Democratic candidate for governor Michael Bakalis supports Eastern faculty members’ quest for salary equity.

At 62, Bakalis, who has a long background in education, is running for governor for the second time. The former Illinois Superintendent of Education last ran for the governor’s office in 1978. Bakalis has also served as president of Triton Community College and dean of education at Loyola University.

Eastern currently ranks last in average faculty salary among state public universities with an average salary of $51,300, which is well below the state average of $62,500.

“There’s no reason that people of equal rank at this university shouldn’t be paid not only adequately but comparably to people of equal rank at other state universities,” Bakalis said Friday during a campaign stop in Charleston.

The gubernatorial candidate, who’s up against four other democrats, Rod Blagojevich, Paul Vallas, Roland Burris and Wesley Pettifier, also has a plan for alleviating Illinois’ anticipated teacher shortage. That plan would undoubtedly include Eastern, the state’s second largest producer of teachers.

“In the next five-to-ten years, we’re going to have a major teacher shortage in Illinois because a lot of retirements are coming up,” Bakalis said. “I’ve suggested that we offer to the top five percent of high school seniors in our state the opportunity to go to any public university in this state – free tuition – if they commit to teaching in Illinois, elementary or secondary public school.”

To take advantage of Bakalis’ plan, those students would have to teach in Illinois for five years after graduation. They would also have to maintain a B average while in school.

Bakalis also discussed budget cuts, which are currently relevant to Eastern and all other state agencies as Gov. George Ryan is asking for money back.

Bakalis said that, in light of those cuts which have followed the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the next governor will have to be an efficient fiscal manager who can work a budget. He said his terms as state comptroller and also as Deputy Undersecretary of Education in the U.S. Department of Education under President Carter have given him the experience necessary.

“I’ve done that many times,” he said. “Not only in two state agencies and being the chief fiscal officer for the state, but I also oversaw over billion-dollar budgets in Washington and at the universities I’ve headed up.”