Educators make MILLIONS in retirement in Illinois

[Infohawk]

Salary caps, why that's un-American.

Hardly. Public and private employers set salaries all the time. Nobody's forcing you to work for them. The point is to get rid of discretion for public employers since they are apparently unable to handle it.

 

[GeezerMan]

This high pay is the price we pay for real talent. It's how our system works. The talent gets the compensation. Didn't the bankers who destroyed the American economy but made big profits for their banks, also get compensation. It's contractual and we are a nation of laws. Get it into works and you're golden. Nobody makes anybody sign those agreements. This is justice.

Correct. That's why U.S. schools are the best in the world.

 

[mrjminer]

It's actually a very sweet job, but again it takes a ton of education and experience to get it.

Coming from someone who taught then left the profession after a year due to terrible administrators from micro-teaching, student teaching, substitute teaching, then teaching, I guarantee you this is 100% false. Even in cases where it's true, it says nothing about someone's ability to be an administrator :O

 

[piasabird]

When you have these giant school districts like Chicago and state University Presidents, you have to pay big bucks to find qualified personnel with experience. Then if you have to fire someone you lose even more money. St Louis, MO brobably has similar problems with their school districts.

I live in Illinois.

I have no clue how the pensions work. I work at a community college and we deduct from our own pay both Retirement insurance and money for our retirement from our own pay. Then the retirement plan is matched (100%) by the state/school district. At least half of my retirement money is my own contributions. So calling that a pension is a bit misleading. The matching might be less for a civilian occupation. However, there is also a law which prohibits education employees that do not pay SS from receiving up to 2/3'rds of their SS when they retire, if they receive an annuity or pension.

Administrators and teachers are paid in a completeley different manner. I am guessing each administrator negotiates his own contract.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

The amount of education these top administrators have is incredible, multiple doctorates are required to even apply.

I call BS. Most superintendents have a doctorate, and that is typically in education. I'm sorry, but that is not "incredible."

 

[spidey07]

Coming from someone who taught then left the profession after a year due to terrible administrators from micro-teaching, student teaching, substitute teaching, then teaching, I guarantee you this is 100% false. Even in cases where it's true, it says nothing about someone's ability to be an administrator :O

I was really talking about the top administrators whose salaries are so high. Their pension is normally based on their salary at retirement and they "typically" get 100% of the highest salary they've earned. Each county/state is of course different.

 

[mrjminer]

I have no clue how the pensions work. I work at a community college and we deduct from our own pay both Retirement insurance and money for our retirement from our own pay. Then the retirement plan is matched (100&#37 by the state/school district.

Just to give some more info on this:
In the district I taught in, it was 100% paid for out of my salary, with no matching. Approximately, the cost of contributing was approximately 10% gross. I'm not sure if some districts match teacher contributions, but I do know some districts pay the pension. From what I've seen, though, when this occurs the salary is lowered accordingly (aka: it's basically a sham by some boards to try to attract extremely stupid teachers or something... they just cut the pension amount of their typical wages), or the offer is from a fairly wealthy district, like some suburban Chicago schools.

This is from teaching at a public high-school in Illinois.

I don't know what pension plan administrators get, but it's obviously far, far more than they deserve.

I was really talking about the top administrators whose salaries are so high. Their pension is normally based on their salary at retirement and they "typically" get 100% of the highest salary they've earned. Each county/state is of course different.

The problem is you presume that the top administrators are the ones who are getting paid the most

 

[Infohawk]

Am I the only one wondering whether Spidey or his father is a school administrator?

 

[spidey07]

Am I the only one wondering whether Spidey or his father is a school administrator?

Wife.

 

[Hacp]

Wife.

Crapcastic!

 

[Ldir]

Wife.

I see how that works. You want small government except when you can fill your pocket. Your conservative values are as corrupt as teabaggers who protest about keeping government hands off their Mediacare.

 

[Infohawk]

I see how that works. You want small government except when you can fill your pocket. Your conservative values are as corrupt as teabaggers who protest about keeping government hands off their Mediacare.

Yeah does not help one's credibility. Everyone wants to get there's but they don't want others to get there's. PSA: Stay away from the cognitive dissonance people!

 

[Ldir]

First and foremost, they are government employees. If we starve government, these fat cats will be out of a job.

No. They will lay off more teachers and demand a raise for their great financial management. Nevermind how much they hurt the school and students. Just like most corporate executives.

 

[Moonbeam]

Correct. That's why U.S. schools are the best in the world.

