Monday, January 09, 2006
Part IV – IFT Questionnaire – Vouchers, Membership Recruitment, More Money
How about supporting “state funding to implement the class size reduction law for the early primary grades (K-3) to 20 students?” That’s the first question on page 4.
It appears the IFT has discovered that just enacting a law mandating a reduction of class size to 20 doesn’t do a lot of good without money.
And, you know how people keep saying that the school year isn’t long enough for American students to catch up with Japanese and European students?
Question 16 asks if the candidate will vote to finance a salary and benefit increase proportional to any increase mandated in the school year.
And, you know, we Chicago teachers don’t really want to live in Chicago. Would you, as a legislator, vote to remove that requirement?
No mention is made about whether Chicago school teachers should have to send their students to a Chicago school. (I’m told most don’t)
Moving right along, the IFT addresses its public university constituency’s concerns.
It points out that public universities have seen their funding (tax, I presume, tuition has certainly gone up) “cut 15% since 2002. Illinois pubic community colleges and universities are now receiving the same level of state funding as they received in 1997.”
How about an increase? That’s the question.
And, another, “help us get more members” question:
Would you support efforts to improve the pay, benefits and working conditions of part-time and non-tenured faculty and staff at Illinois state universities and community colleges?”
But, don’t get the idea that the IFT is dedicated to the part-time faculty.
The very next question, on page 5, asks whether support would be forthcoming to require that 75% of the courses at junior colleges and universities be taught by full-time faculty.
When my father was on the first McHenry County College Board, his goal was to find people in the community who were highly skilled in their fields, who—as a public service—would agree to teach. The vision was that people could be induced to teach whom the college could in no way afford to compensate commensurate with their skill and knowledge level. I think he largely lost the fight to those who had less vision.
To return to McHenry County Blog, click here.
It appears the IFT has discovered that just enacting a law mandating a reduction of class size to 20 doesn’t do a lot of good without money.
And, you know how people keep saying that the school year isn’t long enough for American students to catch up with Japanese and European students?
Question 16 asks if the candidate will vote to finance a salary and benefit increase proportional to any increase mandated in the school year.
And, you know, we Chicago teachers don’t really want to live in Chicago. Would you, as a legislator, vote to remove that requirement?
No mention is made about whether Chicago school teachers should have to send their students to a Chicago school. (I’m told most don’t)
Moving right along, the IFT addresses its public university constituency’s concerns.
It points out that public universities have seen their funding (tax, I presume, tuition has certainly gone up) “cut 15% since 2002. Illinois pubic community colleges and universities are now receiving the same level of state funding as they received in 1997.”
How about an increase? That’s the question.
And, another, “help us get more members” question:
Would you support efforts to improve the pay, benefits and working conditions of part-time and non-tenured faculty and staff at Illinois state universities and community colleges?”
But, don’t get the idea that the IFT is dedicated to the part-time faculty.
The very next question, on page 5, asks whether support would be forthcoming to require that 75% of the courses at junior colleges and universities be taught by full-time faculty.
When my father was on the first McHenry County College Board, his goal was to find people in the community who were highly skilled in their fields, who—as a public service—would agree to teach. The vision was that people could be induced to teach whom the college could in no way afford to compensate commensurate with their skill and knowledge level. I think he largely lost the fight to those who had less vision.
To return to McHenry County Blog, click here.
# posted by Cal Skinner : 5:56 PM
