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MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST
July 8, 2008

Contents of this issue:
  • DPS sues former employees for allegedly issuing illicit contracts
  • GVSU decides not to reauthorize Kalamazoo charter school
  • Court of Appeals sides with schools in reporting cost case
  • Student expelled after attack on freshman
  • Plainwell schools add hours for struggling students
DPS SUES FORMER EMPLOYEES FOR ALLEGEDLY ISSUING ILLICIT CONTRACTS
DETROIT — The Detroit Public Schools has filed a lawsuit against one of its former department managers for allegedly issuing more than $45 million in unauthorized contracts, according to The Detroit News.

The lawsuit claims that Stephen Hill, who managed the DPS' Risk Management Office from 2001 to 2007, established these contracts by ignoring accounting procedures and creating a computer system separate from the district's network. According to The News, the lawsuit also alleges that Hill received kickbacks and that the contracts in question produced few services in return for the school district's payments.

Hill's assistant at the time is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit, according to The News. The News reported that no criminal charges had been filed at that time.

SOURCE:
The Detroit News, "Lawsuit: Former DPS employee created elaborate scheme to pay cronies," July 1, 2008
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080701/METRO/ 807010424/1409/METRO

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "Financial scandals exposed in Michigan school districts," Nov. 17, 2002
http://www.mackinac.org/4835

GVSU DECIDES NOT TO REAUTHORIZE KALAMAZOO CHARTER SCHOOL
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Grand Valley State University has declined to renew the charter of Kalamazoo's Advantage Academy, according to the Kalamazoo Gazette.

GVSU cites consistently poor performance and decreasing enrollment as reasons for closing the school. The Gazette reports that the school has met federal Annual Yearly Progress targets for the last two years, and that many believe it should stay open.

"I'd keep (the school) open," said Sharif Shakrani, co-director of Michigan State University's Center for Education Policy, according to the Gazette. "My analysis indicates they're making significant progress. ... Usually you would close a school when it's regressing, but this school is getting better, not worse." Shakrani developed an analysis of the school's progress that was "carefully reviewed" by the GVSU Charter School Office, according to Ed Richardson, the head of the office.

"Nothing in [that analysis] makes us think that our decision not to renew the contract was incorrect," Richardson said in an e-mailed statement, the Gazette reported.

SOURCE:
Kalamazoo Gazette, "Closing of Kalamazoo Advantage Academy a lesson in complexity of charter schools," July 4, 2008
http://blog.mlive.com/kzgazette/2008/07/closing_of_kalamazoo_advantage.html

FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Charter Schools Don't Need More Michigan Department of Education 'Oversight,'" Aug. 12, 2003
http://www.mackinac.org/5670

COURT OF APPEALS SIDES WITH SCHOOLS IN REPORTING COST CASE
LANSING, Mich. — The state Court of Appeals ruled that state officials have been shortchanging school districts by not compensating them for changes in reporting requirements, according to the Detroit Free Press.

The judges unanimously ruled that the governor and Legislature violated the Headlee amendment to the Michigan Constitution by requiring districts to report more performance information without additional funding. The reporting changes add between $50 million and $100 million to local districts' costs annually, according to a lawyer who represented taxpayers from 460 Michigan school districts in the case.

SOURCE:
Detroit Free Press, "Court: Mich. Schools forced to bear reporting costs," July 7, 2008
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080707/NEWS06/ 80707047

FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Headlee Amendment: Serving Michigan for 25 years" Aug. 4, 2003
http://www.mackinac.org/5574

STUDENT EXPELLED AFTER ATTACK ON FRESHMAN
WAYLAND, Mich. — A student from Wayland Union High School was expelled for her alleged role in a videotaped attack of a freshman student, according to the Kalamazoo Gazette.

The Gazette reported that another freshman girl apparently participated in the attack, but that according to the district's superintendent, the girl could not be disciplined by the district because she had moved away. The two girls, however, have reportedly been charged with aggravated assault and could face one year in a juvenile detention center and $1,000 in fines. Police have also investigated the student who held the camera during the attack, the Gazette reported.

