FYI:
IEA Captiol Reoprt - 3/27/09
Monday, March 30, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
District 207 Teachers Endorse Candidates
In an election that will greatly influence the composition of the Maine Township District 207 school board as well as the futures of students at Maine East, Maine South, and Maine West, the teachers of District 207 announced their support for three school board candidates. One incumbent, Ed Mueller, as well as two new candidates, Eldon Burke and Margaret McGrath, received endorsements based on their knowledge of fiscal and labor-related issues. School Board elections will be held April 7th.
Emma Visee, President of the Maine Teacher’s Association commented, “It was a pleasure for our group to have conversations with all of the candidates. Each candidate spoke with passion about supporting the best possible education for the students of Maine Township, and about the need to have open and continuous dialogue with all stakeholders. Our endorsement selections reflect our perception of the strengths each candidate could bring to the position.”
Ed Mueller has been a member of the board since 2001. “He has represented the community in an extremely responsible way,” says Maine West science teacher Adam Roubitchek. Margaret McGrath is an attorney with experience in labor law and extensive knowledge of finance and labor issues. Eldon Burke is a retired Maine Township teacher and administrator. He has been active in the District 207 Education Fund and was also instrumental in promoting the construction of the new Des Plaines Public Library.
School Board candidates provided written responses to a questionnaire from District 207 teachers, and then participated in individual interviews. Teachers based their endorsements on the candidates’ knowledge of school-related concerns, as well as a willingness to engage in regular dialogue.
Emma Visee, President of the Maine Teacher’s Association commented, “It was a pleasure for our group to have conversations with all of the candidates. Each candidate spoke with passion about supporting the best possible education for the students of Maine Township, and about the need to have open and continuous dialogue with all stakeholders. Our endorsement selections reflect our perception of the strengths each candidate could bring to the position.”
Ed Mueller has been a member of the board since 2001. “He has represented the community in an extremely responsible way,” says Maine West science teacher Adam Roubitchek. Margaret McGrath is an attorney with experience in labor law and extensive knowledge of finance and labor issues. Eldon Burke is a retired Maine Township teacher and administrator. He has been active in the District 207 Education Fund and was also instrumental in promoting the construction of the new Des Plaines Public Library.
School Board candidates provided written responses to a questionnaire from District 207 teachers, and then participated in individual interviews. Teachers based their endorsements on the candidates’ knowledge of school-related concerns, as well as a willingness to engage in regular dialogue.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
IEA President Ken Swanson's Response to Gov. Quinn's Budget
Ken Swanson
We had expected that the first budget presented by Gov. Pat Quinn would be a move toward reversing the years of neglect and mismanagement by Rod Blagojevich.
That is why we are profoundly disappointed to see that Gov. Quinn, like his predecessor, apparently is willing to ignore the school funding crisis and the state's structural deficit while balancing the state budget on the backs of public education employees and state government workers.
It was the irresponsible actions of past General Assemblies and governors that caused the state pension deficit. Yet, instead of asking the legislature to raise the revenue to address the shortfall, Gov. Quinn would hand every employee a 2 percent pay cut in the form of an increased contribution to retirement.
Instead of making certain the state meets its obligations to the state pension systems, the governor is asking that the scheduled funding request will be reduced by two-thirds, exacerbating the underfunding of the Teachers Retirement System and the other state systems.
Instead of offering a plan to fix the state's broken school funding system, Gov. Quinn allows the current system to stand, even though children in every part of the state are being denied the opportunity for a high quality education due to inadequate funding.
Instead of directing that the federal stimulus funds be used as President Obama intended, to preserve jobs and programs in public education, Gov. Quinn would use these one-time funds to balance the state budget.
Instead of supporting efforts to make sure the best and brightest continue to choose education as a career, Gov. Quinn is proposing retirement disincentives that surely will drive some highly qualified young people away from a career in education.
The governor's proposal is unacceptable to the 133,000 members of the Illinois Education Association.
During the spring legislative session, we will work in a positive way to pass a budget that is not balanced on the backs of hard working school employees and which addresses our structural deficit and gives every student the opportunity to attend a great public school.
