|
|
CRAFT No Taxpayer Left Behind Blueprint
for Progress |
|
|
CRAFT Affiliates: Will & Dupage Taxpayer's
Alliance Coalition for Public Awareness OUTRAGE-D-307, 258, 111, 61 and 53 Coalition For Our Children's Future River Grove Citizens for
Fair Taxation D- 85.5 Education Matters D-46 and
D-127 Republican Young Professionals Illinois Election
Interference |
In 2003, CRAFT
surveyed members of the community for ideas to end the Perpetual Spending
Loop that drains communities throughout Illinois of scarce funds. The result is a five-point state
level plan we call No Taxpayer Left Behind. In recent months,
concerns over the swelling deficits of the Teacher Retirement System have
forced us to add a sixth point to NTLB. Since its creation,
NTLB has become the object of both praise and scorn, yet remains the only state level plan committed to balancing the
budget through spending cuts instead of tax increases. No Strike Law Under this
provision, teachers employed in public schools would be forbidden from
striking. Homeowners cannot
"strike" and refuse to pay, lest their houses be taken. One
inference of some detractors is that such a prohibition would be
"extreme". 41 States have laws specifically
prohibiting public teachers from striking In some states,
teachers who choose to violate this law may be fined or even imprisoned. Clearly much of the country considers
public teachers' strikes unacceptable.
Striking is a flagrant dereliction of duty for which teachers should
risk replacement. Eliminate Tenure As teachers
will occasionally admit, it is next to impossible to remove a teacher once
he/she has achieved tenure. In
Illinois, tenure requires only four years. If tenure were a good idea, it
would be the norm. Plumbers,
doctors, accountants, etc. would all have tenure provisions. They don't, because tenure is NOT a
good idea. The
original concept behind tenure was to protect university professors engaged
in basic research from reprisals when publishing controversial work. Even in the universities, tenure
often requires over 10 years to earn.
Elementary and secondary teachers rarely if ever engage in
groundbreaking work, and do not require such protection. The public
is expected to finance our schools. The school board and administrators are
expected to get the best results.
Yet all three are deprived of the ability to hire the teachers best
suited to the task. Revise collective bargaining laws Illinois law
regarding collective bargaining with teachers is sometimes difficult to
follow. When questions arise,
the teachers' unions are always happy to provide an interpretation. We've all seen teachers' unions
strong-arm school districts, but rarely does the district get the upper hand. The law requires the school district
to negotiate with the union, and dictates much of the method. This is why school boards so often
cave-in with little or no resistance. The sole
purpose of a school district is to educate children, not line the pockets of
union leaders. The law should
reflect this, and allow districts to negotiate how they choose. School districts NEVER shut schools
down because of a pay dispute, only the teachers' unions do. As teachers unions continue to strike
their members into unemployment, the supply of good teachers willing to work
for reasonable pay increases, and school districts should be free to employ
such teachers. If teacher
strikes are to be permitted, school districts should have the uncontested
right to hire permanent replacements. School Choice School choice
options are rarely discussed calmly; people see them as a sinister plot or
salvation. Most people's basic
sense of fairness says that those who pay for something should have some say
in how it works. Being able to
rescue a child from an underperforming school is a basic right that should
not be afforded to the wealthy alone. We feel
that the parents should be the sole decision makers as to whether a school is
serving the needs of their child.
The idea that a school or government knows what is best for the child,
or wants what is best for the child more than the parents do is
ridiculous. Illinois should
implement a genuine and complete school choice program. We
previously promoted vouchers and tax credits instead of the general term
Òschool choiceÓ. It was brought
to our attention that many education reformers favor school choice yet have
reservations about vouchers.
CRAFT members have different views regarding the best way to achieve
school choice, yet we are united in our commitment to provide school choice
in some form. Ban Forced Dues Illinois law
contains a provision whereby as part of the negotiation process, a school
district can force non-union teachers to pay for the collective bargaining
activities of the union. These fees
can be a significant percentage of the total union dues. A teacher who does not join the union
and has no participation in the collective bargaining process may be forced
to pay for it. End State Subsidy of the TRS Little
known to most taxpayers is the financial time bomb ticking in the State run
Teacher Retirement System (TRS) fund.
In recent years, Illinois has contributed almost $1 billion annually
(above and beyond district-level contributions) to curb huge shortfalls in
the TRS. Yet despite this huge
influx of taxpayer cash, the TRS continues to lose ground. In 2004,
the long-term liability of the TRS hit $46 billion, over twice the total TRS
assets! The deficit in the TRS
climbed by $3 billion in 2003 alone, even after $930 million in state
taxpayer aid! This
should come as no surprise, since many school districts boost salaries just
prior to retirement to increase employee retirement income. Illinois
should get out of the teacher retirement business. If school districts drive the TRS into bankruptcy,
taxpayers should not be left holding the bag. Why should teachers be granted a retirement benefit so
much more generous than that given to the people who pay their salaries? Call to Action Once again, we urge
taxpayers to contact your representatives and tell them to support "No
Taxpayer Left Behind".
Initial discussions with representatives have received mix reviews,
usually split along party lines.
Can we provide a quality education without raising taxes? "Yes we can!" If any of our
readers still feels that everything is just wonderful and that the school
boards aren't being strong-armed during contract negotiations have a look at
some parts of the current Teachers' Contract. |
Helpful
links: Join CRAFT and/or add me to
your e-mail list. Understanding a teachers
contract Fiscally Responsible
School Board Members: |