Currently viewing the tag: “Salaries”
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed Friday, Sen. Jim DeMint argued that if PBS, CPB, and Sesame Street can afford lavish salaries for their executives, then surely they have the money to survive as private, non-commercial broadcasters. (He doesn't even mention how people chipping in $ 25 to "save" shows like Sesame Street might feel misled if they saw the salary numbers.)
PBS President Paula Kerger even recorded a personal television appeal that told viewers exactly how to contact members of Congress in order to "let your representative know how you feel about the elimination of funding for public broadcasting." But if PBS can pay Ms. Kerger $ 632,233 in annual compensation—as reported on the 990 tax forms all nonprofits are required to file—surely it can operate without tax dollars.
The executives at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which distributes the taxpayer money allocated for public broadcasting to other stations, are also generously compensated. According to CPB's 2009 tax forms, President and CEO Patricia de Stacy Harrison received $ 298,884 in reportable compensation and another $ 70,630 in other compensation from the organization and related organizations that year. That's practically a pittance compared to Kevin Klose, president emeritus of NPR, who received more than $ 1.2 million in compensation, according to the tax forms the nonprofit filed in 2009.
Harrison was a wildly controversial choice when she was appointed to the CPB by President Bush in 2005, since she had been co-chair of the Republican National Commitee from 1997 to 2001. Once appointed, she quickly "went native," becoming a fierce protector of the subsidized liberal sandbox. DeMint continued:
Despite how accessible media has become to Americans over the years, funding for CPB has grown considerably. In 2001, the federal government appropriated $ 340 million for CPB. Last year it got $ 420 million. As Congress considers ways to close the $ 1.6 trillion deficit, cutting funding for the CPB has even been proposed by President Obama's bipartisan deficit reduction commission. Instead, Mr. Obama wants to increase CPB's funding to $ 451 million in his latest budget.
Meanwhile, highly successful, brand-name public programs like Sesame Street make millions on their own. "Sesame Street," for example, made more than $ 211 million from toy and consumer product sales from 2003-2006. Sesame Workshop President and CEO Gary Knell received $ 956,513 in compensation in 2008. With earnings like that, Big Bird doesn't need the taxpayers to help him compete against the Nickleodeon cable channel's Dora the Explorer.
PS: The sad state of the National Lampoon brand is proven by an attempt by "humorist" Philip Rodney Moon to explore how terrible PBS will get if conservatives defund it, including a show called "Mr. Roger Ailes' Neighborhood."
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed Friday, Sen. Jim DeMint argued that if PBS, CPB, and Sesame Street can afford lavish salaries for their executives, then surely they have the money to survive as private, non-commercial broadcasters. (He doesn't even mention how people chipping in $ 25 to "save" shows like Sesame Street might feel misled if they saw the salary numbers.)
PBS President Paula Kerger even recorded a personal television appeal that told viewers exactly how to contact members of Congress in order to "let your representative know how you feel about the elimination of funding for public broadcasting." But if PBS can pay Ms. Kerger $ 632,233 in annual compensation—as reported on the 990 tax forms all nonprofits are required to file—surely it can operate without tax dollars.
The executives at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which distributes the taxpayer money allocated for public broadcasting to other stations, are also generously compensated. According to CPB's 2009 tax forms, President and CEO Patricia de Stacy Harrison received $ 298,884 in reportable compensation and another $ 70,630 in other compensation from the organization and related organizations that year. That's practically a pittance compared to Kevin Klose, president emeritus of NPR, who received more than $ 1.2 million in compensation, according to the tax forms the nonprofit filed in 2009.
Harrison was a wildly controversial choice when she was appointed to the CPB by President Bush in 2005, since she had been co-chair of the Republican National Commitee from 1997 to 2001. Once appointed, she quickly "went native," becoming a fierce protector of the subsidized liberal sandbox. DeMint continued:
Despite how accessible media has become to Americans over the years, funding for CPB has grown considerably. In 2001, the federal government appropriated $ 340 million for CPB. Last year it got $ 420 million. As Congress considers ways to close the $ 1.6 trillion deficit, cutting funding for the CPB has even been proposed by President Obama's bipartisan deficit reduction commission. Instead, Mr. Obama wants to increase CPB's funding to $ 451 million in his latest budget.
Meanwhile, highly successful, brand-name public programs like Sesame Street make millions on their own. "Sesame Street," for example, made more than $ 211 million from toy and consumer product sales from 2003-2006. Sesame Workshop President and CEO Gary Knell received $ 956,513 in compensation in 2008. With earnings like that, Big Bird doesn't need the taxpayers to help him compete against the Nickleodeon cable channel's Dora the Explorer.
PS: The sad state of the National Lampoon brand is proven by an attempt by "humorist" Philip Rodney Moon to explore how terrible PBS will get if conservatives defund it, including a show called "Mr. Roger Ailes' Neighborhood."
