75% of Auburn teachers say they are considering leaving their jobs, cite pay as the reason

AUBURN - The Auburn Education Association (AEA) recently surveyed its members and found 75% have considered leaving teaching. Of those who are thinking about leaving, the majority cite pay as the reason. The new data come as the AEA and Auburn Community Unit School District 10 (BOE) are negotiating a new contract with the help of a federal mediator.

"This is a massive warning sign. The numbers are alarming, and parents and community members should be deeply concerned," AEA President Sandy Jones said. "They're not contemplating leaving because they don't like teaching in this community. We are the community - the vast majority of us live here, work here and send our children to school here. Our teachers want to leave because they're not making enough money. We love our students. We love that our schools are the heart of our community. But at some point, we have to put our families and our bottom line first."

The AEA represents more than 70 teachers and other licensed staff in District 10. They serve the more than 1,100 students in Auburn. AEA has been bargaining with the BOE since April. After meeting several times and still failing to reach an agreement, AEA enlisted the help of a federal mediator this month. AEA's current contract expired on June 30, which means all teachers in Auburn are currently working without a contract.

"We are among the lowest paid in Sangamon County," Jones said. "Our teachers are making less money than several of our neighboring districts, including New Berlin, Chatham and Pawnee. If we're not competitive, we are going to continue to lose experienced educators who will just drive down the road to neighboring districts."

AEA's member survey also found:

• 75% of Auburn teachers say they have considered leaving their jobs due to financial reasons.
• 58% of Auburn educators live in the Auburn School District and 73% of those who live in the district have children who attend Auburn schools.
• 53% of Auburn teachers have an additional job to help make ends meet and provide for their families.
• 87% of Auburn teachers say their job has gotten harder in the last five years.
• 76% of Auburn teachers spend at least $200 dollars on supplies for their students' classrooms each year, with nearly a third spending $400 or more.

"The numbers don't lie. We're beyond committed to this community. We live here. We work here. We send our children to school here. We pay taxes here and spend our money here. We are Auburn," Jones said.

Federal mediation is the first step before a legal strike under the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act (IELRA). If an agreement still cannot be reached with the help of a federal mediator, then the public posting process will be initiated. Most recent offers are posted publicly and teachers could go on strike 10 days later.

The first date for federal mediation is set for this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. For more information, check out the AEA Facebook page here.

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The 135,000 member Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA) is the state's largest union. IEA represents Pre K-12 teachers outside the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.

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