Ken Swanson, IEA President
Please send your comments to us at:
iealistens@ieanea.org
We had expected that the first budget presented by Gov. Pat Quinn would be a move toward reversing the years of neglect and mismanagement by Rod Blagojevich.
That is why we are profoundly disappointed to see that Gov. Quinn, like his predecessor, apparently is willing to ignore the school funding crisis and the state's structural deficit while balancing the state budget on the backs of public education employees and state government workers.
It was the irresponsible actions of past General Assemblies and governors that caused the state pension deficit. Yet, instead of asking the legislature to raise the revenue to address the shortfall, Gov. Quinn would hand every employee a 2 percent pay cut in the form of an increased contribution to retirement.
Instead of making certain the state meets its obligations to the state pension systems, the governor is asking that the scheduled funding request will be reduced by two-thirds, exacerbating the underfunding of the Teachers Retirement System and the other state systems.
Instead of offering a plan to fix the state's broken school funding system, Gov. Quinn allows the current system to stand, even though children in every part of the state are being denied the opportunity for a high quality education due to inadequate funding.
Instead of directing that the federal stimulus funds be used as President Obama intended, to preserve jobs and programs in public education, Gov. Quinn would use these one-time funds to balance the state budget.
Instead of supporting efforts to make sure the best and brightest continue to choose education as a career, Gov. Quinn is proposing retirement disincentives that surely will drive some highly qualified young people away from a career in education.
The governor's proposal is unacceptable to the 133,000 members of the Illinois Education Association.
During the spring legislative session, we will work in a positive way to pass a budget that is not balanced on the backs of hard working school employees and which addresses our structural deficit and gives every student the opportunity to attend a great public school.
Ken Swanson, IEA President
Please send your comments to us at:
iealistens@ieanea.org
Gov. Quinn's Budget Impact on TRS
TRS Opposes Cuts to State Pension Funding
Governor’s plan to slash retirement funding in FY2010 will cost billions more in the future
SPRINGFIELD, IL-A plan to balance the state’s budget by slashing the already underfunded Illinois pension funds will create even more red ink for generations to come. Governor Pat Quinn has proposed a $2.5 billion reduction in state funding to the five state pension systems for the fiscal year that begins July 1, including a $1.3 billion cut to the Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois (TRS).
Further, this budget blueprint calls for the state to suspend its payments to the pension systems as of March 31, 2009, eliminating $362 million due to TRS in the current fiscal year. The proposed cuts would exacerbate the state’s $73 billion pension debt, of which $41 billion is the Teachers’ Retirement System’s share. The plan perpetuates the broken funding promises that occurred most recently in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 when the state deviated from its statutory funding obligation and cut $2.3 billion in funding to the retirement systems.
“These amounts must be repaid to the retirement systems with interest. If $1.3 billion is cut from TRS during fiscal year 2010, it will cost the state $5.8 billion over the 35 years remaining in the statutory funding plan,” said Jon Bauman, executive director of the Teachers’ Retirement System.
The state’s pension debt is mainly a product of insufficient state funding over a period of three decades and not due to overly generous benefits. The average retirement benefit paid by TRS totals $41,500 a year. Public school teachers in Illinois do not receive Social Security, often making their TRS benefit their only source of retirement income.
“The funding reductions hit particularly hard because of the systems’ recent investment losses caused by extreme volatility in the global financial markets,” Bauman said.
The Governor’s budget plan also calls for current active members of TRS to pay an additional two percent of their pay toward retirement, a provision that is considered an impairment of benefits and prohibited under the Illinois and U.S. Constitutions. TRS members currently contribute 9.4 percent of their income, which is already among the highest contribution rates in the nation among teacher pension plans.
TRS is urging the Illinois General Assembly to comply with current state law requiring actuarial funding amounts designed to pay off most of the state’s pension debt by fiscal year 2045.
TRS provides retirement, disability and survivor benefits to 355,584 teachers, administrators and Illinois public school personnel employed outside the city of Chicago. The market value of the System’s assets stood at $29 billion as of December 31, 2008.
