Delayed Reality

The CPS cut all sophomore sports last spring. But they did not adequately address the financial problem and will lead to an even worse situation later.

Pension Holiday Will Lead to Disaster Later for CPS

Last spring, the CPS was in such a financial quandry that they had to take dramantic cuts so they cut sophomore sports for the Spring of 2010. So to avert cuts again in this school year, the CPS had to come up with a solution.

To help supposedly help solve this problem, CPS policy makers came up with a clever idea called Pension Holidays. However, the reality of this idea is that it is not a holiday. A better word would be a delayed disaster. See, what the CPS did with this Pension Holiday was actually shift what they owe today and owe it later. So they have bills now and instead of paying those bills now, they simply said we are going to pay them at a future date.

Without going into too much technical jargon, here is the best way I can explain this.

In the spring of 2010, the CPS owed a whole bunch of money to the teachers pension system. Instead of addressing the financial problem head on by doing things like balancing the budget or renegotiating pension benefits (which I admit are very difficult to do), CPS policy makers came up with this pension holiday gimmick. The Holiday simply reduced over 1.2 billion dollars in CPS contributions over the next 3 years. They call this the holiday period because the CPS does not have to pay the 1.2 billion for the next 3 years. But a surprise awaits when the holiday is over. The reality hits the CPS again but when that surprise comes, they will be in a bigger financial mess when they started it.

It would be like going to a trip to Vegas. Partying, gambling, having a great time. All paid on high interest credit cards. You have a great time while in vegas, but when you get back if you don't have your financial house in order, you'll have a hard time paying the bills.

That is what the CPS has done with this pension holiday. When it is time to pay the bills, reality sets in and this time the reality will not be as pleasant. Retirees will want their pensions, unions will want their pay increases, teachers will want to keep class sizes low, parents will want to see the quality of education up, and kids will want their sports.

Here is my prediction. If the CPS does not come up with real solutions that addresses the core of the matter (over paid pension benefits to retirees, underfunded pensions, etc), the CPS will be forced to take even more drastic cuts. This includes major cuts to sports, coaching, facilities, etc.  Don't say I didn't warn everyone.

Related
Chicago Tribune: Politicians helped bring Chicago's public pension funds to the brink of insolvency

CPS Sports blog: Amageddon, All Sophomore Sports Suspended/Cut in CPS

Graphic: Chicago Pensions

 

Comments

[Prosser's Ken Hunter 'robbing' CPS]

Another 'money waster' in CPS is principal salaries, especially in CPS buildings which house three separate schools with three separate principals and a 'boatload' of assistant principals. One example is the CPS building which houses Senn HS, Senn's Academic Achievement HS, and Rickover Naval Academy HS.

And, another example, are principals making huge salaries at underperforming schools like Prosser Career Academy HS...

I think a good follow-up to the Sun-Times article on what CPS principals get paid would be to tie in each school's test scores with principals' salaries to see if the principals have improved their schools and earn their salaries.

Take Prosser's Principal, Kenneth Hunter, and from what I understand this is the 8th year Prosser hasn't improved their numbers. Yet, he was given a new 4-yr contract. Here are Prosser numbers:

http://schools.chicagotribune.com/school/prosser-career-academy-high-school_chicago#psae

Also, another article could be on the principal's total compensation and not only the $154,920 listed in the newspaper...again, see Prosser's Principal Kenneth Hunter

Full Name Kenneth Hunter
Position Title Principal
Job Title Principal
Department Name Charles Allen Prosser Car Acd
Annual Salary 154920.86
7% Pension Contribution 10844.46
Employer Pension 16576.53
Medicare 2246.35
Est. Medical Benefits 9533
Sick/Vacation Days Payout 3563.18
Unemployment Ins. 1161.91
Workers Comp. 1859.05
Total 200705.34

[More Bad Numbers from Prosser]

Here's more Prosser numbers and they ain't good folks

http://labs.suntimes.com/reportcards/advance/callTemplate/all/150162990250534

[1 school - 3 principals]

1 school - 3 principals. It is this kind of irresponsible decision making that is going to lead to the demise of the CPS. I hope the CPS cuts sports, they deserve it.