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed Friday, Sen. Jim DeMint argued that if PBS, CPB, and Sesame Street can afford lavish salaries for their executives, then surely they have the money to survive as private, non-commercial broadcasters. (He doesn't even mention how people chipping in $ 25 to "save" shows like Sesame Street might feel misled if they saw the salary numbers.)
PBS President Paula Kerger even recorded a personal television appeal that told viewers exactly how to contact members of Congress in order to "let your representative know how you feel about the elimination of funding for public broadcasting." But if PBS can pay Ms. Kerger $ 632,233 in annual compensation—as reported on the 990 tax forms all nonprofits are required to file—surely it can operate without tax dollars.
The executives at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which distributes the taxpayer money allocated for public broadcasting to other stations, are also generously compensated. According to CPB's 2009 tax forms, President and CEO Patricia de Stacy Harrison received $ 298,884 in reportable compensation and another $ 70,630 in other compensation from the organization and related organizations that year. That's practically a pittance compared to Kevin Klose, president emeritus of NPR, who received more than $ 1.2 million in compensation, according to the tax forms the nonprofit filed in 2009.
Harrison was a wildly controversial choice when she was appointed to the CPB by President Bush in 2005, since she had been co-chair of the Republican National Commitee from 1997 to 2001. Once appointed, she quickly "went native," becoming a fierce protector of the subsidized liberal sandbox. DeMint continued:
Despite how accessible media has become to Americans over the years, funding for CPB has grown considerably. In 2001, the federal government appropriated $ 340 million for CPB. Last year it got $ 420 million. As Congress considers ways to close the $ 1.6 trillion deficit, cutting funding for the CPB has even been proposed by President Obama's bipartisan deficit reduction commission. Instead, Mr. Obama wants to increase CPB's funding to $ 451 million in his latest budget.
Meanwhile, highly successful, brand-name public programs like Sesame Street make millions on their own. "Sesame Street," for example, made more than $ 211 million from toy and consumer product sales from 2003-2006. Sesame Workshop President and CEO Gary Knell received $ 956,513 in compensation in 2008. With earnings like that, Big Bird doesn't need the taxpayers to help him compete against the Nickleodeon cable channel's Dora the Explorer.
PS: The sad state of the National Lampoon brand is proven by an attempt by "humorist" Philip Rodney Moon to explore how terrible PBS will get if conservatives defund it, including a show called "Mr. Roger Ailes' Neighborhood."
Getting right to the point: Illinois’ top paid teacher in 2010 is high school Physical Education teacher, Mr. Mintz, who made $ 191,124, BEFORE BENEFITS. Second highest paid at another school is middle and high school English teacher, Mr Liesz making $ 189,219 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Twenty-six of the Top 100 are Physical Education teachers – 13 of them in the Top 50! Six are English teachers, 3 are U.S. History teachers, 2 Biology teachers, none are simple Math teachers. There is 1 Calculus, 1 Trigonometry, 1 Geometry, 1 Algebra, 1 Physics, 1 Chemistry, and 1 Political Science/Civics teachers on the list.
By contrast, there are 9 Driver Ed teachers, 5 Learning Behavior Specialists, and 4 Drama/Theatre Arts ranking in the Top 100.
The average salary for the Top 100 salaried teachers in Illinois is $ 158,432 BEFORE BENEFITS. The average salary for the 26 Physical Education instructors is $ 167,544. The average Driver Ed instructor makes only about $ 4,000 less than the average of all others on the list. Get this: the average salaries of English teachers in the Top 100 is $ 159,623 – well under the average of Phys Ed instructors.
But the focus here: the laughability of saying that the public sector makes less than the private sector, as you will see below.
ABOUT BENEFITS: Remember, all of the salaries below are BEFORE BENEFITS in Illinois. All of this is the work of Bill Zettler. In an email he said to add the following to the salaries shown:
Add 30% for state portion of pension cost and $ 5-25,000 for insurance, 10-15 days sick leave each year, 2-3 personal days and a 182 day contract.
He provided a link to this piece of his excellent research, coming to him through his FOIA request. Don’t miss the Co-Curricular pay – example: Pom-pom $ 7,100. Don’t miss the days actually days worked. You and I working 5 days a week will log 250 days in a year (excluding 10 days vacation) and 2,000 hours. The Illinois teacher? Only 167 days and it isn’t an 8-hour day.
Buy Sick Days for $ 20 Each
Under Illinois law (see here) teachers may, at retirement, use up to 340 unused sick days as 2 years service credit i.e. it is just as if they worked those 2 years. Under this contract teachers can buy extra sick days for $ 20 each up to the maximum (see page 54 of contract). So for $ 3,400 a teacher could buy an extra year of “work” and receive about $ 3,000 in extra pension each year for the rest of their life. How does that compare to the return on your 401K?
