The latest in a series of public forums discussing teacher pensions in general, and the proposal to shift the state’s pension costs to local school districts in particular, will be held Monday night, September 10th, in Skokie at Niles North High School.
The forum, which begins at 7pm, is sponsored by the Illinois Policy Institute (the Institute), an anti-union/anti-public employee pension organization. IEA members are asked to attend the forums to hear different points of view on pensions and to support IEA and/or IFT panelists.
“Districts are already strapped for cash and have cut staff and programs for students. A cost shift could lead to more cuts,” said Cinda Klickna, IEA president.
“In addition, the cost shift is one piece of a proposed bill. The other part is getting lost in the discussion and would affect current retirees and active workers who are working hard in our schools and higher education institutions,” she said.
The Institute describes itself as a “non-partisan” and non-ideological “think tank.” In fact, the organization has a long record of opposition to public employee pensions and public employee unions. The Institute also does not disclose how it is funded.
The main topic of the “Local Pension Accountability Forums” is the possible pension cost shift. The panel is usually made up of a moderator, a state lawmaker, someone from the Institute, someone from a local school district and a representative of either the IEA or the IFT.
IEA opposes the cost shift as it is currently proposed. Some supporters of the concept say that shifting costs could ensure that the employer’s pension contribution, which is currently the state’s and has often been ignored, would actually be paid.
However, if not done in the right way, passing the state’s costs to local districts would place additional financial hardships on districts, many of which are already suffering due to underfunding by the state. And, a shift could increase the already wide funding gap between wealthy and poor districts throughout Illinois.
The next forum is Monday, September 10, at Niles North High School (9800 North Lawler St. Skokie, IL ) from 7-8:30 p.m.
Other forums are scheduled for:
Rockford, September 25th – Auburn High School
Kane County (date and location TBD)
Other forums have already been held in Springfield, Carbondale, Quincy, Lemont and Crystal Lake. Check the IEA website for new information about dates and times for the other scheduled forums as the information becomes available.
Illinois Education Association is an association of more than 130,000 members composed of Illinois elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty and staff, educational support professionals, retired educators and college students preparing to become teachers.
re: ” The Institute also does not disclose how it is funded.” Correct. However, if you Google an informal background check on each person who works for the Illinois Policy Institute, you will soon discover that training and financial support for this organization can be traced to the Koch brothers.
No!!! I can’t believe that. If it were true the IEA would be leading the charge against such a poor plan and bringing to light the self-serving Koch brothers attempt to manipulate the states finances and politics (as they have in WI). The IEA is astute enough to see that coming.
I say “Amen!” to the previous commenters’ talking points:
Unfunded pensions are not the teachers’ fault, nor the local districts’ fault. These contributions have been faithfully paid over the years.
Transferring funding responsibility to the local districts is unjust and will not work.
IEA needs to band together with IFT and organize a program of unified action including work stoppage if necessary.
One other point. At the Lemont meeting we were told that being in a 401K or a 403B would be much better than the pension program we have now. Beyond the most obvious negatives keep in mind they are saying ….”you go invest in the very same investment system the state has invested in.” The same system that has put our whole economy in turmoil due to lying, cheating, insider trading and out and out fraud. Due to these factors our state is in trouble. I don’t see much info about our state pursuing those banks and agencies (as some others have) due to their misrepresentation. No we are talking about teacher and state worker pensions. Why?
What needs to be somewhat clearer (unfortunately, also to some in the IEA) is the eternal truth behind M. Tullius Cicero’s remark that “There was never a government that was not a liar, a thief, and a malefactor.”
Co-operation with government is easy when times are, and money is plentiful. Anyone can govern prosperity. Now, when change that may perhaps be permanent (yes, the U.S. may permanently have to accept a “downsized” economy) the incompetence and venality shines through. A Monty Python line comes to mind: “Now we see the violence inherent in the system.”
The IEA needs to take a STRONG STAND against this cost shift proposal. It will harm everyone involved…taxpayers will see higher taxes (which will certainly be blamed on teacher salaries), teachers will be RIF’ed due to lack of funds, teachers who remain will take pay cuts, children will see higher class sizes and less opportunities. It concerns me that IEA has not yet taken a position on this catastrophic proposal.
Has the IEA talked with Rep. Mike Fortner about his proposed legislation to address the pension issue? If not, I encourage IEA to have this conversation.
