So Emanuel picked his sacrificial lamb for this debacle. Someone other than Rahm had to take the heat for the strike and the city caving in to the teachers as they held the city hostage.

Everyone related to the deal struck should be gone..... Once again the Unions screw us over..... And the gutless leaders allow them to do it.....

In Chicago HOPE AND CHANGE is now... PACK AND MOVE

He's just a chair on the deck of the Titanic. The fiscal facts on the ground remain the same. Both this city (Chicago) and the state (Illinois) are in a horrendous fiscal meltdown (among the worst in the nation) and within a year or two will be so insolvent they can't pay all their bills any longer (to include bi-weekly/monthly pay checks of all public employees), nor be able to borrow money. It's called "bankruptcy". Both this city and state have already gone over the cliff.......and are merely waiting to smash into the ground below, just like "Wile E. Coyote" in the Roadrunner cartoons.

In other words, eventually this situation will be placed in the receivership hands of a bankruptcy court judge, who will make decisions on how to pay out, monthly, the limited amount of revenue still coming into the city. Bankruptcy laws empower the court and judge to unilaterally decide who gets how much and which cuts are made. There are almost limitless possibilities, combinations, and permutations in ways to do so but in the end it's up to the judge to analyze and decide. Obviously, cuts to public employees' headcount, pay, and benefits will be a significant part of the cutting decisions.

A former governor of Illinois knows that bankruptcy and court intervention (i.e., the above described decision process) is inevitable. He recently said in a public statement that only "bail out" appropriations by the Federal government (Congress) to this city and state can now prevent the inevitable bankruptcy (and eventual court-imposed massive cuts). In other words, residents/taxpayers in other states should pick up the unpaid/unpayable tab run up by Chicagoans and the state of Illinois over the past three decades or so.

You struggle to pay all your bills but you live your life in a fiscally responsible manner. If your next door neighbor went bankrupt due to irresponsible spending and budgeting, would YOU pick up the house mortgage payment for him/her, so that their house didn't get foreclosed? What if he/she pleaded with you, tearfully? Should he/she be allowed to suffer the extremely painful consequences of years of irresponsible and reckless fiscal behavior? That's where all of this is headed. The cities and states that go bankrupt (and there will be many of them) over the coming years will ask, even demand, that those in more decent fiscal shape bail them out. Make no mistake about it. If they are not bailed out by the rest of us, their pain and amount of destroyed lives among them will be horrible. If we bail 'em out, the pain becomes contagious. Interestingly, we won't get to decide the matter.....bankruptcy court judges and elected politicians will be doing that.

something that I find extremely funny (if that is the right feeling) is that in the whole time Barry was "organizing" and held that office representing the South Side - Hyde Park NOTHING got better , it is the same cesspool now that it was then.

Dr. Brizard wants teachers to have accountability and also wants incorporate new ideas into the schools. I wish him well! I think, again, race has nothing to do with what happened in Chicago. It's the unions getting in the way of quality education!

@Song HJ

If what you predict is the future, ie bankruptcy looming within a year or two, then heck, give the teachers a raise and get them back into the classroom so the kids can be properly warehoused so parents can work and pay taxes.

If bankruptcy is the future, raises mean nothing because there will not be sufficient funds to pay them. Same for retirement. Same for salaries of the big boys like the good mayor himself.

Sorry Chicago, Byrd -Benett is a total waste of fresh air. It will only get worse.... Check out her stats from her time in Cleveland........

Rahm is no fool.....He saw in 2010 when the DC Teacher's Union wanted to get rid of DC Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee....They "fired" Mayor Adrian Fenty by electing their hand picked candidate Vincent Gray....

Mayor Fenty supported all the changes and reforms Rhee was making in the DC Schools, getting rid of all the dead wood and the Teacher's Union would have none of that....." IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CHILDREN" !!!

It literally took an Act of Congress to continue the DC Voucher Program...Obama was letting it expire....

" For D.C. students, new hope in revived school voucher
program"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/for-dc-students-new-hope-in-revived-school-voucher-program/2011/06/27/AGRcYDoH_story.html

More recently:

"House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), the authors of legislation that reauthorized and
expanded the Opportunity Scholarship Program, said they had reached an agreement
with the White House to ensure that there would be no cap on enrollment in the
program and that parents can apply to have their children stay in or join the
program and get a response as soon as possible."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-wire/post/dc-school-voucher-program-supporters-strike-deal-with-white-house/2012/06/18/gJQAV8WVlV_blog.html

Why does P.Obama not want poor black children in DC to get a better education than the Union Teachers in Public Schools can give them ????

a "mutual agreement" between Brizard and Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Another victim thrown under Rahms bus. Barry and Rahm have a lot in common. When the heats on find a convenient scape-goat so you can take full advantage of the crisis. You wouldn't want to let a good crisis go to waste.

You bet! They can both sing "Together Again" and then F & B hometown of Chicago will have double trouble!