School District Could Pay $ 300,000 or More to Allow Teachers Early Retirement
Under Illinois law teachers may use ERO (Early Retirement Option) to retire early without penalty (see details here). The plan is very complicated but basically involves large lump sum payments from the school as well as the retiree to the Teachers Retirement System at the time of retirement. For example a teacher wanting to retire 5 years early would pay 57.5% of her highest salary and the school district (the taxpayer) 117.5% in order to retire penalty free.
The following is taken from Mr. Zettler’s work here, where you can see the Top 100 Teacher Salaries list. My compilation below is to make a few points: 1) how laughable it is to say that the public sector makes far less than the private sector; 2) how few core classes are among the highest paid, 3) how many non-essential classes are among the top 100, and to show the preponderance of Physical Ed salaries dominating the Top 100.
I believe Physical Ed is important. I see nothing on the list as unimportant, but with schools in crises financially, the work force in crisis for lack of duly educated graduates, communities in crisis because of huge numbers of undereducated, often-turned-criminals on the streets, I find it hard to justify 26 of the Top 100 Teachers being Phys Ed instructors – with 13 of them in the Top 50. With just a little prioritizing, we might actually graduate a high number of students capable of supporting themselves, no matter the condition of the economy.
So, moving down the list linked above from the 1st and 2nd positions, we pass three more Phys Ed teachers, a Graphic Design/Commercial Art teacher, a Guidance Counselor, a French teacher, finally arrive at Mr. Wietlispach, a Physics teacher making $ 172,164 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing a Drama teacher, two more Phys Ed instructors, we get to 13th place, Mr. Blundy a Calculus teacher.
Passing another Guidance Counselor, a Learning Behavior Specialist, another Drama/Theatre Arts, a Speech teacher, we get to 18th place, Mr. Hipskind making $ 166,410 BEFORE BENEFITS, teaching Political Science/Civics.
Passing Instrumental Music, Driver Ed, Phys Ed, we come to 22nd place, Mr. Adamowski teaching Physics receiving a salary of $ 163,587 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Driver Ed, “Psychologist,” Guidance Counselor, Learning Behavior Specialist, Guidance Counselor, Phys Ed, Guidance Counselor, Physical Education, Physical Education, Co-operative Education, Phys Ed., we get to 34th place, Calculus with Mr. Gasper making $ 160,136 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Drama/Theatre Arts, Guidance Counselor, Phys Ed we come to Biology at 38th with Ms. Naughton teaching grades 9-12, with a salary of $ 158,441 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Phys Ed, Driver Ed, we come to 41st place, and Mr. Wilms making $ 157,251 BEFORE BENEFITS teaching Biology to grades 9-12.
Passing Learning Behavior Specialist, Phys Ed, Psychologist, Mr. Nihells teaches Algebra, ranking 45th, making $ 156,576 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Phys Ed, Learning Behavior Specialist, Student Dean, is English teacher, Ms. Heiteen making $ 156,346 BEFORE BENEFITS, ranking 49th.
Passing Phys Ed, Phys Ed, at 52nd place, Chemistry teacher Ms. DeWald making $ 155,904 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Spanish, Student Dean, Drama/Theatre Arts, Other Industrial Occupations, Driver Education, Art Spanish, Art, Driver Education, we finally come to another English teacher, Mr. Hurtig making $ 154,456 BEFORE BENEFITS, ranking 62nd.
Passing Librarian/Media Specialist, another English teacher, Mr. Fischer making $ 154,024 BEFORE BENEFITS and ranking 64th in the Top 100 2010 salaries.
Passing Gidance Counselor, Phys Ed, Learning Behavior Specialist, Spanish, Mr. Marsh teaches Geometry and ranks 69th, with a salary of $ 153,101 BEFORE BENEFITS.
AND FINALLY, we come to a U.S. History teacher, one of only three on the list of Top 100 Salaries. At 77th place, Mr. Lyons made $ 151,961 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Phys Ed, Phys Ed 80th place is English teacher, Mr. Zabransky receiving $ 151,700 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Phys Ed, Vocal Music, U.S. History teacher, Mr. Bradford received $ 151,368 BEFORE BENEFITS, ranking 83rd.
Passing Other Business Occupations, Driver Ed, Phys Ed, Consumer Ed, Instrumental Music, Phys Ed, Driver Ed, Guidance Counselor, we come to 92nd place, Ms. Glunz teaching Business Admin & Management, who received $ 147,639 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Phys Ed, Consumer Ed, 95th place is Geometry teacher Mr. Nelson, making $ 146,572 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Driver Ed, we come to an elementary/middle school teacher, teaching Language Arts, Ms. McGill making $ 145,187 at 97th place, Ms. Merilos teaching U.S. History, making $ 144,391 ranking 98th place, Trigonometry, Mr. Trotter at 99th place making 4144,157.