And the best banks and corporations. We pay for talent. It is our system. It is worshiped by all real Americans except those traitors on the left, who hate America. And the best American education can be found in the South where the real Americans predominate.

 

[spidey07]

I see how that works. You want small government except when you can fill your pocket. Your conservative values are as corrupt as teabaggers who protest about keeping government hands off their Mediacare.

What does highly educated professionals making decent money and funding their own pension have to do with small government? I've met a lot of the other admins and they are very bright with great ideas about how to advance education, they really care about the futures of these kids.

 

[Moonbeam]

No. They will lay off more teachers and demand a raise for their great financial management. Nevermind how much they hurt the school and students. Just like most corporate executives.

And they will deserve it. Great pay goes with having to make big bold and tough decisions.

 

[hal2kilo]

This is ridiculous and is a common problem around the country. Citizens should really demand salary caps for public employees and school district people.

(PS Spidey07 is defending over-paid school administrators now? WTF?)

I think he's must of had some kind of breakdown.

 

[Infohawk]

What does highly educated professionals making decent money and funding their own pension have to do with small government? I've met a lot of the other admins and they are very bright with great ideas about how to advance education, they really care about the futures of these kids.

You really don't get that the same thing can be said about any other public employee? If not, you're really an emotional thinker.

No offense to your wife but do not overstate the brilliance of these "professionals." Everyone calls themselves a professional these days. But they're not doctors, lawyers or engineers. It's not that hard to get an advanced degree these days. Using your argument about "caring for the kids" would mean many teachers would be entitled to a ridiculously high salary too. Bottom line is that taxpayers need to say no to overcompensated employees.

 

[Slick5150]

I have zero problem with the pay they're getting frankly. It's a tough job that I wouldn't want to touch with a stick. I do, however, think there are too many administrators throughout the system. We could probably consolidate the majority of school districts to at least the county level, and you'd save an awful lot on administrative costs right there.

And for those whining about teachers and their unions in this thread, grow up and learn to read.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

What does highly educated professionals making decent money and funding their own pension have to do with small government?

The fact that they're government employees and paid with taxpayer dollars might have something to do with it.

I've met a lot of the other admins and they are very bright with great ideas about how to advance education, they really care about the futures of these kids.

There are bright people in every field along with a huge number of incompetents. No offense Spidey, but you're really overvaluing an education doctorate and having one, along with being a school superintendent, doesn't entitle you to hundreds of thousands of dollars per year in retirement at taxpayer expense (and yes, I am doubting the "self-funded pension" remark; I find it very hard to believe that it is standard practice). There are engineering PhDs, astrophysics PhDs, doctors, etc. that have far more education and don't have that to fall back on.

Many people have issues with teachers being laid off when the administrators don't seem to have to share the pain of the teachers. I agree with what a poster said a little earlier -- an MBA or a seasoned business veteran could probably run a school system equally well.

 

[Infohawk]

I agree with what a poster said a little earlier -- an MBA or a seasoned business veteran could probably run a school system equally well.

Except wouldn't that seem to justify the compensation of the admins then?

I would argue that schools are easier to run than most businesses and easier than the professional tasks doctors, lawyers, and engineers have to deal with. For example, most businesses have specific conditions and specializations that may be rare in the greater marketplace. How different does one middle school need to be from another? Especially within a given state?

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

Wife.

i bet you'd be singing a different tune if she wasn't.

 

[spidey07]

i bet you'd be singing a different tune if she wasn't.

If I didn't know that it was completely self funded, probably. It's a significant portion of their check, higher than SS in fact. Because I have first hand knowledge of how it works in my area I'm OK with it. I just don't like all the jealousy that causes "outrage".

And pensions are contractually agreed compensation so I'd feel the same way about a private company - the employee agreed to work for that compensation package so the employer must honor it. There are many private pension plans that are similar, like auto manufacturing.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Except wouldn't that seem to justify the compensation of the admins then?

Possibly, though with times being the way they currently are, there is a huge glut of MBAs on the job market and you could probably get one for a bargain price. Heck, the average employed MBA probably doesn't make what the average admin makes, I'd guess.

I would argue that schools are easier to run than most businesses and easier than the professional tasks doctors, lawyers, and engineers have to deal with. For example, most businesses have specific conditions and specializations that may be rare in the greater marketplace. How different does one middle school need to be from another? Especially within a given state?

And I'd definitely agree with you. Running a successful business or creating a new, successful product is immensely more difficult in my opinion. There are far, far more variables to contend with and that's even after you come up with the good ideas to run with!