Mornin' Scooter!

gm jack

And here I thought that human sacrifice had been outlawed.

with her obligatory bag of cash called a pension of course..................

yeah, but now she gets to guess what does Rahm really want? Bet she does the PC thing and she can be his sycophant, until he finds reason that her services are no longer required too. Wonder what euphemism Rahm will use to throw he under the bus when the time comes?

something stupid begining with "while he is a fine...........

Just like Detroit recently, Chicago will be advertising, " Don't visit ".

Are you sure he ain't a pizza?

well his ego is ..extra large.... with extra narcissistic behavior, arrogance and topped with B.S. but no...pizza after all is enjoyable............i can see where some could get confused however.

You're also forgetting the (in)famous "Slices O' Humans" at the Field Museum.

along with those shining models of modern transportation, the damn...er Dan Ryan "Expressway" and O'hare Airport........i try not to think of them....shudder............

SW

Southside they eat soul food

Education is primarily a State and local issue. Luckily Congress can't do much about it.

@Intelligent & Independent: What is your proposal to fix it? We already spend more money per student than any other nation in the world. The Chicago taxpayers already outspend suburban communities on a per student basis. Obviously, more money is not the solution.

The problem is poor parenting and an education system that does not support accountability at any level. Give a good teacher a group of students who have supportive parents and you can teach them in a tent and they would perform better than the students in Chicago.

Eliminate the distractions in the classroom and schools and education will improve. If disruptive students are held accountable for their behavior, the rest of the class will fall in line. Teach the kids that there are no consequences to disruptive behavior and you will get more disruptive students. It's that simple.

The facts are that there are many solutions. But, many teachers unions do not support anything that takes money away from their school or school districts. It really isn't about what's best for the kids.

" They can't continue much longer" ! I certainly hope you are right! It will save all the effort necessary to forcably remove them! Let them take their whinny backsides out into the private sector! They won't last there as long as a snowball in HE!! ! Good riddens, but they will go without their egregious pensions! The pensions are funded at about 50% that's all they get!

sorry there I & I , it is not the responsiblilty of the Congress to "fix" the crappy school systems that progressive hucksters have created , it is the responsibilty of the the states in which the crappy public school systems operate , and the final responsibilty rests with the inhabitants of said states and cities to throw out the progressive hucksters that they have been electing , simple eh?

sorry 'bout stepping on your post Mario 69!!!....change my post to: "what he said!!"

@John Athonde

And what if the voters are too stupid to vote responsibly? What then? Oh, right. We get political dynasties that are even more corrupt that spend the taxpayers money to buy votes to remain in office, as in overpaying for public services or paying salaries and retirement packages that are too rich, or maybe green energy projects that the market does not want, or fighting wars on a credit card billed to the future.

All government is irresponsible because it is not their money that they spend. They even talk of how much a tax cut will cost. Cost? How is cutting taxes an expense? These people are morons.

Basically, we are screwed and we have lost. The bad guys have planned on our destruction and they have won. Education is a joke, so unemployment will remain high and costly. The deficits are large, so taxes will remain high for generations and discretionary income will be reduced, reducing funded demand, and economic activity. More jobs lost.

The only solution is to Fire Them All. Never vote for any incumbents at federal state or local levels. Then audit the books when the new guys come in and prosecute like hell for all wrong doings discovered in the audit. Then things might be different. They could not be worse no matter who got elected.

Just look at Congress for a very good example. Since the Johnson administration, congress has spent the payroll taxes paid into social security, so now they say, gee, the funds are going to run out, so we need to cut social security. Here is a better plan. Cut all congressional pay and benefits and retirement to the average of the workers they represent and then Fire Them All.

"You NO the old saying..." Really? Missed a couple letters there, huh d? Funny you defend the teachers that so obviously failed to educate you. And, by the way... teachers in Chicago make $80K a year for working 6 hours a day 180 days a year, can't be fired, and have a pension for life. On what planet is that "crap?"

Just My Opinion

and you are most certainly welcome to it.......good luck with that.............

dmatthews3 is a teacher and carries the union banner of poor old me I'm worked to death, get off your high horse. 50% grad rate, your not doing your job! Yes we see how these kids are turning out uneducated.

Brussells

On what planet is that "crap?"

Most likely Chicago....as they are a power unto their own.

Brussel Sprouts: You Sir, are an olde and resentful curmudgeon.

Never heard of 'Phonics', huh ? The spuling of werds they whey they soun ? Who r you to disparagus new innovative teckneeks of edjumakashun ?

Bah! I bet you vote for Romney and thet fella Ryan!

P.S. The leeder knows bust, you shood follow his ever werd!

Anon

Never heard of 'Phonics', huh

Yep, you're right, commonly referred to now in "PC talk" as Ebonics, however Phonics is so 20th century. I believe Brussels Sprout was spot on with his comment!

Perhaps you should tone down your vitriolic comments (sorry, I can't seem to get the Ebonics/PC spelling of that word either). Your verbiage might work "on the block" but but not here - or would that "hear"? As in hear what I'm saying?

