Response to Survey Questions on Staff Attendance Incentives

December 2007 On 11-14-07 (and a follow up on 11-27-07), the following questions were asked on the Illinois List er!" 1. Does your district offer any financial incentive for perfect attendance ( ero absences for t!e entire sc!ool year" for your teac!ers# 2. Does your district offer a re$ard at a discounted amount for one absence or t$o# %. If yes& !o$ muc! does a teac!er receive for perfect attendance# '. (o$ muc! for one absence# ). (o$ muc! for t$o# *. Is t!is part of t!e collective bar+ainin+ a+reement# And finally& 7. If you do offer t!e incentive& !as it improved staff attendance#####

R,S-./S0 #u$%er of &istri'ts that (esponded that the) ha!e no *I#+,#-I.,/0 #u$%er of &istri'ts that responded that the) pro!ide an *I#+,#-I.,/0 14 12

3ne'dotal 'o$$ents presented for distri'ts that do not pro!ide an in'enti!e0 1" *4e don5t offer $one), %ut I do a s$all gift 'ertifi'ate or *%ag of goodies/ at the end of the )ear on $) own" It5s !er) insignifi'ant, %ut I re'ogni6e the$ at our end-of-)ear staff appre'iation %reakfast and the nu$%ers ha!e i$pro!ed o!er the )ears 7 we are pro%a%l) up to 10 or 12 out of 100 and started with 1 or 2"/ 2" *4e do not dire'tl) offer an) in'enti!e for attendan'e, %ut we do still pa) for si'k da)s (829 a da)) if the) wish to 'olle't upon lea!ing after 10 )ears"

1" Our &istri't, in the last +:3, did pro!ide tea'hers with a perfe't attendan'e in'enti!e" ;ero si'k da)s used pro!ided the tea'her with 1 additional si'k da)s, 1 si'k da) used the tea'her re'ei!ed 2 additional si'k da)s, 2 si'k da)s used pro!ided the tea'her with 1 additional si'k da)" -hat pro!ision was taken out of the 'urrent +:3" -( looks at this t)pe of in'enti!e as <gifting5 additional si'k da)s" If a tea'her utili6es those *gifted5 si'k da)s, to a'hie!e 1 full )ear of si'k lea!e, whi'h is used for retire$ent purposes, the &istri't will in'ur a penalt) fro$ -( " I a$ unsure how -( would look upon gi!ing a finan'ial in'enti!e for perfe't, or near perfe't attendan'e" I would %e in'lined to think, -( would 'ount that finan'ial in'enti!e as 'redita%le earnings" -herefore the question %e'o$es are )ou e='eeding 2> salar) in'reases, in the 10 )ear look %a'k window -( has when deter$ining a persons annuit)" 3gain, there $a) %e a finan'ial penalt) to the &istri't" 3s for the question, *&id it i$pro!e attendan'e?/ not reall)" I would suggest 'onta'ting -( " 4" *4e do ha!e in our 'ontra't that the distri't will pa) a tea'her 8@0Ada) of a''u$ulated si'k da)s that are not used towards their retire$ent up to a $a=i$u$ of 4B da)s" o$e of this $one) $a) ha!e to %e paid post retire$ent with the 2> 'ap" B" *4e do nothing-Cust e=pe't the$ to $iss as little as possi%le"/ 2" *4ould )ou reall) want staff to 'o$e to s'hool if the) are ill?/ 7" *4e offer no finan'ial in'enti!es for perfe't attendan'e %e'ause we don5t want to en'ourage tea'hers to 'o$e to work si'kDElus, their unused si'k da)s appl) for ser!i'e 'redit when the) retire and that5s usuall) a %ig in'enti!e for the$ to not fri!olousl) use si'k da)s/ *It would %e unfortunate if professional tea'hers need a *reward/ to not use their si'k da)sD3nd if the) are si'k, then we don5t want the$ infe'ting others"/

