What People are Saying about District 300 Teacher Strike
Facebook site generates pro and con comments.
Just like any issue nowadays, social media is playing an interesting role in the District 300 teachers strike as people sound off on Facebook.
LEAD 300 announced its membership will be on strike Tuesday. District 300 and the union have been negotiating a contract for months but things came to a head Monday and talks stalled.
The union is keeping its membership and the public updated on the progress on its Facebook page, which has generated pro and con comments from the public.
Here’s a sample of what people are saying:
LEAD 300 Posted: Colonial Cafe is offering 20% to all D300 strikers.
Responses: “Looks like I never eat there again."
“That is the beauty of free enterprise system. You can eat, or not eat, wherever you like-- and nobody really cares.”
“Off our purchase or towards the loss of salary??”
“You are too funny. Oooops you are a teacher making 88,767 a year approx, most likely more as it was posted two years ago most likely 90-93k per year. So free enterprise means kill the small guy because you are getting yours. That was a great response from you!”
LEAD posted: “The administration has a $55 million dollar fund balance that they do not want to use.”
Responses: “I can almost guaruntee that this is wrong.”
“I can absolutely guarantee your spelling is wrong.”
“Ohhhh burn.”
“English teacher, I'm guessing.”
“So spend all of the 55million and have nothing in reserve. THAT WOULD BE SO SMART!”
“I am not a teacher but a parent of four children, three of whom have graduated from D300 and one who is a senior at Jacobs. As a parent I have been witness to the hard work, dedication and commitment teachers in this district have for all our children. I now the long lasting effects that a great teacher has on his/her students because my adult children have told me on more than one occasion how a teacher has impacted their lives. I can take credit for the educational success of my children, but I would only be fooling myself. I did not do it alone. I had some wonderful men and women working together with me, helping me mold and create productive citizens who will go into this world and hopeful make a difference.
LEAD 300 posted: The strike announcement
Responses: “The community supports you.”
“Thank you parents for your support!”
“Joanne, not all of the community supports this strike. Please don't speak for all of us.”
“Again, to several posters here, can you please stop using ‘WE’ in your support. You do not speak for me and many other parents who are feel this strike is about nothing more than greed.”
Gary Kerlagon
9:00 am on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
I will personally never again support a business that supports this strike. Teachers have a right. And I have a right to hold them in contempt for the disruption to the parents and children.
Beth
9:57 am on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
I hope the work of the teachers leads to a better learning environment for our children. We would all benefit from smaller class sizes
Laura
12:33 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
The issue of class room sizes has been agreed upon and resolved...this strike is clearly about greed for money. News flash teachers...we don't have any more money to give you another raise. Our taxes are too high and as a home owner, the value of my home has decreased...my income has decreased. I can not afford to give you another raise. Look around your neighborhoods, there are homes that have foreclosed, meaning no revenue for that house. Enough of the greed and live within your means....as a tax payer paying your salary I have had to.
Tricia Sternberg
10:19 am on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Wow, it is SAD there are people like Gary out there. These TEACHERS are with our children more waking hours in a day then WE ARE! Disruption? Seriously???? And you think a class with 37 students is not a DISRUPTION! TEACHERS have our support 110%!!!
d300parent
5:49 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
You say it like EVERY class has 37 students. At our school only 2 have that many students (which is aweful for sure), the majority have about 25. They agreed to the smaller class sizes anyway so what are we talking about here - MONEY! YOU tell me where the money is coming from!!!! With all the foreclosures on my street and my home almost being one of them - WE CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY THEM. Will you pay the increase in MY property taxes?????
East Sider
10:51 am on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Sorry Colonial. My family will not eat at any of your establishments again.
This strike is an underhanded way to get more money by the union. The offer from the board is very fair!
