Contents of this issue:
Substitute teachers privatized in Grand Rapids
Detroit to get new charter school
Two Brighton schools close after teachers call in sick
Otsego teachers will pay more for expensive MESSA insurance
Jackson schools will privatize again to save money
Teachers union taken to task in Muskegon-area school elections
DPS to close eight more schools
SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS PRIVATIZED IN GRAND RAPIDS
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids Public Schools' decision to
privatize substitute teachers could save the district $300,000 a
year, according to The Grand Rapids Press.
The school board voted 6-3 last week to assign the hiring and
scheduling duties for about 2,600 substitute teachers to
Professional Educational Services Group of Caledonia, The Press
reported.
The company will be paid a fee equal to 16.9 percent of each
substitute teacher's salary, according to The Press. Substitutes
are paid $85 per day. The school will save money because it no
longer will have to make contributions into the state-run
retirement system on behalf of the subs.
"This will create a more efficient system and will not hurt
subs," Superintendent Bert Bleke told The Press. "And anytime you
have a way to save money and not hurt human beings, you have to
take a hard look at that."
SOURCE:
The Grand Rapids Press, "Substitute teaching goes private,"
May 2, 2006
https://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-29/114658124222710.xml?grpress?NEG&coll=6
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Privatized subs can save schools
money," April 11, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7677
Michigan Education Digest, "Fennville district to outsource
substitute teachers," March 23, 2004
https://www.educationreport.org/6465
Michigan Education Digest, "Grand Rapids board privatizes
busing," Aug. 16, 2005
https://www.educationreport.org/7235
Michigan Education Digest, "GRPS private busing gets positive
reviews," Sept. 6, 2005
https://www.educationreport.org/7344
DETROIT TO GET NEW CHARTER SCHOOL
DETROIT — A second Detroit charter school backed by
philanthropist Bob Thompson received approval from Grand Valley
State University last month, according to The Detroit News.
The Grand Valley board of trustees issued a charter to Public
Schools Academies of Detroit. The Thompson Foundation, which
applied for the charter, said University Prep Math and Science
could open in 2008, The News reported.
New Urban Learning, which runs Thompson's first charter school,
University Prep Academy, also will oversee the new school,
according to The News.
State law allows as many as 15 new charter high schools within
the city of Detroit, but Thompson's efforts have been opposed by
the Detroit Federation of Teachers. Thompson previously has said
he would spend $200 million to open the schools, The News
reported.
SOURCE:
The Detroit News, "Board paves way for new Detroit charter high
school," April 26, 2006
https://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060428/UPDATE/604280440& SearchID=73243637930555
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "Bob Thompson renews $200 million
offer," Dec. 15, 2005
https://www.educationreport.org/7475
Michigan Education Report, "Support creation of new Detroit
charters," Dec. 15, 2005
https://www.educationreport.org/7483
TWO BRIGHTON SCHOOLS CLOSE AFTER TEACHERS CALL IN SICK
BRIGHTON, Mich. — About 1,600 students were denied instruction
May 5 when two Brighton middle schools closed after 60 of 90
teachers called in sick, according to the Detroit Free Press.
The Free Press also reported that the incident was due to on-going contract negotiations, including disagreements between the
school district and teachers union regarding pay and health
insurance.
"There's a lot of frustration," Brad Gibson, chief negotiator for
the Brighton teachers union, told the Free Press.
Assistant Superintendent Jim Craig said disciplinary action
against the teachers is being considered.
"We're concerned about anything that disrupts the education of
the students," Craig told the Free Press.
The two sides are supposed to resume contract talks May 12,
according to the Free Press.
SOURCE:
Detroit Free Press, "Teachers expected back in Brighton schools
Monday," May 6, 2006
https://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060506/NEWS11/60506003
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Teacher sick-out forces Detroit
schools to close," March 28, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7656
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Collective Bargaining:
Bringing Education to the Table," Aug. 1, 1998
https://www.mackinac.org/791
OTSEGO TEACHERS WILL PAY MORE FOR EXPENSIVE MESSA INSURANCE
OTSEGO, Mich. — Otsego teachers will pay more money if they want
to keep an expensive union-affiliated health insurance under a
new four-year contract, according to The Kalamazoo Gazette.
Teachers who pick Super Care I through the Michigan Education
Special Services Association will see their share of premiums
increase from 7 percent this year to 12 percent next year, and 15
percent after that, The Gazette reported. Those who take the less
expensive MESSA Choices II plan will see premium costs drop from
5 percent to 4 percent. MESSA is a third-party administrator
affiliated with the Michigan Education Association.
Teachers ratified the contract in late April after nearly a year
of negotiations, according to The Gazette.
"I credit the teachers for agreeing to it," Superintendent Dennis
Patzer said.
The contract also ties pay increases to student enrollment, The
Gazette reported. In the fourth year, teachers would receive a
2.5 percent raise if enrollment drops by 125 students or more; a
3 percent raise if enrollment remains the same; and a 3.5 percent
raise if enrollment increases more than 125 students.