Last place, 100th, is yet another Driver Ed instructer making $ 144,027.
Illinois is one state. I can’t begin to guess how many others are similar in compensation. You know who pays these salaries and lifetime benefits – you and I.
Getting right to the point: Illinois’ top paid teacher in 2010 is high school Physical Education teacher, Mr. Mintz, who made $ 191,124, BEFORE BENEFITS. Second highest paid at another school is middle and high school English teacher, Mr Liesz making $ 189,219 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Twenty-six of the Top 100 are Physical Education teachers – 13 of them in the Top 50! Six are English teachers, 3 are U.S. History teachers, 2 Biology teachers, none are simple Math teachers. There is 1 Calculus, 1 Trigonometry, 1 Geometry, 1 Algebra, 1 Physics, 1 Chemistry, and 1 Political Science/Civics teachers on the list.
By contrast, there are 9 Driver Ed teachers, 5 Learning Behavior Specialists, and 4 Drama/Theatre Arts ranking in the Top 100.
The average salary for the Top 100 salaried teachers in Illinois is $ 158,432 BEFORE BENEFITS. The average salary for the 26 Physical Education instructors is $ 167,544. The average Driver Ed instructor makes only about $ 4,000 less than the average of all others on the list. Get this: the average salaries of English teachers in the Top 100 is $ 159,623 – well under the average of Phys Ed instructors.
But the focus here: the laughability of saying that the public sector makes less than the private sector, as you will see below.
ABOUT BENEFITS: Remember, all of the salaries below are BEFORE BENEFITS in Illinois. All of this is the work of Bill Zettler. In an email he said to add the following to the salaries shown:
Add 30% for state portion of pension cost and $ 5-25,000 for insurance, 10-15 days sick leave each year, 2-3 personal days and a 182 day contract.
He provided a link to this piece of his excellent research, coming to him through his FOIA request. Don’t miss the Co-Curricular pay – example: Pom-pom $ 7,100. Don’t miss the days actually days worked. You and I working 5 days a week will log 250 days in a year (excluding 10 days vacation) and 2,000 hours. The Illinois teacher? Only 167 days and it isn’t an 8-hour day.
Buy Sick Days for $ 20 Each
Under Illinois law (see here) teachers may, at retirement, use up to 340 unused sick days as 2 years service credit i.e. it is just as if they worked those 2 years. Under this contract teachers can buy extra sick days for $ 20 each up to the maximum (see page 54 of contract). So for $ 3,400 a teacher could buy an extra year of “work” and receive about $ 3,000 in extra pension each year for the rest of their life. How does that compare to the return on your 401K?
School District Could Pay $ 300,000 or More to Allow Teachers Early Retirement
Under Illinois law teachers may use ERO (Early Retirement Option) to retire early without penalty (see details here). The plan is very complicated but basically involves large lump sum payments from the school as well as the retiree to the Teachers Retirement System at the time of retirement. For example a teacher wanting to retire 5 years early would pay 57.5% of her highest salary and the school district (the taxpayer) 117.5% in order to retire penalty free.
The following is taken from Mr. Zettler’s work here, where you can see the Top 100 Teacher Salaries list. My compilation below is to make a few points: 1) how laughable it is to say that the public sector makes far less than the private sector; 2) how few core classes are among the highest paid, 3) how many non-essential classes are among the top 100, and to show the preponderance of Physical Ed salaries dominating the Top 100.
I believe Physical Ed is important. I see nothing on the list as unimportant, but with schools in crises financially, the work force in crisis for lack of duly educated graduates, communities in crisis because of huge numbers of undereducated, often-turned-criminals on the streets, I find it hard to justify 26 of the Top 100 Teachers being Phys Ed instructors – with 13 of them in the Top 50. With just a little prioritizing, we might actually graduate a high number of students capable of supporting themselves, no matter the condition of the economy.
So, moving down the list linked above from the 1st and 2nd positions, we pass three more Phys Ed teachers, a Graphic Design/Commercial Art teacher, a Guidance Counselor, a French teacher, finally arrive at Mr. Wietlispach, a Physics teacher making $ 172,164 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing a Drama teacher, two more Phys Ed instructors, we get to 13th place, Mr. Blundy a Calculus teacher.
Passing another Guidance Counselor, a Learning Behavior Specialist, another Drama/Theatre Arts, a Speech teacher, we get to 18th place, Mr. Hipskind making $ 166,410 BEFORE BENEFITS, teaching Political Science/Civics.
