out individual board members on the Melanie Walsh situation is because they were the four that caused this problem and refused the opportunity to rectify it. Bragg, LaMargo and Donnegan wanted to do the right thing and shouldn't be lumped in with the others. Fair enough about the politics, like I said before, you can't agree with everyone.
The whole Rita,Barb, Linda thing boils down to this: I believe it is the role of the superintendent to chose his or her staff. The board does not hire them, they vote up or down on the superintendent's recommendation. If you back your superintendent, you should give them the lattitude to chose who they want. I have always had the utmost respect for Rita and Barb and it seems as if things worked out for both of them.
Yikes
9:52 pm on Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Frank -- the union is only interested in collecting union dues from the non certified staff. If it weren't for the teachers contract, they would have never fought for Melanie Walsh. When they bargain, the IFTA is only interested in getting money for the teachers. If they get too much for the non certified staff, there isn't any money left for the teachers. Daneen only cares about the teachers as her husband is a teacher.
And when I referred to the "wise" lunch lady, I said that with the upmost respect.
Ben Feldheim
10:54 pm on Tuesday, January 3, 2012
I find it disappointing that there are only four people who have weighed in here willing to say their real names.
Me
11:42 pm on Tuesday, January 3, 2012
How can you feel disappointed in people, when you see what happened to Melanie Walsh. There can always be repercussions, and not necessarily on ourselves!
It is a sad world when people feel voicing an opinion, may affect others in our lives. And NOTHING will be done, to to right that wrong!!!
frank
7:30 pm on Thursday, January 5, 2012
Common sense doesn't need a NAME
I'M SURPRISED THAT YOU EVEN POSTED YOUR COMMENT!
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Yikes
11:30 pm on Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Unfortunately not all of us can ... Teachers will retaliate against our students and employees could loose their jobs.
Andrea Williams
8:45 am on Thursday, January 5, 2012
Teachers retaliate against my seven year old? Please...get a grip! I'm sure my son's first grade teacher and principal would take exception to that comment. I'm offended for them.
That's a convenient excuse for not having the courage of your convictions. Where would this country be if everyone hid their beliefs in the shadow of their fears?
I understand that not everyone has the stomach for exposing oneself to public criticism and ridicule, but let's call it what it is rather than suggesting the grade school teachers in D135 are so petty, cruel and shallow as to mistreat 7 year olds because they don't like what their parents say about the D135 board and/or union on The Patch.
Ben Feldheim
10:46 am on Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Me and Yikes, I understand that. Though the criticism sent toward John along with his blog has been largely anonymous and yet he isn't a board member now. How would he retaliate?
John Paul
10:57 am on Wednesday, January 4, 2012
I knew when I started doing this blog that my own record would be called into question anytime I was critical of anyone else. I have no problem with that. Of course, I've made my share of mistakes, who hasn't? Troy Aikman threw some interceptions in his football career, but that doesn't mean he can't comment on Jay Cutler. Part of why I wanted to do this blog was to share the point of view of someone who"s "been there". Guys like Phil Kadner can say what they want about anyone they want and know that you can't go back and criticize his record, because he never had one. Personally, I'm not upset nor offended by Yikes and Truth or anyone else who comments here. I like to spark a debate; it's a healthy thing for all of us.
Andrea Williams
8:24 am on Thursday, January 5, 2012
Was wondering...why aren't the details of the contract being released until after it is ratified by the teachers? Is that law (state b.s.)? more negotiated union b.s.? more Carmody b.s?
The taxpayers are stakeholders in the district and should have acess to that information. Furthermore, the Board should be presenting not only the details but the implications of those details to the taxpaying public. For example, is a referendum to increase taxes going to be required in order for the district to meet its obligations under the contract? Are programs going to need to be cut? Are the student/teacher ratios going to need to be increased? Are teacher layoffs necessitated?
Lots of questions that aren't going to be answered until this thing is a done deal.
Kathy Quilty
9:44 pm on Thursday, January 5, 2012
@Andrea -- unfortunately my oldest was the subject of retaliation from the teachers/administration when he was at Orland Junior High School back in about 2001-2003. I advocatead for him and they punished him. I can't prove it, but I think the former principal is no longer there because of me. Would I have changed anything I did back then?? Absolutely not ... my son is a stronger adult now because of what he had to endure from his years at OJH.
Andrea Williams
4:28 pm on Friday, January 6, 2012
Evidently I'm a little naive on this matter. I find it rather shocking that people who have chosen to build a career around serving children would behave that way, but not so shocking that it cost people their jobs if they did. I'm glad you did that for your son though I'm sure it wasn't easy....you modeled well for him and countless others that were watching.
Kathy Quilty
11:57 am on Saturday, January 7, 2012
Yes Andrea it was not easy at all, but I am proud to have stuck up for him. If I didn't no one else would have. There were a few teachers there that also believed in him. I am very thankful for Tony Hogan, Lynn Zeder, Carol Sturer (or something like that) and Don Kronenberg. They saw what he could be .... we need more teachers like those few at the junior high level that have a compassion for teaching ... especially at that age.
Andrea Williams
12:14 pm on Saturday, January 7, 2012
Thanks for sharing Kathy. That insight might explain why I find the "retaliation" claim so hard to believe...Lynn Zeder is the principal at my son's school. Like I said in an earlier comment, I'm sure she would take exception to the claim that she or members of her staff would behave like that. I've met her and have even brought to her some concerns that I had. She is very open to dialogue, is committed to the well-being of the students and I'm certain she would not stand for any of this "retaliation" nonsense under her watch.
Kathy Quilty
1:35 pm on Saturday, January 7, 2012
Lynn Zeder is the best!! She left D135 for a while and went to be assistant principal in D140 and in D118 for a while. I was so happy to see her come back to D135. She is one of the best!! She advocates for all kids and won't do something if she feels it is not right. I'd love to clone her!
Kathy Quilty
7:52 am on Tuesday, January 10, 2012
I forgot to add that another awesome teacher at OJH is John Mason, one of the gym teachers. He made the kids feel that even though they weren't "athletic" they were still great.