I assume "other benefits" include things like coaching, committees and clubs advising? It would be interesting to see what those are for each person listed. "Retirement enhancement" is only listed for those with a retirement date...what is that?

My daughter works in a Special Education classroom in Homewood, Illinois and has two years experience and a Master's Degree. She makes $43,000 a year and is driving 1 hour and 15 milnutes each way because she can not find affordable housing as a single person footing all the bills. Just to let you know there are a lot of hardworking teachers in the system in Illinois that don't make nearly what ls listed here!

Sandra, she has only been working for two years. What do you think she should make? Very few professions have people making $100k in their first two years of their career.

Exactly right Thomas.
When you read about pensions at the State level being underfunded you can include the teachers and local school baords whove gamed the system. Just go back and look at Dist 200 contract with Catalini. Does anyone know he's working in Arizona for another school district and declines their insurance plan that the locals here will be paying here well into the next decade.

Jim,
It may come as a suprprise to you but some people in the public sector contribute upwards of 10% on a bi wekly basis towards their pension. The issue is with school districts whove made it a point to raise peoples pay in the remaining years of their employement for purposes of increasing their pensions at a direct cost to the State. Those that aren't afforded that kind of system don't have these lavish pensions that we read about. Thank goodness the State changed the rules and now the districts have to come up with the added difference in pay for playing their games. Which raises the question why the local districts shouldnt bear some of the responsibility of footing the bill for the underfunded pensions in the State today.

My gripe about this is...Where are those elementary teachers on this list? THEY are the ones who should be paid highest. They get kids with no prior teachings and teach them the basics to everything we do in life...Reading, Writing and Arithmetic! Why are they so low on the pay scale? Seriously? Without those basics we have nothing to work with... Pay the teachers according to WHAT they teach to WHO! I see an awful lot of coaches/PE teachers on this top 20 list...that is silly. We need to acknowledge our elementary teachers, their workload is THE hardest and they produce students for the rest of the teachers to teach without having to worry if the students CAN read or CAN write! I appreciate their work, without them we wouldnt have doctors, lawyers, sports, etc!

So if I understand you Phylis, we should pay lifeguards even more than teachers. Afterall they are the ones on the front line asked to save lives.

I think if you research the many public databases available you will see that many elemetary teachers are well represented on the pay scale as well. Add in the fact that these figures are not even annualized and only entail 9 months work.

Phyllis, Do you see the elementary teachers on this list? Cause I do. I see a lot of elementary and middle school.

And Sanda, Do you have any idea of the education and years of experience these people have? There is clearly a reason they make this. They are specialist in their field of education with over 30 years experience. Like Thomas said, there is a reason daughter only makes 43k.

christopher, he is one of the top librarians this school district has ever seen. Although he job may seem basic, he does a phenomenal job filling up the empty printers with paper, and putting books back on the shelves in the proper place. This kind of work is hard to find.

Charlotte, can you get the itemized breakdown of "Retirement Benefits" for each of these employees from the school district and post that information in an article for us. The public deserves to know exactly what it's paying for. Thanks. Also to some of the readers above. PE teaches often receive coaching stipends which I believe is included in the pay listed above. Retirement enhancements is the 6% end of career salary increases for each of the employees last for years of their career, that is being phased out in District 200 and is being replaced in part by bonuses which I don't believe are part of pensionable salary. All things equal in a given area of the State, elementary districts usually pay the least, Unit districts such as District 200 the middle, and high school districts the most. Amazingly three of the highest paying districts in the State are suburban high school districts around Midway airport: Argo High School District 217 in Summit (attendance area includes Summit, Bedford Park, Bridgeview, Justice, Willow Springs, and a portion of Hickory Hills), Reavis High School District 220 in Burbank, and Oak Lawn High School District 229. Michael Madigan lives near Midway Airport and has proposed shifting the State portion of the TRS pension contribution to the school districts because the State supposedly does not contribute to CPS teacher pensions. Inicidentally the State does favor CPS over suburban and downstate in some other types of school funding.

Typo above, should be for each of the employees last four (not for) years of their career...

Sorry Mike W. you minimized the librarian importance by citing filling copying machines. I recall a DJ corporation in late 1970s eliminated any BODY caring for copy machines - if you use it, you refill it when empty was still working after 20 years! Oh by the way secretaries were eliminated except for President level, they became resources for anyone not computer literate - that faded in just a few years and then as not needed resources! All part of the corporate growth to the top in 21st century.

Interesting missing column to right of school assigned name - what is that school's performance improvement in the past year or during the teacher's career ? Not sure the SCHOOL is important as is the student's growth in that school's environment ?

Did anyone look at the contract? p.46. There are many other things that teachers get paid for that add to their salary. It should not show that this is their "base", I think.

http://cusdsandbox.schoolwires.net/235310927153614240/lib/235310927153614240/WWEA_Final_Contract_2010-12.pdf

The author needs to tell us more. Dig a little deeper and do your duty to give us the whole picture? And what is the author's purpose?

Jim McMahon I deleted a comment because it violates our terms of use.

Does Jim McMahon or Gregg Slapak ever make a sensible comment?

I've been in the private sector for over 21 years. From my observations, a person in the private sector that has advanced degrees and over 20 years of experience usually makes well over $100K/yr & doesn't have to deal with kids who are unruly, or who have been abused (I know some teachers who could tell you some horror stories that would curl your hair on that score), or have other mental, emotional and/or physical issues. Just being allowed in a classroom a teacher needs a 4 yr. degree as well as completing a certification process - and they're usually required to continue their education (at their own expense) during the course of their career.