3ne'dotal 'o$$ents pro!ided %) distri'ts that do pro!ide an in'enti!e0

1" *4e offer 8100 per 'olle'ti!e %argaining agree$ent" It does not work as I ha!e %een here three )ears and ha!e not written one 'he'k"/ 2" Our attendan'e in'enti!e is part of our 'ontra't and the wording is as follows0 -ea'hers who ha!e perfe't attendan'e for a se$ester shall re'ei!e an in'enti!e pa)$ent of 812B"00, to %e paid within 10 da)s of the end of the se$ester" -ea'hers, who fall short of perfe't attendan'e %) less than one full da), shall re'ei!e an in'enti!e pa)$ent of 8100"00" For purpose of this se'tion, less than one full da) $eans $issing an) part of a single da)" 3ppro!ed professional lea!e shall not 'ount against perfe't attendan'e" 4e ha!e appro=i$atel) 110 'ertified staff and last )ear we had BB people ea'h se$ester that were paid the in'enti!e %onus" Gope this helps" 1" *Hes, target gift 'ards" 0 a%sen'es I 8100, 1 a%sen'e I 8200, 2 a%sen'es I 8100, $ore than two I 80" It is a part of the +:3" 4e ha!e had the in'enti!e for o!er 10 )ears" It used to %e a te'hnolog) gift 'ertifi'ate, whi'h were $ore effe'ti!e )ears ago" I %elie!e there are tea'hers that will not 'all off so the) 'an get the %onus" 4" *+ertified e$plo)ees shall %e granted additional si'k lea!e %ased on the following 'riteria0 If no personal da)s were used during the s'hool )ear, the 'ertified e$plo)ee will ha!e the option of %anking those personal da)s or rolling their two (2) personal da)s into three (1) si'k da)s" If the) 'ertified e$plo)ee uses two (2) or fewer si'k da)s during the s'hool )ear, the) shall %e granted two (2) additional si'k da)s at the end of the s'hool )ear" If the) 'ertified e$plo)ee uses $ore than two (2) %ut not $ore than four (4) si'k da)s during the s'hool )ear, the) shall %e granted one (1) additional si'k da) at the end of the s'hool )ear" B" *Le=ington pa)s the tea'hers for their unused personal da)s" -hat is a%out as 'lose to an in'enti!e as we get" -he) get the su% rate for the da) whi'h is 89B this )ear" -he) all get 1 personal da)s I 82BB"/

2" *-he :our%onnais ,le$entar) 'hool &istri't B1 :oard pa)s 8100 +3 G that I deli!er to the handful of people with perfe't attendan'e" It is to $) knowledge separate fro$ the 'olle'ti!e %argaining agree$ent" For that $atter, the :oard also gi!es e!er) e$plo)ee a 8B0 !ou'her to Gone) :aked Ga$ for +hrist$asJ -he !ou'her 'osts the :oard appro=i$atel) 814 ea'h" 7" *-his ite$ is in our 'olle'ti!e %argaining agree$ent" It is 'alled *in'enti!e pa)/" -he tea'her re'ei!es a %onus 'he'k at the end of the )ear %ased on attendan'e as outlined %elow" 0 da)s $issed I 8B00 1 da) $issed I 8400 2 da)s $issed I 82B0 1 da)s $issed I 8200 -he tea'hers ha!e three %erea!e$ent da)s in the 'ontra't" -hese da)s do not 'ount against in'enti!e pa)" 4e ha!e had this 'lause in the 'ontra't for at least 20 )ears" I a$ told it was !er) effe'ti!e *in the %eginning/" O!er the last se!eral )ears it see$s that the older tea'hers earn the in'enti!e pa)" Kone) does not see$ to $oti!ate the )ounger tea'hers" If the) need to $iss, the) $iss" 3ll things 'onsidered, we pro%a%l) do slightl) %etter than %reaking e!en in ter$s of 'ost of in'enti!e pa) !s" su% pa)" Of 'ourse the goal of in'enti!e pa) is to help keep the tea'hers in the 'lass roo$J It does see$ to in'rease attendan'e for the $iddle of the road tea'hers/ 9" *Our tea'her5s 'ontra't has a stipend of 842B for perfe't, 82B dedu'ted per da) for the first si= da)s and none for o!er 2 da)s"/ @" *0 a%sen'es is a 82B0 %onus" 3 tea'her $a) ha!e one period per da) release ti$e for $edi'al, dental, legal or other professional appoint$ents appro!ed %) the %uilding prin'ipal that will not 'ount against si'k or persona lea!e pro!ided the period 'an %e 'o!ered without 'o$pensating another indi!idual" Onl) perfe't attendan'e gets paid $one), howe!er" 3n) e$plo)ee using si'k ti$e of 2B> of less of the si'k ti$e earned during a s'hool )ear shall %e pro!ided two additional da)s of si'k lea!e to their si'k lea!e %ankL an) e$plo)ee using si'k ti$e of $ore than 2B> %ut less than B0> of the si'k ti$e earned during a s'hool )ear shall %e pro!ided one additional si'k da) of si'k lea!e to their si'k lea!e %ankL e$plo)ees working less than full ti$e s'hedules shall ha!e %oth the si'k ti$e use rate and the personal lea!e earning rates prorated (,!er)one gets 12 to start with and 'an earn up to 2 additional da)s"