Passing Instrumental Music, Driver Ed, Phys Ed, we come to 22nd place, Mr. Adamowski teaching Physics receiving a salary of $ 163,587 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Driver Ed, “Psychologist,” Guidance Counselor, Learning Behavior Specialist, Guidance Counselor, Phys Ed, Guidance Counselor, Physical Education, Physical Education, Co-operative Education, Phys Ed., we get to 34th place, Calculus with Mr. Gasper making $ 160,136 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Drama/Theatre Arts, Guidance Counselor, Phys Ed we come to Biology at 38th with Ms. Naughton teaching grades 9-12, with a salary of $ 158,441 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Phys Ed, Driver Ed, we come to 41st place, and Mr. Wilms making $ 157,251 BEFORE BENEFITS teaching Biology to grades 9-12.
Passing Learning Behavior Specialist, Phys Ed, Psychologist, Mr. Nihells teaches Algebra, ranking 45th, making $ 156,576 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Phys Ed, Learning Behavior Specialist, Student Dean, is English teacher, Ms. Heiteen making $ 156,346 BEFORE BENEFITS, ranking 49th.
Passing Phys Ed, Phys Ed, at 52nd place, Chemistry teacher Ms. DeWald making $ 155,904 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Spanish, Student Dean, Drama/Theatre Arts, Other Industrial Occupations, Driver Education, Art Spanish, Art, Driver Education, we finally come to another English teacher, Mr. Hurtig making $ 154,456 BEFORE BENEFITS, ranking 62nd.
Passing Librarian/Media Specialist, another English teacher, Mr. Fischer making $ 154,024 BEFORE BENEFITS and ranking 64th in the Top 100 2010 salaries.
Passing Gidance Counselor, Phys Ed, Learning Behavior Specialist, Spanish, Mr. Marsh teaches Geometry and ranks 69th, with a salary of $ 153,101 BEFORE BENEFITS.
AND FINALLY, we come to a U.S. History teacher, one of only three on the list of Top 100 Salaries. At 77th place, Mr. Lyons made $ 151,961 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Phys Ed, Phys Ed 80th place is English teacher, Mr. Zabransky receiving $ 151,700 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Phys Ed, Vocal Music, U.S. History teacher, Mr. Bradford received $ 151,368 BEFORE BENEFITS, ranking 83rd.
Passing Other Business Occupations, Driver Ed, Phys Ed, Consumer Ed, Instrumental Music, Phys Ed, Driver Ed, Guidance Counselor, we come to 92nd place, Ms. Glunz teaching Business Admin & Management, who received $ 147,639 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Phys Ed, Consumer Ed, 95th place is Geometry teacher Mr. Nelson, making $ 146,572 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Driver Ed, we come to an elementary/middle school teacher, teaching Language Arts, Ms. McGill making $ 145,187 at 97th place, Ms. Merilos teaching U.S. History, making $ 144,391 ranking 98th place, Trigonometry, Mr. Trotter at 99th place making 4144,157.
Last place, 100th, is yet another Driver Ed instructer making $ 144,027.
Illinois is one state. I can’t begin to guess how many others are similar in compensation. You know who pays these salaries and lifetime benefits – you and I.
Getting right to the point: Illinois’ top paid teacher in 2010 is high school Physical Education teacher, Mr. Mintz, who made $ 191,124, BEFORE BENEFITS. Second highest paid at another school is middle and high school English teacher, Mr Liesz making $ 189,219 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Twenty-six of the Top 100 are Physical Education teachers – 13 of them in the Top 50! Six are English teachers, 3 are U.S. History teachers, 2 Biology teachers, none are simple Math teachers. There is 1 Calculus, 1 Trigonometry, 1 Geometry, 1 Algebra, 1 Physics, 1 Chemistry, and 1 Political Science/Civics teachers on the list.
By contrast, there are 9 Driver Ed teachers, 5 Learning Behavior Specialists, and 4 Drama/Theatre Arts ranking in the Top 100.
The average salary for the Top 100 salaried teachers in Illinois is $ 158,432 BEFORE BENEFITS. The average salary for the 26 Physical Education instructors is $ 167,544. The average Driver Ed instructor makes only about $ 4,000 less than the average of all others on the list. Get this: the average salaries of English teachers in the Top 100 is $ 159,623 – well under the average of Phys Ed instructors.
But the focus here: the laughability of saying that the public sector makes less than the private sector, as you will see below.
ABOUT BENEFITS: Remember, all of the salaries below are BEFORE BENEFITS in Illinois. All of this is the work of Bill Zettler. In an email he said to add the following to the salaries shown:
Add 30% for state portion of pension cost and $ 5-25,000 for insurance, 10-15 days sick leave each year, 2-3 personal days and a 182 day contract.
He provided a link to this piece of his excellent research, coming to him through his FOIA request. Don’t miss the Co-Curricular pay – example: Pom-pom $ 7,100. Don’t miss the days actually days worked. You and I working 5 days a week will log 250 days in a year (excluding 10 days vacation) and 2,000 hours. The Illinois teacher? Only 167 days and it isn’t an 8-hour day.