[north side johnny]

the whole point of the "1 school - 3 principals" idea was that non-Asian-minorities could not score as well on tests because they attended overly large schools. Some brainiac somewhere determined that scores would go up if these students attended smaller schools. Bottom line; itz been proven that school size and money has nothing to do with student test scores, but administrators have to show that they are doing something so they constantly re-arrange the deck chairs.

[entrenched]

What the h*** is the Senn Academic Acheivement Academy and the Rickover Academy. If the intention was to make smaller schools to rise academic achievement. Then that goal has failed. It is time to scrap the whole idea of smaller schools. It does nothing but make more needless principal and administrator salaries.

That is what is wrong with the education system in the CPS. Some unknown bureaucrat make these real life decisions with real life implications, because he thinks it is a good idea. When the idea bombs there is no accountability and tax payers are left with the expensive bills. In the corporate world, someone who made these boneheaded decisions would have been fired, or they would have scrapped the idea before it wastes the company's money even more.

The problem with the CPS, is that once the grow and make Rickovers and the Senn Academic Achievement Academy, it is impossible to get rid of it.

The CPS need someone with balls to get rid of wasteful and stupid ideas some people make.

[Bernardo]

The attack on Ken Hunter at Prosser is blatantly unfair. You can't rate a principal or a teacher simply on the basis of student test scores. Any competent ed researcher will tell you that as will the test makers themselves. Such a policy would simply reward educators who scored jobs in the selective enrollment schools. Hunter does a fine job in an under-resourced school with needy kids and families.

[Bernardo]

Hey Entrenched. You're dead wrong about the corporate world. There, incompetence and corruption are rewarded with giant bonuses--now at taxpayers expense. Get real.

[Educated]

Bernardo, thats why you would not base him purely off of raw scores. You would base it off of the improbvement in scores seen in that region....the only problem is, this doesn't work as long as northside preps and such exist...hence back to the beginning of the problem...yeah. You cant base salaries on grades as long as magnet schools exist.

It's kind of like coaching. If you can build up a kid, at least in football on the north side, and he has a legit shot to play college, if his parents are smart, he will be moving.

For a good example, see the running back from KP. From what I have heard, he either already moved, or is getting ready to right now.

[Time for change]

They need to cut Sports Administration (huge salaries) and let the schools' ADs & Principals figure their extra-curricular activities.

They also need to
co-op many of the teams at schools that really have no business having individual teams. How many football programs are there in the city that have 15-50 players in the whole program? Too many. They have players playing on the varsity, soph, and freshmen teams during the week. Crazy. Pool the players together.

CPS should not be funding or providing for Charter School programs. If these private or outside entities think that they can do it better than what is provided by the PS system then they should be on their own. Take them out of the conferences, do not provide them with public money. BTW, on the average Charter School scores are not improving on the schools that they are replacing. For the most part, they are a scam.

[I agree with Time for change]

"They need to cut Sports Administration (huge salaries) and let the schools' ADs & Principals figure their extra-curricular activities.

They also need to
co-op many of the teams at schools that really have no business having individual teams. How many football programs are there in the city that have 15-50 players in the whole program? Too many. They have players playing on the varsity, soph, and freshmen teams during the week. Crazy. Pool the players together.

CPS should not be funding or providing for Charter School programs. If these private or outside entities think that they can do it better than what is provided by the PS system then they should be on their own. Take them out of the conferences, do not provide them with public money. BTW, on the average Charter School scores are not improving on the schools that they are replacing. For the most part, they are a scam."

Well said, well said indeed.

[Hunter isn't GREAT!]

@Bernardo

Ha! Hunter has fooled you too! Hunter is constantly under some kind of CPS Investigation for misappropriation of funds and hiring underquailifed people to work at Prosser.