Phonics are not taught in Chicago Public Schools Anon E Moose. That would mean the children would know how to read and write. Live and learn.

when obama was a community organiser he traded it for some magic beans......

So that's where he got his birth certificate from.

If Elsie the Cow was in Chicago, she would no longer be the "Contented Cow", that's for sure.

And now they want more money.

and just like their lib sister state they will get it.

Extended Play Time you say.

Well then, I'd say it's just preparing the youngin's for their future life, "studying" in High School, Under-grad College, Masters/PhD College, or their post-grad life as unemployed/under-employed (but well-educated) Starbucks Barristas-cum-performace-mime-artistes.

Carry-on, business-as-usual, there's no need to panic, all is well, etc., etc.

Don't know about California, but in Georgia they're there for about seven hours, can't be disciplined by anyone (in-school suspension where all work is done and given a grade is the worst) and have crappy parental supervision.

My significant other (sig o from now on), taught High School English and French for 30 years there and half the students were asleep each period she taught. All she could do was attempt to wake them, but not discipline them. That was her last eight or 10 years.

She retired making a crappy 53k and was so stressed she received disability straight from the get-go. Disability retirement and Social Security. She had a Masters Degree from UGA School of Education, one of the best (check it out) in the nation. She was Student Teacher of the Year, not a beauty contest, in two different school systems. Always taught Rural or Inner City.

Teachers have a tough job. They face classrooms with textbooks seven or eight years old, if not older. No ability to supervise classrooms. Basically holding pens, as put above, for non-achievers. She had to buy supplies each year as the budget was for higher-ups than teachers. Superintendent made nearly 200k and coaches made well over 100k.

No wonder so many people graduate from High School and drop out of College or are unable to complete their first year without multiple remediation courses, and then still won't do the work to, or just can't graduate.

Support teachers, reinstitute basic forms of discipline, pay them commensurate with their abilities, give them fair evaluations, not based on whether the supervisor likes or dislikes that person. My sig o got all excellent evaluations. But she still couldn't teach students who didn't want to learn.

You're all so damned good, teach for a year in any school setting, public or private. You might get your eyes opened.

the highest scoring students students in the world spend less time in school than American students

They live in Finland

Their teachers are paid on par with medical doctors

And they don't let the rich steal all the $

! That might explain Romney's 47%! Teacher unions controlling inner city schools are destroying kids.

your getting the jest of it, add in those who vote for a living and then you see a much bigger picture... course then you will be a racist / hater / teapublican / liar who refuse's to understand that this is all bush's fault.....but yep

If the teachers didn't have a union how could they strike and get a couple of more weeks off each year! With a pay raise. Thats what would happen when I went to school in Chicago!

He's da Fall Guy.

He works for "Da' Mare" after all. Nothing he did, he has to be offered up to the teachers union as the sacrificial lamb. That gives "Da'Mare" some precious tactical room to bargain further w/ the teachers union.

I have to ask though, would you want the Teachers Union to have even more influence over how the City is run ?

Remember these are the same folks who, despite being "educated" and armed w/ advanced degrees, can't (or won't) pass on basic skills like reading and math to children. Epic FAIL to the tune of 70% for all Chicago children.

Typical Progressive tactics, when things go bad, as they always do with Progressive policies, "find someone to throw under the bus" ! I just watched a news Confrence where Carney threw Hillary under the bus with regards to Lybia! I'll bet Hillary is mad that she didn't listen to Bill back in May and quit , and run against Obama!

Fisher:

You are right.

During whole this strike and union agreement, there was no talk about parental involvement. It is like parents have no role. Kid education is like buying a candy to parents. You pay for the candy and enjoy sweet taste.

People know how to make babies. People do not know how raise them to be good citizens.

If it is upto me, people will need license to make babies assuring society that they can raise them.

If they put defective product on the street they should be penalized for liability.

fisher42 you mean the teachers are use to getting their way. The students get NOTHING including an education! The teachers are getting more pay out of this, they say it's for the students, but ask them what did the students get. Better material NO. BETTER TEACHERS NO NO NO!!! The ability to have better teachers NO NO NO!!!! Better class rooms No. Better schools no. Longer days for more education, a little, longer years NO. so what do the children get????

community organizer - tactic - group people together to shake down other people and reward the organizer

organized labor - tactic - group workers together to shake down employers or taxpayers and reward the union bosses

There really is not much difference in community organizing and labor organizing. Both have at their core the desire to redistribute to themselves the wealth earned by others. A very well known community organizer from Chicago actually became president of the united states. What did he do then? He continued the doctrine of putting one faction against another, so redistribution on a much larger scale could be implemented. Nice huh?

No Referendum Provision in Current PA Law for Dissolution/Consolidation of School Districts for Any Body of Electors
918/2011

In Article III, Section 14, the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is found the mandate regarding the General Assembly and education:

Article III Legislation

Public School System
Section 14.

The General Assembly shall provide for the maintenance and support of a thorough and efficient system of public education to serve the needs of the Commonwealth.