Buy Sick Days for $ 20 Each
Under Illinois law (see here) teachers may, at retirement, use up to 340 unused sick days as 2 years service credit i.e. it is just as if they worked those 2 years. Under this contract teachers can buy extra sick days for $ 20 each up to the maximum (see page 54 of contract). So for $ 3,400 a teacher could buy an extra year of “work” and receive about $ 3,000 in extra pension each year for the rest of their life. How does that compare to the return on your 401K?
School District Could Pay $ 300,000 or More to Allow Teachers Early Retirement
Under Illinois law teachers may use ERO (Early Retirement Option) to retire early without penalty (see details here). The plan is very complicated but basically involves large lump sum payments from the school as well as the retiree to the Teachers Retirement System at the time of retirement. For example a teacher wanting to retire 5 years early would pay 57.5% of her highest salary and the school district (the taxpayer) 117.5% in order to retire penalty free.
The following is taken from Mr. Zettler’s work here, where you can see the Top 100 Teacher Salaries list. My compilation below is to make a few points: 1) how laughable it is to say that the public sector makes far less than the private sector; 2) how few core classes are among the highest paid, 3) how many non-essential classes are among the top 100, and to show the preponderance of Physical Ed salaries dominating the Top 100.
I believe Physical Ed is important. I see nothing on the list as unimportant, but with schools in crises financially, the work force in crisis for lack of duly educated graduates, communities in crisis because of huge numbers of undereducated, often-turned-criminals on the streets, I find it hard to justify 26 of the Top 100 Teachers being Phys Ed instructors – with 13 of them in the Top 50. With just a little prioritizing, we might actually graduate a high number of students capable of supporting themselves, no matter the condition of the economy.
So, moving down the list linked above from the 1st and 2nd positions, we pass three more Phys Ed teachers, a Graphic Design/Commercial Art teacher, a Guidance Counselor, a French teacher, finally arrive at Mr. Wietlispach, a Physics teacher making $ 172,164 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing a Drama teacher, two more Phys Ed instructors, we get to 13th place, Mr. Blundy a Calculus teacher.
Passing another Guidance Counselor, a Learning Behavior Specialist, another Drama/Theatre Arts, a Speech teacher, we get to 18th place, Mr. Hipskind making $ 166,410 BEFORE BENEFITS, teaching Political Science/Civics.
Passing Instrumental Music, Driver Ed, Phys Ed, we come to 22nd place, Mr. Adamowski teaching Physics receiving a salary of $ 163,587 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Driver Ed, “Psychologist,” Guidance Counselor, Learning Behavior Specialist, Guidance Counselor, Phys Ed, Guidance Counselor, Physical Education, Physical Education, Co-operative Education, Phys Ed., we get to 34th place, Calculus with Mr. Gasper making $ 160,136 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Drama/Theatre Arts, Guidance Counselor, Phys Ed we come to Biology at 38th with Ms. Naughton teaching grades 9-12, with a salary of $ 158,441 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Phys Ed, Driver Ed, we come to 41st place, and Mr. Wilms making $ 157,251 BEFORE BENEFITS teaching Biology to grades 9-12.
Passing Learning Behavior Specialist, Phys Ed, Psychologist, Mr. Nihells teaches Algebra, ranking 45th, making $ 156,576 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Phys Ed, Learning Behavior Specialist, Student Dean, is English teacher, Ms. Heiteen making $ 156,346 BEFORE BENEFITS, ranking 49th.
Passing Phys Ed, Phys Ed, at 52nd place, Chemistry teacher Ms. DeWald making $ 155,904 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Spanish, Student Dean, Drama/Theatre Arts, Other Industrial Occupations, Driver Education, Art Spanish, Art, Driver Education, we finally come to another English teacher, Mr. Hurtig making $ 154,456 BEFORE BENEFITS, ranking 62nd.
Passing Librarian/Media Specialist, another English teacher, Mr. Fischer making $ 154,024 BEFORE BENEFITS and ranking 64th in the Top 100 2010 salaries.
Passing Gidance Counselor, Phys Ed, Learning Behavior Specialist, Spanish, Mr. Marsh teaches Geometry and ranks 69th, with a salary of $ 153,101 BEFORE BENEFITS.
AND FINALLY, we come to a U.S. History teacher, one of only three on the list of Top 100 Salaries. At 77th place, Mr. Lyons made $ 151,961 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Phys Ed, Phys Ed 80th place is English teacher, Mr. Zabransky receiving $ 151,700 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Phys Ed, Vocal Music, U.S. History teacher, Mr. Bradford received $ 151,368 BEFORE BENEFITS, ranking 83rd.
Passing Other Business Occupations, Driver Ed, Phys Ed, Consumer Ed, Instrumental Music, Phys Ed, Driver Ed, Guidance Counselor, we come to 92nd place, Ms. Glunz teaching Business Admin & Management, who received $ 147,639 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Phys Ed, Consumer Ed, 95th place is Geometry teacher Mr. Nelson, making $ 146,572 BEFORE BENEFITS.
