Hoping to stem a tide of retirements similar to what the experienced last spring, the Greendale School Board plans to allow qualified future retirees to lock in benefits they earned before 'Act 10' went into effect.
Governor Walker's controversial budget repair bill took effect in June 2011, ending the current collective bargaining agreements in Wisconsin. Across the state, many teachers opted to retire rather than face increases in health insurance costs or reductions in benefits.
Nineteen Greendale staff members retired at the end of the 2010-11 school year, up from an average yearly retirement of five-to-ten employees in the district. That echoed a trend statewide, as data from the Wisconsin Retirement System showed that state public school retirements in 2011 were nearly double those from 2009 and 2010 - 4,935 compared to 2,417 and 2,527 respectively.
Currently there are 31 employees in the Greendale School District who were employed fifteen or more years as of June 30, 2011 making them eligible for the level of benefits available prior to the enactment of the 'Act 10' legislation. The benefit would be frozen at the amount each retiree was eligible for on that date.
Years (FTE) Benefit (% of 2010-11 Contract Rate) 15 70% 16 73% 17 76% 18 79% 19 82% 20 85% 21 88% 22 91% 23 94% 24 97% 25 100%The cost to the district is estimated to be $2 million over the course of those retirements.
School district administrators recommended at the December 19 school board meeting that the board commit to honoring the retirement benefits for those employees who are eligible.
Director of Business Services for the school district, Erin Green, said, "We want teachers to feel confident they don't need to leave this year because they are at risk of losing benefits they've earned."
She went on to explain that this will help with staffing planning throughout the district.
The board voted unanimously to honor the teacher severance benefit commitment although the district has not decided when or how the benefit would be paid out.
Isn't that EXACTLY what Scott Walker said would happen all along??? And so why are people trying to recall him???
Scott Walker is not a good steward of our state.
This is why WEAC and other public unions have to try and act now to recall Scott Walker, because they know if they wait until the regular election people will know the truth that teachers, taxpayers, and students are better off under his reforms.
You have no actual response to what I posted regarding how Scott Walker's reforms have allowed many school districts (like Greendale) in the State of Wisconsin to maintain the same level of teaching staff during a period of recession, so therefore you attack me personally. Very typically of the recall crowd. I'm surprised you didn't also throw out Koch Brothers in your response, since personal attacks and parroting "Koch Brothers" is usually the full depth of liberal thought.
And these "lavish benefits" that the conservatives are talking about include a $4,000 deductible in the teachers' health care plan here in Greendale. But instead of complaining that teachers receive "better" benefits than most private sector employees (who make an average salary of 10%) why not look at how we can ensure that better benefits are sought for all working-class people. - i.e. . . . form or join a union or fight for single-payer health care.
Also, and more importantly, you left out the fact those staff choosing the $4,000 deductible ALSO received $3,500 (each year) in a health savings account, which all but eliminates the actual cost of the high deductible plan for the employee. The money in the health savings account cannot be taking away from the employee and is theirs to keep even into retirement. Really not a bad deal at all.
And I'm not implying those additional classes still aren't valuable, because they are. But I don't see it the same as a person in the private sector who earned an undergraduate degree in business, and then goes on to earn an MBA, or a nurse who chooses to go back to school to become a physician's assistant. And I think that is what the difference in salary is largely reflecting.
As for "Greendale was ALREADY meeting the fiscal requirements" here also you are only partially correct (and that is being kind to you). Prior to Act 10 teachers in Greendale were paying about 8% of health insurance cost, and of course under Act 10 it is now 12%. As for retirement, prior to Act 10 the Greendale District was paying the ENTIRE cost (employer & employee contribution), now staff pay half of that amount (employee portion).
If you want to compare private and public salaries, make sure that the comparison is really apples to apples. In my community, the private elementary school teachers earn only about 70-80% of what the public elementary school teachers (at the same experience level) earn.