I would like to know why the proposed pension reform outcry seems to ignore the issue of changing terms for those already retired. Why am I going to need to choose between TRIP and COLA? I retired early for health reasons and agreed to the pension I was offered. Now, those who retired and retained health insurance through their districts or were eligible for Medicare can keep COLA, but I, and retirees who needed TRIP insurance like me, cannot. When I turn 65, I don’t get the COLA back, either. What is the IEA position on this? If one believes in the Constitution, Illinos or U.S., then this has nothing to do with the States’ need for money. It is simply an unconstitutional proposal that, if passed, needs to be taken to court and overturned costing more money. Would someone please speak about this?
The “forum” seems like a setup for the IPI to publicize its agenda. As far as the IEA believing there’s a chance that teacher pensions will be somehow funded simply by the State abdicating its responsibilities and legislating them onto the local districts, this smacks of being purely disingenuous.
1. Given the current state of public education finances, mandating via statute of a certain percentage of contribution by local districts would be political poison. I don’t believe this would ever get by lawmakers.
2. Given the wording of the Illinois Constitution, transferring pension responsibility to local districts would (I hope!) be viewed as purely unconstitutional by the IEA, and result in immediate litigation.*
*Given #2 in particular, I, too believe that it’s not necessary to have any IPI-conducted forum for the IEA to have a simple, clear position on this matter, and it needs to be made public AT ONCE.
It is really quite amazing how bad politicians have become…democrat or republican. Our great politicians have spent the past decades not paying what they knew was owed and now they blame teachers for the condition of our pensions. I have never missed paying what I am legally bound to pay, yet politicians have for decades. Those politicians that have voted in favor of budgets over the past decades that did not fund these pensions at the legally required limits should be arrested and prosecuted for dereliction of duty. They are crooks at best. I will be starting my 25th year of teaching and am becoming more and more regretful that I ever chose to be a teacher. There is coming a day I believe where we will not be able to get young people to go into teaching. Everyone will scratch their heads and wonder why.
How can we get notified of the exact time and location of future events? I can go to the Skokie forum on September 10, but I am afraid I won’t know where to find the address and time that day when I look it up. . . . Please advise! Thanks
The forums are being scheduled by the Illinois Policy Institute.As we receive more information we will post updates on the IEA website and communicate information via the insider and IEA’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
How can the IEA even CONSIDER supporting this policy? The effect on teachers all across the state would be a crippling inability to negotiate for pay increases, even just to match inflation. Many districts have already cited concern over this issue in negotiations, and it has not even been passed yet.
We need to mobilize around the graduated income tax and make it clear that we would NEVER support a proposal to shift costs locally, which amounts to a hugely regressive tax on every single tax payer in the state, particularly in the already overtaxed suburban counties.
Totally agree, Mike! IEA wants me to attend a forum? To say WHAT exactly? I have never been more confused in 20 years about my role as a rank-and-file union member that I am at this very moment! We won’t accept changes to the pension system… We will accept changes to the pension system. We want changes to be fair to members… Yet the latest talking points seem to support an unfair reduction of benefits to members… Just two weeks ago we were opposed to a cost-shift… This week we haven’t taken a position on the cost-shift…
It is long past due that the IEA and the IFT to take a STRONG stand against the underfunding of schools and our pensions. Maybe it is time for a state wide closure until our state wakes up to what our state legislatures have failed to do for education and educators in previous decades. The monies from income taxes and gambling were sold to us as sources of revenue to improve public education. Where has all that money gone? The politicians have used it to pay for local projects that will get them reelected. They have been takeing money promised for pensions and spending it on their pet projects. Each year they pass laws saying they will start to pay back the money and then ignore their own laws. Arrest them. Tom Keating
Please tell me where I can get a job that allows me to spend money on myself, but when the bills come due, I simply shift them to someone else just like our State government is trying to do.
I would like to see IEA STATE THEIR POSITION on the shifting of pensions to local districts. I would like to see IEA/NEA come up with possible solutions to this pension crisis that abide by the constitutional language. I am not hearing of any solutions or possible strategies that can be taken coming from the financial gurus of IEA/NEA. I would like to see a much more collaborative approach in coming up with an idea that works for all so that no one group takes the brunt. I would also like to see that what has been investigated by WGN be rectified and that anyone double and triple dipping or have recieved “enhanced” pension monies be taken away NOW. Isn’t ILLINOIS a windfall state?
I can’t believe some of the comments posted here. The IEA article is pretty clear.
If this law was passed what would prevent local districts from ignoring their funding obligations like the legislature has done for years and years?