THE GEA
The Geneva Education Association aspires to ensure all Geneva students receive the best educational experience possible to build a brighter future.
CONTRACT NEGOTIATION ISSUES
Competitive Compensation
The GEA is committed to creating a competitive compensation package that will help Geneva attract and retain high quality teachers to continue the tradition of excellence. In recent years, Geneva Community School District 304 has had a smaller pool of applicants, and on multiple occasions, applicants have chosen to take a job elsewhere. The GEA is seeking a contract that would provide compensation similar to surrounding districts so Geneva can once again begin attracting and retaining the quality teachers who sought out Geneva in the past.
In agreement with the Board of Education, the GEA researched how Geneva's current compensation compares to other schools categorized as a Tier IV district by the new Illinois Evidence Based Funding Model. This means that these districts have similar funding sources and capabilities. The GEA also agreed this comparison would only include unit districts (K-12) in the Chicago Metro Region. The first three charts below compare Geneva's salaries to these other Tier IV schools, as seen at three different stages of a teacher's career. This information was compiled from multiple individual district informational websites.
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Other Takeaways not seen above:
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Geneva teachers pay a higher percent of insurance than ALL of these comparable districts.
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5 of the 7 districts above offer some type of tuition reimbursement ranging from $100-250 per credit hour. Geneva does not.
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Instead of tuition reimbursement, one district offers internal academy Professional Development to improve classroom teaching and learning.
The three charts below compare Geneva salaries to the other Kane County School Districts, as seen at those same three stages of a teacher's career.
DESPITE PAY GAP, GENEVA DISTRICT and TEACHERS ARE CURRENTLY RANKED NUMBER ONE
Despite having the second lowest salaries at each of the three career stages shown above, Geneva School District 304 ranks as the NUMBER ONE best school district in Kane County, and the 13th best school district in Illinois. Geneva's teachers are also ranked NUMBER ONE in Kane County and number 18 in Illinois.
Sustainability
The Geneva Education Association is dedicated to reaching a contract that is sustainable for the Geneva Community and Geneva teachers. Our goal is for Geneva teachers to live a middle class lifestyle that would allow them to raise a family and live within the Geneva 304 district. Currently, Geneva's newer teachers have struggled to do this. The GEA asks for the school board to reach a fair agreement that will once again allow Geneva teachers to sustain their own families. #Sustainability4Families
Maintaining a Salary Schedule
For more than 50 years, Geneva District 304 has used a salary schedule model to pay its teachers. The Geneva Education Association is asking to maintain this model in the current contract. In the Chicagoland area, the overwhelming majority of school districts use a salary schedule model similar to Geneva. To stay competitive with surrounding districts, the GEA is adamant that Geneva needs to maintain the same type of salary model used by so many other districts.
For more information, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.
Furthering Education
Beginning in 2012, the Geneva 304 School District has made it more difficult for teachers to pursue higher education. While 6 out of 7 Tier IV districts support higher education for their teachers through tuition reimbursement or internal academies (see above), Geneva School District restricts the financial benefit for completing graduate coursework that typically costs a teacher $20,000 and 2 years to complete. The current contract requires teachers to wait at least TWO years after completing a Master's Degree before the district will fully acknowledge this educational attainment. NONE of the districts above have such a restriction. The GEA is seeking to remove this restriction so that Geneva Schools can attract and retain the best teachers and encourage them to improve their craft by continuing their education. Ultimately this kind of coursework leads to improved learning and enhanced classroom experiences for students.