SOURCE:
The Kalamazoo Gazette, "Otsego teachers, school board enter long-awaited pact," May 1, 2006
https://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1146491408322180.xml?kzgazette?HTNN&coll=7
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "MESSA Reference Page,"
March 10, 2006
https://www.mackinac.org/7643
Michigan Education Digest, "Otsego bus drivers drop MESSA,"
Nov. 29, 2005
https://www.educationreport.org/7448
JACKSON SCHOOLS WILL PRIVATIZE AGAIN TO SAVE MONEY
JACKSON, Mich. — About 15 bus drivers and supervisory riders in
the Jackson Public Schools could be privatized as the district
attempts to reduce a $1.7 million budget deficit, according to
The Jackson Citizen Patriot.
The move would save the district about $300,000, The Citizen
Patriot reported. In addition, 26 staff positions could be
eliminated — including 15 teachers — and 10 paraprofessionals
would be moved to part-time status.
Privatization is a proven money saver for JPS, according to The
Citizen Patriot. Deputy Superintendent William Hannon said the
district saved $1.2 million last year by privatizing 51 custodial
jobs.
SOURCE:
The Jackson Citizen Patriot, "JPS eyes plan to cut 52 jobs,"
May 2, 2006
https://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-17/1146585934242441.xml?jacitpat?NEJ&coll=3
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Privatization Report, "Enviro-Clean Services Rated in
Jackson Survey," Feb. 24, 2006
https://www.mackinac.org/7600
Michigan Education Report, "Growing number of districts seek
solutions to costly health insurance," Dec. 15, 2005
https://www.educationreport.org/7479
TEACHERS UNION TAKEN TO TASK IN MUSKEGON-AREA SCHOOL ELECTIONS
MUSKEGON, Mich. — The Michigan Education Association and some of
its local union affiliates are being accused of recruiting
sympathetic write-in candidates to run in several Muskegon-area
school board elections, The Muskegon Chronicle reported two days
before the May 2 school elections.
"I think it's a tactic. It's a political ploy," Whitehall board
member Michael Sutton told The Chronicle. "I think their attempt
was to fly under the radar until the last minute."
Sutton told the newspaper he and fellow board member David
Gundersen believed they were running unopposed for re-election,
and therefore planned "low-key" campaigns. Two write-in
candidates, including a retired MEA bargaining consultant, later
entered the race. Other write-in candidates entered school board
races in Reeths-Puffer, Montague, Muskegon and two communities in
neighboring Oceana County.
Several area school districts have discussed privatizing busing,
The Chronicle reported, which many believe was a factor in the
campaign.
"It's (privatization) definitely lit a fire and got people
involved that weren't before," Rick Chilcote, a write-in
candidate in Reeths-Puffer, told The Chronicle. "It woke people
up to what's going on with our school board."
Chilcote's sister-in-law is a bus driver in the district,
according to The Chronicle.
Linda Kelly, a Mona Shores school board member who won re-election, said she does not mind the MEA backing candidates, but
believes their campaigns should be above board, The Chronicle
reported. Kelly said write-ins could have success against
unopposed incumbents because of low voter turnout.
"I have to question some of the tactics they're using," Kelly
told the newspaper.
Muskegon-area districts had six write-in candidates running in
various school board races, all of whom lost, according to The
Chronicle.
Write-in candidates do not have to collect nominating petition
signatures or pay filing fees, The Chronicle noted. They must
alert their respective county clerk of their intent to run by the
Friday before an election.
SOURCES:
The Muskegon Chronicle, "Union concerns heat up elections,"
April 30, 2006
https://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-9/1146392212240200.xml?muchronicle?NEM&coll=8
The Muskegon Chronicle, "Write-in votes finally tallied in school
races," May 4, 2006
https://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-9/1146770108152530.xml?muchronicle?NEM&coll=8
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Collective Bargaining
Politicizes Local School Boards," Aug. 1, 1998
https://www.mackinac.org/1384
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "How School Employee Labor
Unions Politicize Government Schools," June 23, 1999
https://www.mackinac.org/1941
DPS TO CLOSE EIGHT MORE SCHOOLS
DETROIT — Detroit Public Schools plans to close eight schools,
according to The Detroit News.
"We may have to close more schools than what is being
recommended," school board President Jimmy Womack told The News.
"I need to know that the number of schools we are closing will
keep us in compliance with the deficit elimination plan."
DPS closed 29 buildings last year, The News reported. The
district's enrollment continues to decrease, and estimates show
it could dip below 100,000 students in the next four years. The
News said students who leave the district often exercise their
legal rights and choose to enroll in charter schools or in
neighboring districts.
Fumiko Pickens, whose daughter had to change schools after hers
was closed last year, does not want to repeat the process, The
News reported.
"I'll probably just take her out of the Detroit Public Schools,"
Pickens told The News. "If I got to keep on jumping her from
school to school, I might as well go to a good school."
SOURCE:
The Detroit News, "Detroit may close 8 schools," May 5, 2006
https://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060505/SCHOOLS/605050336/1026
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Independent schools growing in metro
Detroit," April 4, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7661
Michigan Education Digest, "Detroit school enrollment down more
than expected," March 28, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7656
MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST is a service of Michigan Education
Report (
https://www.educationreport.org),
a quarterly newspaper
with a circulation of nearly 150,000 published by the Mackinac
Center for Public Policy (
https://www.mackinac.org),
a private,
nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational institute.