-his is the first )ear for the additional si'k lea!e da)s that 'an %e earned, we ha!e paid the %onus for a%out 7 )ears I guess, and so far this )ear we are doing %etter"/ 10" *8B0 Mift +ard to 3pple%ee5s for perfe't attendan'eN4e used to gi!e a 82B0 O" " a!ings :ond/ 11" *Eerfe't attendan'e and an e$plo)ee gets one da)5s pa)" 4e do nothing for *good/ attendan'e" It is indeed in the 'olle'ti!e %argaining agree$ent"/ 12" * i'k Lea!eAEersonal Lea!e :onus0 -he :oard of ,du'ation shall issue to ea'h indi!idual +ertified ,$plo)ee of the &istri't, 8B00 for the )ear, if the +ertified ,$plo)ee does not use an) of his or her ten (10) si'k da)s and three (1) personal da)s to %e paid on the Pune 1Bth 'he'k" -he :oard of ,du'ation shall issue to ea'h indi!idual #on-+ertified ,$plo)ee of the &istri't, 82B0 for the )ear, if the #on-+ertified ,$plo)ee does not use an) of his or her ten (10) si'k da)s and three (1) personal da)s, and does not ele't to use an) 'o$pensator) ti$e" Kandated use of 'o$pensator) ti$e %) the ,$plo)er shall not affe't a #on-+ertified ,$plo)ee5s eligi%ilit) for the 82B0 %onus" aid %onus is to %e paid on the Pune 1Bth 'he'k" 4e had four 'ertified staff (earn this) last )ear, all onl) ha!e two )ears left %efore retiring, the) 'o$e to work 3LL the ti$e" I had one support staff" It has not i$pro!ed, %ut it is a ni'e in'enti!e for the 'ost"/ 11" *(idge!iew offers an in'enti!e of 81B0 for an)one who has perfe't attendan'e" -here is nothing for an)one that onl) $isses one or two da)s"/ 14" *-his past )ear we ga!e a 8100 .isa +ard to the e$plo)ees that had perfe't attendan'e" #o 85s for one or two a%sen'e" I will not know if attendan'e has i$pro!ed or not until later this s'hool ter$" -his is not part of the %argaining agree$ent"/ 1B" *Our distri't offers a se'ond personal da) (a *%onus da)/) to all tea'hers who take less than fi!e si'k da)s in a )ear" It is in the 'ontra't and we ha!e fairl) good attendan'e"/

12" *8B00 for perfe't attendan'e" #othing for one a%sen'e" 4e usuall) ha!e 1 or 4 a )ear out of 20 staff"/ One other response not in'luded in the tallies0 *4hen I was at 3twood-Ga$$ond, I personall) re'ogni6ed staff with perfe't and e='ellent attendan'e with re'ognition plaques and an arti'le in the lo'al paper" Hes, I felt it did i$pro!e %e'ause the) knew so$eone noti'ed or it $attered to $e" If it was finan'iall) re'ogni6ed, I %elie!e it would %e $ore of an in'enti!e"/