-End-
Also attached are press releases from the IFT and the IEA on the Governor’s budget:
IFT – http://ift-aft.org/forms/index3.aspx?CID=1662&TID=top3&PID=44
IEA -- http://www.ieanea.org/page29203649.aspx
Rich Frankenfeld
Director of Outreach
Teachers' Retirement System
800-877-7896, x 2973
217-753-0973
Governor’s plan to slash retirement funding in FY2010 will cost billions more in the future
SPRINGFIELD, IL-A plan to balance the state’s budget by slashing the already underfunded Illinois pension funds will create even more red ink for generations to come. Governor Pat Quinn has proposed a $2.5 billion reduction in state funding to the five state pension systems for the fiscal year that begins July 1, including a $1.3 billion cut to the Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois (TRS).
Further, this budget blueprint calls for the state to suspend its payments to the pension systems as of March 31, 2009, eliminating $362 million due to TRS in the current fiscal year. The proposed cuts would exacerbate the state’s $73 billion pension debt, of which $41 billion is the Teachers’ Retirement System’s share. The plan perpetuates the broken funding promises that occurred most recently in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 when the state deviated from its statutory funding obligation and cut $2.3 billion in funding to the retirement systems.
“These amounts must be repaid to the retirement systems with interest. If $1.3 billion is cut from TRS during fiscal year 2010, it will cost the state $5.8 billion over the 35 years remaining in the statutory funding plan,” said Jon Bauman, executive director of the Teachers’ Retirement System.
The state’s pension debt is mainly a product of insufficient state funding over a period of three decades and not due to overly generous benefits. The average retirement benefit paid by TRS totals $41,500 a year. Public school teachers in Illinois do not receive Social Security, often making their TRS benefit their only source of retirement income.
“The funding reductions hit particularly hard because of the systems’ recent investment losses caused by extreme volatility in the global financial markets,” Bauman said.
The Governor’s budget plan also calls for current active members of TRS to pay an additional two percent of their pay toward retirement, a provision that is considered an impairment of benefits and prohibited under the Illinois and U.S. Constitutions. TRS members currently contribute 9.4 percent of their income, which is already among the highest contribution rates in the nation among teacher pension plans.
TRS is urging the Illinois General Assembly to comply with current state law requiring actuarial funding amounts designed to pay off most of the state’s pension debt by fiscal year 2045.
TRS provides retirement, disability and survivor benefits to 355,584 teachers, administrators and Illinois public school personnel employed outside the city of Chicago. The market value of the System’s assets stood at $29 billion as of December 31, 2008.
-End-
Also attached are press releases from the IFT and the IEA on the Governor’s budget:
IFT – http://ift-aft.org/forms/index3.aspx?CID=1662&TID=top3&PID=44
IEA -- http://www.ieanea.org/page29203649.aspx
Rich Frankenfeld
Director of Outreach
Teachers' Retirement System
800-877-7896, x 2973
217-753-0973
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Maine 207 School Board Candidate Statements
Here are responses to our questionnaire from the six candidates for School Board.
Eldon Burke
Marijo Bustos
Jerry Kellogg
Eldon Burke
Marijo Bustos
Jerry Kellogg
Monday, March 9, 2009
Capitol Buzz - March 2009
Hi, Everyone!
I receive weekly Capitol Buzz reports from our IEA government relations director. I’ve taken out some of the items I thought would be of most concern to our members…items on special education, TA sick days accumulation, service credit for private school teaching, and the WEP.
Jim Reed’s contact info is at the end of this email. Contact him for further information, if needed.