They have offered to reduce class sizes and hire more teachers. The union is asking for the class size numbers reduced "on paper" while at the same time wants to not only keep raking in the extra pay checks for teachers with overloaded classes, but raise that pay amount. By doing this the district would now be paying MORE teachers the "extra overload" pay. Sorry teachers you don't get to lower the class size and raise the pay at the same time!!
d300parent
5:50 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
I TOO WILL NO LONGER EAT AT COLONIAL CAFE. NOW, WE WILL BE THE ONES STRIKING AGAINST YOUR ESTABLISHMENT!
Bobbi S
10:52 am on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Its a vicious circle. Teachers get more pay, residents pay more taxes, residents work more hours to pay taxes/salaries and less time parenting. Then teachers expect more money and smaller class sizes to cope with have to spend more time "parenting". When does it end??
JT
12:09 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
I couldn't care less what unions and private employers agree to. If their products or services are too expensive due to union wages and benefits and/or corporate greed, I'm free to do without them or shop elsewhere.
Union public employees' wages and benefits are quite another matter. If I don't like the cost of their services, I can't change providers, and if I don't pay, the county takes my house.
Laura
12:43 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
The issue of class room sizes has been agreed upon and resolved...this strike is clearly about greed for money. News flash teachers...we don't have any more money to give you another raise. Our taxes are too high and as a home owner, the value of my home has decreased...my income has decreased. I can not afford to give you another raise. Look around your neighborhoods, there are homes that have foreclosed, meaning no revenue for that house. Enough of the greed and live within your means....as a tax payer paying your salary I have had to.
Gloria Casas
12:45 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
LEAD 300 posted on their Facebook page that Colonial is not taking sides on the strike and often offers groups discounts. So go ahead and have a kitchen sink.
East Sider
2:16 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Thank you for the update on Colonial.
Dan Arenov
2:22 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
too bad. Colonial stuck their foot in it when they probably should've kept it out. Maybe they should also offer a discount to all pissed off taxpayers who are upset about the teachers striking for higher wages at this point in time. There are more of 'us' than there are of 'them'.
and by the looks of some of those teachers, i think they're probably very familiar with the Colonial kitchen sink.
d300parent
5:52 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
They should offer free lunches for all the kids off school while the strike is going on!
Dana_Lu
2:41 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
I think what bothers me most about this strike is the bad-mouthing between sides. Name calling does not, in any way, help with contract negotiations ... and it's happening on both sides. Didn't we get enough of that with the Presidential election?
cynthia
3:57 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Go to the McHenry County Blog and read the real numbers and all the great factual comments there.
Fire them all, bust the union, and bring in the charter schools.
d300parent
5:53 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Sounds good to me! I am all for that!
Laura
4:23 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
I agree Cynthia, fire them all. There are plenty of highly educated available teachers willing to take a pay of $86,000 a year and would be thankful to have a job. These people in district 300 should be ashamed of themselves. They are greedy, selfish individuals that are clearly only thinking of themselves. Shame on all of those picketing.
D300 Parent
4:43 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
So much for Speaking with Good Purpose, those wonderful 8 keys of Excellence constantly spoken about in the schools...I've lost count how many of them have been broken during these negotiations...those keys must be an example of "listen to what I say, not as I do."
cynthia
6:20 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Thnaks Laura,
Its not just the good pay but its all those benfits like a life time pension that they didn't even pay for..To be off work for the summer and all the holidays..Neither me or my husband have had raises in five years. And we are educated professionals.
I am no longer willing to fund all of this greed and waste.
Mike Tully
8:15 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
If the teacher's don' like their pay. PLEASE quit and I'm sure many people who have their teaching degree will be more than happy to take their job at half the pay and benefits. When the money is not there, it's not THERE. The state has no money and the residents of D300 are already overpaying on their real estate taxes. I know thier insurance and pension benefits are way better than mine!
Olivia Vlahos
2:09 am on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
http://oliviadis.blogspot.dk/2012/12/denmarks-influence-on-my-view-of-d300.html