Cayne Collier: Does Arne Duncan need a parent teacher conference?

Cayne Collier: Does Arne Duncan need a parent teacher conference?

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Arne Duncan at a hearing in 2009. (Flickr/House Committee on Education)
Comedian Cayne Collier takes a look at a new investigation by the Better Government Association that reveals that the city is losing money handing out back vacation pay to employees. But according to Collier, these payouts might have a silver lining we’re not looking at. Read an excerpt or listen below:

Halfway through the school year, Chicago Public Schools has already made headlines: by announcing a $700 million deficit, by rescinding - in light of the deficit - an expected four percent pay raise to teachers this year, [by engaging in a] drawn out public battle with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who seems like he’d give half a finger from his other hand to make the school days longer.

Well now comes this: Late last week, the first report by the Better Government Association’s Education Watch Series, revealed that since 2006, CPS paid out $265 million for unused sick and vacation days, with the largest chunk, $227 million, going to longtime employees for days accrued over two to three decades. That’s a lot of time.

The story made national headlines when the report showed that U.S. Secretary of Education and former CEO of Chicago Public Schools Arne Duncan, when leaving for the White House in 2009 after seven years in that position, took with him $50,297 in unused vacation pay by benefit of this policy.

Somebody needs a parent teacher conference.

cayne collier.mp3

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