Passing Driver Ed, we come to an elementary/middle school teacher, teaching Language Arts, Ms. McGill making $ 145,187 at 97th place, Ms. Merilos teaching U.S. History, making $ 144,391 ranking 98th place, Trigonometry, Mr. Trotter at 99th place making 4144,157.
Last place, 100th, is yet another Driver Ed instructer making $ 144,027.
Illinois is one state. I can’t begin to guess how many others are similar in compensation. You know who pays these salaries and lifetime benefits – you and I.
Below is a list of some of the health care related amendments Republicans are offering to the continuing budget resolution. Even though the Republicans on the Rules Committee indicated last night that they were more interested in enacting their $ 100 billion (but really, only about $ 60 billion) in proposed cuts than going after health reform in the CR, these amendments do target specific provisions, regulations and even the Justice Department’s efforts to defend the health care law:
– PENCE AMENDMENT NO. 11: Defund “Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. or any of the following affiliates of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc.”
– FLEMING AMENDMENT NO. 55: Rescind the unobligated balance of funds for the Affordable Care Act.
– GARDNER AMENDMENT NO. 79: Cuts off funds to pay the salary “of any officer or employee of the Department of Health and Human Services who develops or promulgates regulations or guidance with regard to Exchanges.”
– GARDNER AMENDMENT NO. 82: Rescind the unobligated balance of funds for the Affordable Care Act.
– EMERSON AMENDMENT NO. 83: Cuts off funds to the IRS for the implementation of the individual mandate.
– GOHMERT AMENDMENT NO. 119: Cuts off funds “to carry out any program under, promulgate any regulation pursuant to, or defend against any lawsuit challenging” the Affordable Care Act.
– GINGREY AMENDMENT NO. 182: “None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to establish or implement any requirement that individuals receive vaccination for human papillomavirus (HPV) as a condition of school admittance or matriculation.”
– GINGREY AMENDMENT NO. 183: Defunds family planning services.
– BURGESS AMENDMENT NO. 200: “None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to pay the salary of any officer or employee of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight in the Department of Health and Human Services.” The Center is helping HHS to implement many of the provisions of the legislation that address private health insurance.
– SCALISE AMENDMENT NO. 204: Cuts off funds to pay salaries and expenses for the Director of the White House Office of Health Reform.
– UPTON AMENDMENT NO. 215: “None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to implement, administer, or enforce” the grandfather regulations issued by HHS.
– MCMORRIS RODGERS AMENDMENT NO. 274: “None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to pay any employee, contractor, or grantee of the Internal Revenue Service to implement or enforce” the Affordable Care Act.
– POE (TX) AMENDMENT NO. 403: “None of the funds made available by this Act may be appropriated to any agency for any activities in anticipation of, or related to implementing, administering, or enforcing the individual mandate” in the Affordable Care Act.
Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY), who has been leading the charge on holding Republicans accountable for accepting government-administered health insurance, has also offered an amendment requiring members to ‘notify the Clerk’ if they receive health benefits through the FEHBP (a similar measure was voted down earlier this year.) Another amendment would prohibit the government from taking away the Medicare checks seniors received to help close the doughnut hole in Part D.
California’s “newly elected Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson, declared a state of ‘financial emergency’ for California’s schools earlier this month and asked state residents to come to the aid of the state’s public education system. “ Mr. Torlakson moaned about class sizes increasing as school budgets have been squeezed but his rant ignored the fact that California teachers are the second highest paid in the nation. Were California’s average teacher salary move over time to the 15th highest position (still in the top 1/3 nationwide), student / teacher ratios would improve over 20%.
I asked Mr. Torlakson about this at Governor Jerry Brown’s “Budget Briefing” at UCLA last month. One of the Governor’s presentation slides showed that California Teachers are at the top of the pay scale at an AVERAGE salary of $ 68,000 BEFORE BENEFITS & RICH PENSIONS COSTS. Watch below and see his response…
Jerry Brown should expect the Teachers Unions to join with Mr. Torlakson in fighting the necessary cutbacks California must take if it is to remain solvent.
James Warren mocks the notion that Robert Gibbs and other high level government workers receive, in President Obama’s words, “relatively modest pay.”
In fact, he earns $ 172,200 in a nation where the average family income hovers around $ 55,000, unemployment is high, record foreclosures persist and wages for most folks are at best stagnant.
Sure. And perhaps Obama’s usual cautiousness should have prompted a different word choice. But, of course, when he said “relatively” he didn’t mean “relative to the Average Schmo” buy “relative to what he could be commanding in the private sector.” Which, Warren readily concedes, is a hell of a lot more than $ 172,200.