Em
Committee Action
House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee
HB 628 (Osterman, D-Chicago) amends the Children with Disabilities Article. The bill allows for a parent to retain an expert witness to evaluate their child. It also gives the witness “reasonable and unimpeded” access to educational facilities in order to observe the child in their current or proposed educational program or placement. IEA opposes the bill because of the loose definition of “reasonable and unimpeded” access and the potential number of witnesses coming into a classroom. This bill passed out of committee by a vote of 11-2-1. The IEA is working with the sponsor to reach an agreement on our differences
House Personnel and Pensions
HB 1148 (Joyce, D-Chicago) allows those that taught in a private school while having a valid teaching certificate to purchase up to two years of service credit for those years of service. Furthermore, the legislation indicates a teacher must continue teaching for a minimum of 10 years in the public schools to be able to have the service applied toward their retirement. The cost of the benefit would be 16.5 percent of first-year salary, plus interest. This benefit will sunset in three years. This was formerly a benefit for our members until it was allowed to expire a few years ago. This is an IEA initiative that passed out of committee unanimously
Senate Education Committee
SB 261 (Noland, D–Elgin) is an initiative of the IEA. The bill provides that if an ESP does not use the full amount of annual sick leave allowed, the unused amount shall be allowed to accumulate to a minimum available leave of 240 (instead of 180) days at full pay, including the leave of the current year. The bill was reluctantly passed out of committee on a partisan roll call. The Democrats allowed the bill to be voted out of committee but have some major concerns with the bill. The Republicans voted “no” citing that this issue could be bargained locally. See the IEA fact sheet here
Senate Pensions and Investment Committee
SR 75 (Bond-D-Grayslake) encourages and supports action by Congress to enact legislation to repeal the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision from the Social Security Act. Although this is a federal issue, the resolution helps raise awareness of this problem among the members of the General Assembly. It passed unanimously out of committee. The IEA supported this legislation
Jim Reed
IEA Government Relations Director
Illinois Education Association-NEA
Jim.Reed1@ieanea.org
100 East Edwards Street
Springfield, IL 62704
217/544-0706, ext. 242
Web: www.ieanea.org
I receive weekly Capitol Buzz reports from our IEA government relations director. I’ve taken out some of the items I thought would be of most concern to our members…items on special education, TA sick days accumulation, service credit for private school teaching, and the WEP.
Jim Reed’s contact info is at the end of this email. Contact him for further information, if needed.
Em
Committee Action
House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee
HB 628 (Osterman, D-Chicago) amends the Children with Disabilities Article. The bill allows for a parent to retain an expert witness to evaluate their child. It also gives the witness “reasonable and unimpeded” access to educational facilities in order to observe the child in their current or proposed educational program or placement. IEA opposes the bill because of the loose definition of “reasonable and unimpeded” access and the potential number of witnesses coming into a classroom. This bill passed out of committee by a vote of 11-2-1. The IEA is working with the sponsor to reach an agreement on our differences
House Personnel and Pensions
HB 1148 (Joyce, D-Chicago) allows those that taught in a private school while having a valid teaching certificate to purchase up to two years of service credit for those years of service. Furthermore, the legislation indicates a teacher must continue teaching for a minimum of 10 years in the public schools to be able to have the service applied toward their retirement. The cost of the benefit would be 16.5 percent of first-year salary, plus interest. This benefit will sunset in three years. This was formerly a benefit for our members until it was allowed to expire a few years ago. This is an IEA initiative that passed out of committee unanimously
Senate Education Committee
SB 261 (Noland, D–Elgin) is an initiative of the IEA. The bill provides that if an ESP does not use the full amount of annual sick leave allowed, the unused amount shall be allowed to accumulate to a minimum available leave of 240 (instead of 180) days at full pay, including the leave of the current year. The bill was reluctantly passed out of committee on a partisan roll call. The Democrats allowed the bill to be voted out of committee but have some major concerns with the bill. The Republicans voted “no” citing that this issue could be bargained locally. See the IEA fact sheet here
Senate Pensions and Investment Committee
SR 75 (Bond-D-Grayslake) encourages and supports action by Congress to enact legislation to repeal the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision from the Social Security Act. Although this is a federal issue, the resolution helps raise awareness of this problem among the members of the General Assembly. It passed unanimously out of committee. The IEA supported this legislation
Jim Reed
IEA Government Relations Director
Illinois Education Association-NEA
Jim.Reed1@ieanea.org
100 East Edwards Street
Springfield, IL 62704
217/544-0706, ext. 242
Web: www.ieanea.org
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
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