NO TAXPAYER LEFT BEHIND, A PLAN TO IMPROVE THE SCHOOLS AND SAVE TAXPAYERS MONEY!
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In 2003, a local taxpayer advocacy group 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.
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The CRG challenges any detractors of this plan to propose a better plan that doesn't include a tax increase. The problem with our local schools is not funding, it's spending.
It is easy for the schools to say they "need more money", but isn't it just really they "want more money"? Wouldn't all of our lives be better if every time we overspent we could just have our employers bail us out?
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- No Strike Law:
Under this provision, teachers employed in public schools would be forbidden from striking. Homeowners cannot "strike" and refuse to pay taxes, lest their houses be taken. One inference of some detractors is that such a prohibition would be "extreme". Forty-One (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' union’s 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 under performing 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 “school choice”. It was brought to our attention that many education reformers favor school choice yet have reservations about vouchers. 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!"
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