It’s a world in which a one-hour appearance can bring more than many Americans earn in a year, with the elite in the roughly $ 50,000 to $ 75,000 range. You offer a few benign inside anecdotes, take some questions and then get taken back by limo to the airport and a seat in first-class (assuming your deal doesn’t include a private jet, as is the case for some journalists I know).
For sure, working at a high level in the capital brings contact with many who exit government to rake in huge sums. It’s why so few high-ranking Senate and House members return home after retirement or defeat. There’s just too much money to be made in Washington, often as a shameless influence peddler.
So, yes, as Warren puts it, “a former Chicago community organizer might have edited himself just a bit better in suggesting that a loyal lieutenant is a portrait in financial sacrifice.” But, in fact, working ridiculously long hours under constant public scrutiny for an annual salary of roughly what one could earn in three hours of speechifying actually is a portrait in financial sacrifice.
But the average American will no doubt have Warren’s reaction to the notion. Back in my teaching days, I had little success convincing college students in rural Alabama that a Congressman making $ 174,000 (or, whatever the going rate was back then) was not only not “rich” but actually taking a financial hit. Because that amount of money was unfathomable to them, the notion that almost anyone electable to Congress could easily earn multiples of that struck them as ludicrous. And, in a location where the mortgage on a very nice house was less than $ 700 a month, the idea that it would be hard to both maintain a residence in DC and a home back in the district on a Congressman’s salary seemed absurd.
Photo credit: Chart created by Philip Klein at the American Specator (link below).
President Obama announces a pay freeze for the next two fiscal years. This is not unlike cutting the Federal deficit after inflating it by $ 4 trillion dollars the past two years.
Is this a good idea? Sure. It stops pay increases of people being overpaid.
Is it symbolic and nigh unto meaningless? Phil Klein explains how worthless.
TALLAHASSEE — One of the requirements of the federal health care law enacted by Congress is that starting in January 2011 health insurance companies would have to begin spending a larger share of their premium dollars — 80 percent to 85 percent – on actual care and preventative costs instead of administrative overhead, like salaries and bonuses.
Florida law imposes a lower so-called “medical loss ratio” of 65 percent to 70 percent, and the Office of Insurance Regulation has decided to go ahead and ask for a three-year waiver from the tougher regulation.
The federal Department of Health and Human Services just released 308 pages of regulations for the new limits yesterday, and OIR communications director Jack McDermott said it would take a few weeks for Florida to formally complete its waiver request.
“Due to the voluminous nature of the information required by HHS, which includes operational and financial information about insurers in the individual marketplace, the Office anticipates needing roughly two weeks to compile and review the information for the application,” he said in an e-mail. ”Again, the process is ongoing as the Office continues to evaluate the HHS interim financial regulation issued yesterday.”
While this might seem like highly technical nuance, it might have a pocketbook implication for Florida insurance-buyers.
The so-called “medical loss ratio” requirement would force health-care companies to start spending 80-85 percent of the premium they collect on health care instead salaries and bonuses for company administrators. Nearly half the country’s insured population has providers that devote more than that limit to administrative costs.
The law requires insurers to meet the new ratios in 2011, and to provide rebates to customers if the limits on overhead are exceeded – which the federal government estimates could average $ 164 for individuals in 2012.
Seeking a three-year delay could mean Florida health-insurance consumers won’t be eligible for those checks in 2012. McDermott said that if the waiver is granted, the state believes insurers would still have to offer rebates if they don’t meet the current medical-loss limits. But they presumably already do meet them, since it is current law.
At a hearing earlier this fall, most of Florida’s main health insurers complained to OIR that the new, stringent limits on their profits would hurt the market.
“The new poster boy for all that’s wrong with the public-school system…”
As part of his efforts to reform public school systems in New Jersey and apply resources more directly to students, Governor Chris Christie pushed through a landmark bill that would cap salaries of administrators based on the number of students within each system. However, the law doesn’t take effect until February, and one district decided […]
Eight former and current officials from Bell, California pleaded not guilty today to charges that they used public funds to inflate their salaries for part-time elected positions.
Some of the officials, who were arrested in September, made up to $ 96,000 a year for part-time jobs — 20 times the national average. Former City Manager Robert Rizzo banked nearly $ 800,000 a year.
Rizzo was also charged with two additional counts, “misappropriation of funds and conflict of interest,” the AP reports. Rizzo was already facing 53 charges against him.
The officials will return to court December 8 for a preliminary hearing.
Full coverage of the scandal here.
Chowhound took data from StarChefs.com’s 2009 salary survey and pulled together this graph comparing the effective hourly wage of chefs de cuisine — that is, the No. 2 chef at nice restaurants — with the pay of a bus driver or a trash collector. On first glance, the chefs come out okay, making nearly $ 60,000 a year. But when you break that down by their 62-hour workweeks, it gets a little less impressive:
Tough business.
