JustBnice- provied a link that shows hundreds of teachers in Janesville making 70,000+ a year. Plus benifits and overtime I think it's safe to say a husband wife makes a $150K a year plus benefits.

yeah- more whining.

wislady: Is the money you put into retirement from your employer? With your rationale it's not your money it's your employers even though you may have earned it! Teachers employers pay them to do a job. Once paid it is their money! End of Story!

@truthteller and Sigma and others who say "Fire them all": I sincerely hope that the next time you ask for a raise your boss responds with "You're fired!"

@osborn4: Your ignorance of the state circuit court system is truly astounding.

Had to laugh the day after the ruling I was on a flight & the people in front of me were talking about how all the contracts throughout the state would get reopened. I just wanted to yell - have you idiots ever heard of a stay? Greed, greed, greed. Just curious if teachers will ever be happy with their compensation. It's a lot better than most Americans. Really tired of the belly aching.

Teachers need to learn that people in the private industry pay for these increases and salary. It does'nt grow on trees.

What it comes down to is those in the private sector have been taking it in the shorts for years. Now those in the public sector who the private sector employs have to pay a little extra. Stop your crying or please do us a favor and quit. I am sure that some of the unemployed would love to fill your vacancy.

Truth - I teach in Janesville, nice try; the top with a doctorate tops out at 72,000. Please stop the lies!!

WHOA. Wow some of these comments are pretty harsh. My guess is many people here are really jealous because they lack the skills or the opportunity to make the wages and benefits teachers do. If you make teaching a poorly paid job with no benefits, why would any college kid, or anyone for that matter, want to teach? You ask a teacher to get a bachelor's degree and then a master's degree (and in most cases take out tens of thousands of dollars in student loans) and you want to pay them like they only have a high school education. That's ridiculous. Teachers should have high wages and great benefits to attract the best and brightest college students. If you strip teachers of wages and beneifts, then you should cut back on the requirements needed to teach. Let the kid with a D+ average and no college education teach your kids and grandkids so it saves a few bucks. Bottom Line. The more education a person has, the more money and benefits they should get. When you require someone to have a bachelor's degree and then require continuing education credits, you better be compensating them. It sends a good message to the youth and to those who failed to get the message. When you work hard at school and get a good education, you can make a comfortable living. Otherwise what is the point of getting a degree? Teachers make a difference. Regardless of the economic situation.

Don't complain about having to pay more. I pay $170 a week, A WEEK, for insurance benefits and I make almost $14/hr. Benefits for us "regular" people aren't as spectacular as county workers.

truthteller find out how much at http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/dataond...

Milton, I have no idea what teachers make in Milton but the ones in Janesville make 75-100K with about ten years tenure.

Nobody hates teachers unless they give too much homework. But, in saying that, teachers, like everybody else, need to pay their fair share. If it means that teachers have to pay more for their benefits so be it, the general public pays more as well as for the teacher benefits. All that is really asked is that teachers teach, students learn and we don't all end up in deep doo-doo because we spend more then we have. Kicking the can down the road doesn't solve the problem, just pro-longs it. Don't accuse me of hating teachers just because I have an opinion that disagrees with yours. That in its self is disrespectful.

Fire them all. Let the National Guard takeover teaching.

A pre-negotiation rally is being planned at the clock tower.

I work for DPW and my wife drives bus, but thanks for the assumption. I do not live beyond my means. I am unhappy about the loss of wages, you would be too. Please point out the part where I was out of touch with reality. I do not know where your hatred comes from.

Outdoors - WELCOME TO REALITY and what the rest of us have to pay!! Now instead of living beyond your means, you'll have to budget your money. You will now know what it feels like.

truth teller - please start telling the truth or change your name!! My spouse and I are teachers and combined we make around $100,000 and that is after 15 years of teaching and masters degrees. So I'm sure you get your numbers from Walker and Koch, but please get real!!

Just like that activist judge in Dane county, you better get used to hearing this. NO!

Stand your ground, Karen.

Osborn4 the judge's decision is effective state-wide unless it is overturned by a higher court. Cases against the State are usually filed in Dane County because that is where the State Capitol is.

Outdoors- if you both are teachers you bringing in $150,000-$200,000 plus benefits and overtime for 9 months work. Man I feel sorry for you having to pay 12%. Your 12% is about what a full time factory worker makes at $15 an hour with very poor benefits. My god how do you make it on this wage!! How about you give your mailing address and we can send you donations? WOW you are living in a dream world.

the best thing for any teacher in Janesville to do is to move on as soon as possible. what a hostile city toward their teachers. leave, let's see this theory of lower wages and less benefits attracting the best and brightest put to the test!!

Quick question, is it possible to love your job and want to make a good wage for doing it? Just because teachers want to make a decent wage for their work, doesn't make them bad teachers or persons. I suspect that if many of you were facing the losses they are, you wouldn't be happy about it. For those that have lost in this economy, are you happy about it? So why jump on them for not liking it?

"(due to retirement contributions)"

It is still YOUR money when you retire, most of us put OUR own money into our retirement funds.

The teacher haters are out in full force, I see.

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"Fire them all" - yeah - that's the ticket. How dare they ask for a contract! The nerve.

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"fancy vacations all summer" - yeah, like to Wisconsin Dells or maybe even camping in a national park somewhere. Teachers shouldn't expect to make enough money to take their families on vacation, should they? Why should they even own homes? We need to keep those public employees "in their place" or they'll start getting all uppity.

