Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.:
Fred All Week Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher
Keeping retirement weird. Heading for Springfield on Wednesday.
I’m still shaking my head over the IEA endorsement of Kirk Dillard for governor. Dillard is the Illinois Chairman of the American Legislative Exchange Council, the leading anti-union organization in the state. He’s Bruce Rauner without the cash. Or the multiple home addresses. And the IEA’s quarter million dollars of member PAC contributions may seem a lot to you, but it won’t mean a drop in th
Glen Brown. Choosing Dillard is a sad state of affairs
- Glen Brown “…According to [IEA President Cinda] Klickna, who spent more than 30 years as a high school English teacher, ‘Senator Dillard has consistently shown that he values the expertise and opinions of Illinois’ public education employees. Senator Dillard supports our fight for adequate funding for public education, and he stood up to tremendous pressure and voted against the unfair and unco
Even for Chicago politics, Toni Berrios hits a new low. The Regular Democrats have crossed the line.
I got this postcard in the mail yesterday. Toni Berrios, daughter of Chicago Democratic Party Chairman, is sending us postcards claiming our candidate, Will Guzzardi is a pervert, child predator or protector of both. She is backed by the money and precinct workers of State Party Chairman Michael Madigan. This election isn’t about pensions, schools or tax policy. The Regular Democrats have turne
I’ll be back at my alma mater next Tuesday. This time I’ll join faculty on the picket line.
. It has been a few years since I have been at UIC. Back in the day I would was driving a taxi to pay the bills. Plus I could park it for a class and then get over to Humboldt Park to pick up the kid from the baby sitter. The thing is, I wasn’t the only one. UIC is an urban school. Few students live on campus. There was always talk about it having an “urban mission.” But if there was an urban mis
The ALEC letter and Kirk Dillard.
Sen. Kirk Dillard speaks at the “Defend Marriage Lobby Day” held in the rotunda of the state Capitol in Springfield, Ill., Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013. Earlier today I posted about the IEA endorsement of State Senator Kirk Dillard in the Republican primary election for Illinois Governor. In that post I pointed out that Dillard is State Chairman of ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council.
IEA endorses Illinois state chairman of ALEC for governor.
Today the Illinois Education Association will announce its endorsement of Kirk Dillard in the Republican primary for governor of Illinois. Kirk Dillard is a current Republican Illinois State Senator who voted no on Senate Bill 1 – pension theft. But aside from that, Dillard is a right-wing Republican, who has opportunistically shifted further and further right since the IEA endorsed him along w
FEB 13
Roberta Galler was everywhere.
Kartemquin Films, the group known most for their award winning movie Hoop Dreams, is making a film about the 1963 Chicago school boycott. It was known as Freedom Day. As part of the process of making the film that have gone on social media, posting pictures of those who participated in the events and asking help in identifying and contacting them. A picture of Roberta Galler was posted on their s
Eden Martin. Pension questions from the one percent.
Chris Rock explains the difference between being rich and being wealthy. Shaq is rich, but the white man who signed his check is wealthy. Oprah is rich, but Bill Gates is wealthy. If Bill Gates suddenly woke up with Oprah’s money, he’d slit his throat. Eden Martin is the lawyer for the wealthy – for the top 1% of the 1%. Martin was a partner at the law firm Sidley Austin. Martin has served as Pre
FEB 12
The Wolf of Sesame Street. Public TV signs a deal with the devil on pension reporting.
By David Sirota. Read the entire article here. On December 18th, the Public Broadcasting Service’s flagship station WNET issued a press release announcing the launch of a new two-year news series entitled “Pension Peril.” The series, promoting cuts to public employee pensions, is airing on hundreds of PBS outlets all over the nation. It has been presented as objective news on major PBS programs
The weather is warming up for Tuesday’s Soup Kitchen at Pension Thief Robyn Gabel’s office.
The fight against pension theft is heating up again. Senate President John Cullerton is threatening Chicago teachers with massive layoffs if the CTU doesn’t agree to another Senate Bill 1 deal. CTU VP Jesse Sharkey isn’t impressed. “We’re not stupid,” he responded. Chicago teachers and other Chicago public employees will be heading for Springfield on Wednesday. And Thursday our IEA Retired chapte
Don’t believe the hype. CPS suspensions got younger. 80% of elementary school suspensions were Black students.
“Suspensions are down,” said Rahm and Byrd-Bennett. Don’t believe the hype. Many were suspicious when CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett and Mayor Emanuel released some data claiming CPS was suspending less students. But a study by Catalyst’s sharp-eyed Sara Karp showed the claim was as bogus as the value of an ISAT test. Karp found that: While high school suspensions are down by 10,000 students, en
John Dillon. Tax relief? Here’s a “fair” explanation
By John Dillon who posted this on his blog, Pension Vocabulary. Tax Relief for Illinois and a Revenue Fix! Tax Relief? Here’s a “Fair” Explanation… I just received my latest update from Republican Representative Dwight Kay. Representative Dwight may look like Wally Cox of days long past, but don’t think for a minute he is the mild Mr. Peepers of film fame or anything quite like it. I
Cullerton threatens Chicago teachers. “We will lay off thousands and thousands of you.”
