Leyden Council Meeting Thursday, November 12, 2009

1. Leyden Council Meeting Thursday, November 12, 2009

2. The District’s Financial Health • Revenues currently match or exceed expenditures • District worries that expenditures will outpace revenue • $43 Million Reserve (savings) • Not currently deficit-spending, but projections indicate that we will be as soon as next year • Union’s original proposal of step and modest raises (0, 1, 1, 2) DID NOT deplete reserve completely • Reserves will not be depleted in the life of this contract

3. The District’s Financial Health • Looking to reduce expenditures, district has turned to salary and benefits • Salary and benefits are a large slice of the “pie”

4. The District’s Financial Health:Questions • Relevant questions before you vote: • How should the current economy affect our salaries or salary schedules? • How does the district’s financial picture affect our acceptance or rejection of a “stepless” schedule?

5. Offering a Responsible Plan • In response to concern of declining revenues • Proposed 0% Raises to overall structure • Have come within $58,000 of the district proposal (.5% difference) • In response to irregular “steps” • Have modified step system, making it consistent • All of the district’s proposals have included an elimination of step, but have included a consistent % raise for everyone, and a guarantee that no one will be taking home less $

6. Offering a Responsible Plan:Questions • Relevant questions before you vote: • What does the total package look like? Are there other benefits that help offset the salary issues? • Have we done enough in the name of responsibility?

7. Preserving Quality • What is “step”? • Guaranteed compensation for a year of experience • Tied to each year of teaching

8. Preserving Quality

9. Preserving Quality (3.25% on Base)

10. Let’s assume a 0% Base Raise

11. Preserving Quality • What is “step” worth in our schedule? • Averages 3.5% • Unequal % throughout schedule • What does “step” have to do with quality? • Our current overall “top $” of our schedule is effective in drawing and retaining new teachers • Step Dollars in First 5 Years – Leyden salaries increase more through step than many other districts – this is only part of the picture

12. Preserving Quality • Why is compensation “automatic” with each year of experience? • Experience matters; instructional deficit in the first year • No other reliable measure exists

13. Preserving Quality • What happens if a district fails to adequately compensate experience? • Teachers come, earn experience, and go • Instruction and achievement may suffer • Other districts in Illinois may follow suit

14. Preserving Quality • Isn’t the board’s proposal just a reduced “step” percentage? • NO • Makes “step” negotiable • Eliminates guarantee of base compensation • May eliminate prospect of future minimum raises • YES • Provides a guaranteed raise over the next four years • Leaves possibility of increasing percentage in later negotiations • Provides a compounding percentage raise for everybody with higher increases for experience • Retains $ incentives for increased graduate degrees and hours

15. Preserving Quality • What happens if the district fails to include current “step”?

16. Preserving Quality • Check Your Step

17. Preserving Quality: Questions • What is “step” worth? • What would result from this change in structure? • What is happening outside the “Leyden Bubble?” • What other benefits do we have that we continue to maintain, while other districts do not have or are cutting?