In fact, one of the reasons for low test scores is he has 'pal' in Jeffrey Bates work as the Prosser admissions rep and recruiter. Bates doesn't have a college degree or diploma, teaching experience, or the proper credentials to be working in his positions.

Also, Prosser's scores should be considerably better than what they are considering they're an academy and get to choose their students, unlike neighborhood schools that gets the leftovers from Prosser and other magnet schools, academies, and selective enrollment schools.

The only three reason Hunter is stil at Prosser is:

- One he has some kind of 'hookup' to the Daley machine

- Two, forces his teachers to 'teach to test' (ACT) in their normal classrooms. Hell, Hunter even takes away 5-7 school days a year from all of the Prosser students by either having students pre-tested on the ACT or 'coached-up' for the ACT. When Hunter does this, he shortens the school day for everyone else not involved in the ACT and its basically lost teaching and learning days.

And, if Hunter is going to take 'slaps on the back' for above CPS average ACT scores at Prosser, then he should be held accountable for all of the scores failing scores Prosser gets as well. EIGHT years is a longggggggg time not have any improvements in other testing areas.

- Three, he gets people on the LSC that are his allies and gets rid of any people that can question him. Thus, allowing for him to continue to be given new contract after new contract with no opposition. Hell, the one teacher LSC rep is Major Sheppard and he's not even a teacher.

How does that happen?

[different points of views]

Here is the progressive social justice point of view for school reform:

Principles of School Reform:
1. *Public schools are responsible to the community, not to the marketplace.
2. *Schools must be actively multicultural and anti-racist, promoting social justice for all.
3. *Curriculum must be geared to learning for life and the needs of a multicultural democracy.
4. *All children and all schools must receive adequate resources.
5. *Reform must center on the classroom and the needs of children.
6. *Good teachers are essential to good schools.
7. *Reform must involve collaboration among educators, parents, and the community.
8. *We must revitalize our urban communities, not just our schools.

Here are better more free market ideas for school reform that is in direct contrast to the socialist social justice model:

1. Give parents and students alternatives to poor performing public schools (Charter schools, home schooling, private schools, etc)
2. Schools must be active in promoting opportunity and merit-based ideas for all Americans and individuals without regard to race. We view CPS students as Americans not as disparate groups.
3. Curriculum should be geared towards enhancing the individual and the family.
4. All children and schools must be given the OPPORTUNITY to succeed.
5. Good parents and individual success is key to schools.
6. Reform is best made at the lowest possible level. That is teacher level, student level, and parent level. Centralized decision making is inefficient.
7. Focus on building the individuals faith, hope, and charity not a bigger more controlling school bureaucracy.

[Hunter should work for the Cubs]

Hunter shoul;d be working for the Cubs as they don't produce either, keep wanting taxpayers to pay for their financial messes, and are overpaid

[No gooda for Prosser]

$156K + low test scores = Hunter

[City Fan]

Family plays the largest role in a student's motivation to learn. Get your houses in order. Do not put it all on a principal.

[Hunter is a colossal failure]

Hunter knew going in that 72% of black babies and 52% of hispanic babies are born to unwed mothers and you can't give him a break because of family situations...c'mon gimme a break about no responsibility for low test scores doesn't fall in Hunter's lap....Hunter's had EIGHT FUCKING YEARS TO GET HIS NUMBERS UP AND HASN'T.......

[Give me a viable solution, I dare you.]

"Do not put it all on a principal."

I think the operative word in the blogger's sentence is "all." Reading is a skill, learn it.

What is your solution?

[subsidy]

The problem with the CPS and colleges is not the students or the parents. It is the government workers. Students and parents all want to do better and make a good lives out of themselves and children. They have no stake in anything - unless it improves their individual situation. By contrast government workers (not teachers), union bosses, and the like success do not depend on success of educated children. Their success is dependent on a bog government, politicians, that feed their union benefits, subsidized public employees.