Democratic Party House Speaker Michael Madigan and Democratic Senate President John Cullerton are the good cop/bad cops of the Illinois General Assembly. In the pension theft of public employees Speaker Madigan led the charge while Cullerton played a conciliatory role. But pensions got robbed. Now, with Chicago teacher, firefighter and police pensions on the chopping block, it is Cullerton steppi
FEB 11
Breaking: IEA votes to endorse Aaron Goldstein, Will Guzzardi and Jay Travis.
I have just received news that at IEA endorsement hearings the weekend, the IEA’s political arm, funded with voluntary contributions from members, voted to endorse pro-pension, pro-education candidates in three key Chicago State Representative districts. In the 40th State Representative race where lawyer Aaron Goldstein is challenging Democratic Party appointed incumbent Jaime Andrade, the IEA vot
Breaking: IEA votes to endorse endorse Aaron Goldstein, Will Guzzardi and Jay Travis.
I have just received news that at IEA endorsement hearings the weekend, the IEA’s political arm, funded with voluntary contributions from members, voted to endorse pro-pension, pro-education candidates in three key Chicago State Representative districts. In the 40th State Representative race where lawyer Aaron Goldstein is challenging Democratic Party appointed incumbent Jaime Andrade, the IEA vot
I received a Christmas card from an NEA director.
In December I received a Christmas card from a member of the National Education Association’s Board of Directors. It was nice. I didn’t even know the guy. How did he know my home address? He has access to every member’s home address and contact information. Why would a member of the NEA Board of Directors send me a Christmas card? C’mon. He’s running for something. As a retired IEA and NEA member
Pete Camarata. Best known Teamster rebel.
From Robin, Aimee & Jackson Potter 2-10-14 Pete Camarata – Labor Giant & Union Reform Leader Passes September 7, 1946 – February 9, 2014 Peter Joseph Camarata (Pete) died of renal cancer at home on Sunday morning February 9th after a courageous and painful 2 year battle. 1976. Most people knew Pete as a union organizer, dock man and trucker from Jimmy Hoffa’s home local, Teamster Local 29
FEB 10
Pension theft comes to Chicago.
Subject: NEWS RELEASE: CTU will not negotiate ‘at the point of a gun’ NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Stephanie Gadlin February 10, 2014 Desk: (312) 329-6250 THE GREAT CHICAGO PENSION CAPER IS UNDERWAY Chicago’s public school educators will not negotiate ‘at the point of a gun’ CHICAGO – The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) vowed to stand firm in its defense of the retirement security of t
Why Illinois retired teachers should care about a progressive income tax.
A couple of things you should know. First. If you write in Ralph Martire’s name because you are disgusted by the choices in Republican and Democratic primaries for Governor of Illinois, your vote won’t count. That’s the law because Martire would have to file that he is officially a write-in candidate. Second. Retired teachers should be actively engaged in the campaign for a fair income tax in Il
Whys retired teachers should care about a fair state income tax.
A couple of things you should know. If you write in Ralph Martire’s name because you are disgusted by the choices for Republican and Democrats for Governor of Illinois, they won’t count it. That’s the law because Martire would have to file that he is a write-in candidate. Retired teachers should be actively engaged in the campaign for a fair income tax in Illinois, even though no retired perso
FEB 09
In the NEA, this is what democracy looks like.
Whoever thought it would be so hard to run for union delegate as a retiree? A quick review. I retired in June of 2012. I changed my union membership for active to retired. The switch didn’t get processed in time for me to run statewide as delegate to the 2013 IEA Representative Assembly. But I was eligible to run for the 2013 NEA national meeting. I did run and was elected. But when I ran this pas
FEB 08
Voices from the classroom. No PARCCing. Test crazy.
Fred, We learned that our district will be participating in the PARCC field tests this spring. I took a screen shot of the test sessions for the ELA test. The first three tests need to be given in late March/early April and the end of year tests will be given in May. I personally got nauseous thinking about nine-year olds sitting through these tests. ISAT was 45 minutes with up to an additional
Keeping retirement weird.
We weren’t the oldest couple at Tipitina’s last night. But I didn’t notice any that were older. Anne and I left Chicago yesterday morning when the thermometer read minus four. We had had enough. We needed some days of relief. By 11AM we were checking into our hotel on the western edges of the Warehouse District on Lee Circle. The “Lee” we are talking about is General Robert E. Lee who led the C
FEB 07
There are pro-education choices in the Democratic primary. Like Jay Travis.
Jay Travis for the Illinois House. There are pro-education, pro-pension choices in the March 18th Democratic primary. Jay Travis is running against the incumbent to be the State Representative in the 27th House District. Jay has been endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union and promises a strong pro-pension statement in the next few days. We will post it here. You can find her Facebook page here.
The pension cost shift. A red herring.
Fred, I disgree with your concern on the cost shift. Anon makes excellent points about the cost shift. If the cost shift were put in place Boards of Education would have had to take a serious look at what they were doing. In the past, at contract time rather than giving decent wage increases reflective of the cost of living, they often put language in to sweeten retirement. It was not too terribly