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Really, people, are you reading your own rhetoric? Why wouldn't teachers want to take the opportunity offered to them to get a contract instead of a handbook. Everyone would and should want that. The district won't bargain with them..they won't even talk to them about the handbook. No, the power-hungry board is going to drive all the good teachers right out of Janesville. Time to exercise some "school choice", parents, and get while the getting is good.

The term save money and unions don't even belong in the same conversation. Just keep saying it's all about the kids, I and many others know it is about You!

"Teachers union President Dave Parr said the unions’ offer would benefit both sides as well as students and save the district “millions of dollars.”

like the students are an afterthought...the unions' true colors are showing...oh yeah, timing is suspect too...shove a contract through before act 10 goes into affect and now they see a glimmer of hope before that one expires, NOW they want to negotiate again after refusing to do so previously...education should NOT be like a business where the whole point is to make money, but to educate.

Um... no!

Let's wait until the final appeal on Act 10 is finished so we don't waste taxpayer (and teachers are taxpayers too) money re-re-re-negotiating contracts. Representative Joe Knilans gave them a second chance and they turned it down. We can wait until the contract they signed runs its course.

My wife and I are public employees. Because of the changes brought about by Act 10 we will be receiving a 12 percent household pay cut next year (due to retirement contributions). With the loss of collective bargaining we will be at our employers mercy for increase co-pays and wage cuts with our only recourse being "take it or quit" (quitting would not be good for our children). Those of you that are so harsh on the blogs, please put yourself in our shoes. I believe my post was tactful so if responding, please be respectful.

Sax, who do you think the union is? The union is its members, not some organization that sits off in the distance and makes decisions. So it is the teachers asking for this, not some obscure group.
As far as the call last night, the union officials are on strike so all the “good union” people have a choice. They can either watch football and the “scabs” they so vehemently hate, or they can do the real “union thing” and not watch any professional football, support your union brothers.
How many union workers did not watch the game last night in support of the striking referees? BTW they are not good referees but that is another blog.
Now back on track, I agree to make statements that will save millions but then not be able to back it up is nothing but dust in the wind.

First off, no where in this article does it talk about the teachers, so let's keep them out of it. It is the union requesting changes.
Second, I think it is fairly clear that the dust should be aloud to settle before any new contracts are negotiated. Anything else is either bad business or bad blood.

Right on osborn4 and IvoteIspeak!! My thoughts exactly!

How are they going to "save millions of dollars"? I would imagine they would be asking for a raise, so how would that save the district millions? Are there plans to cut certain programs or supply less materials to save money or ask parents to chip in more so the district doesn't have to? I guess just as long as their wallets keep getting fatter it doesn't matter.

I say open and take alot away. If teachers are so "poor" boo hoo! I know teachers and all they do is post pictures all summer long of their exotic trips every year. I dont know about you but with my taxes constantly going up and working 12 months out of the year I had to vacation in Wisconsin this year. All the ones I have met have a nice house, a new car, and only work 9 months out of the year.

Yeah, those teachers in Chicago were thinking of the kids. What they were asking for had NOTHING to do with the children.

And, the law was only overturned in Dane county. Other circuits would have to overturn it individually or it has to be overturned at the state level. A Dane county circuit judge cannot overturn the law for the entire state.

Look foolish?? It's way beyond that! How about the union guys at the Badger game this weekend spewing profanity at Govenor Walker? In front of little kids!! My brother did the classy thing and thanked Scott for being our Govenor and asked him to sign his sons ticket- which he did with a smile.

Don't be too quick to put "shame" on the teachers.
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The Scott Walker "Perfect Storm" has served as a wake up call to many local teachers unions.
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BTC Faculty for example, came to an agreement a year ago by virtue of accepting co-payments on benefits exactly to the numbers of Walkers act 10 profiles... Their contract will expire soon and nobody knows what will happen after that..
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But the point is that if the unions want to exist beyond the current limited scope, they will need to set an example of recognizing realities that they have been too stiff necked to face during the Doyle administration.
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Schultie is right to want guidelines... The union is right also (if they are truely willing to compromise)... Only time will tell.
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But this constant bad-mouthing by supporters of both sides is chasing after the wind.

Kidsfirst, the teachers are the ones that should be ashamed! We all have to take a hit in these hard times and they are making the rest of us hard worker do it all- shame on me? I THINK NOT!!!

I'm skeptical about them wanting to open the contract to SAVE the district money, instead of wanting something from it. Believe it when I see it.

We all saw last night how the replacements are never as good as the originals. And yet, we still have people writing things like , "fire the lot of them" and "unions are the demise of this nation." Irony at its best.

The union won't come to the table when the district asked. Now this? Shame on you Dave Parr. SHAME!

I think they were saying - HIRE a lot of them. They should because they are the ones working so hard with our children in schools. Don't sound like Walker & demonize them.
"Gov Walker - Fact V Fiction"

http://www.madisonteachers.org/2012/05/1...

Union BUSTING is what Walker wants...Red State..DIVIDE AND CONQUER. He is playing politics with the lives of people. A man that did not FINISH his own education is not a quality voice for education.

"Caught On Tape Walker Plans For A Single Party State"

http://truth-out.org/news/item/9079-caug...

"WI Governor Signs Budget Cutting Education 1.85 BILLION" (all from a man with no education.)

http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-250_162-2007...

I say fire them all also. Unions are the demise of the nation and they run our education system....how nice is that?

An employer should "walk the talk." Studer principles include employee satisfaction, appreciation and recognition for work well done, providing the tools the employee needs to do the job well, and open, honest relationships in the workplace.

truthteller, comments such as yours discourage and offend. We need to be working together to find solutions. As adults, we cannot afford to use childish emotional responses to what we don't like. Your comment sounded like something an immature tyrant would shout.

Fire the lot of them!