The 14-year-old victim was cut and bruised. According to the Gazette, suspects told the police they did not agree with her support for gay rights.

SOURCE:
Kalamazoo Gazette, "Wayland student expelled after attack on freshman," July 1, 2008
http://www.mlive.com/news/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/news-29/1214923849 283690.xml&coll=7

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "The three P's of school safety: parents, prevention, and police," Nov. 1, 2000
http://www.educationreport.org/3134
PLAINWELL SCHOOLS ADD HOURS FOR STRUGGLING STUDENTS
PLAINWELL, Mich. — Dozens of Plainwell elementary school students who have trouble reading will come to school an hour early next fall, according to the Kalamazoo Gazette.

Previously, students with reading competency problems were removed from class during science or social studies to work in small groups with reading instructors.

"There are some who thought this was an issue because the students were missing other opportunities," Curriculum Director Bob Van Dis told the Gazette. "Plus, these topics help the students develop reading fluency."

SOURCE:
Kalamazoo Gazette, "Schools add hours for reading help," July 5, 2008
http://www.mlive.com/news/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/news-29/1215231616 149620.xml&coll=7

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest,"'Reading Recovery' is no such thing" April 25, 2001
http://www.educationreport.org/3430

MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST is a service of Michigan Education Report (http://www.educationreport.org), an online newspaper published by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy (http://www.mackinac.org), a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational institute.

Contact Managing Editor Sarah Grether at
mailto:med@educationreport.org

To subscribe or unsubscribe, go to
http://www.educationreport.org/pubs/mer/listserver.aspx?Source=MED

Related Topics: Education
Michigan Education Daily
Sat., July 4, 2009
"Federal stimulus money has turned an educational experience into paying jobs for 18 students enrolled in a program at Beaumont Hospital." >>
Fri., July 3, 2009
"A recall effort against four school board members is under investigation by Michigan State Police, but a detective said that his work might not be finished before the recall election itself." >>
Thu., July 2, 2009
"The Ypsilanti school district plans to spend about $3 million more than it takes in during the 2009-2010 fiscal year, which means it also will have to file a deficit elimination plan with the state to explain the shortfall." >>
Wed., July 1, 2009
"The Algonac Community School District may privatize its custodial and bus services, but is giving current employees a chance to make a counter proposal first." >>
Tue., June 30, 2009
"Potential bankruptcy, continuing budget problems, more staff cuts and allegations of theft at Detroit Public Schools all were reported by Detroit media during the past week." >>
Mon., June 29, 2009
"Only 33 percent of the students enrolled in Grand Rapids alternative high schools graduated last year, a number the district believes can be improved by switching to online courses, extended days and hours and a lower student-adult ratio." >>
Sun., June 28, 2009
"African-American students are suspended or expelled at disproportionately higher rates than white students in Michigan." >>
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We have a problem in Detroit Public School, their system had cash flow problem for years now. And honestly it getting worst in terms in progression with more children leaving to charter their schools almost every year. The state decided to give the Detroit school districts cash advance of $70 million so they would meet the schools expenses, as well as payment for teachers. Robert Bobb, the newly appointed emergency financial manager, requested the funds early in order for him to get the house in order before he had to start panicking. President Obama has been giving out large sums of money for troubled school districts, perhaps that’s where a generous portion of the aid came from. Getting Detroit Public Schools in working order is a worthy cause.

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colonelb
I am all for school choice and think its great that charters are finally moving forward. However, I'm wondering if the research accounts for a playing field that is not level. I can't take my school buildings and move them anywhere I want, nor can I simply slap up a pole building and make it a school. If anything, public schools need less state regulation and oversight so we can play by the same minimal rules charters do. If you want public schools to compete to improve, remove the barriers to doing so. I will gladly except less funding per pupil if the playing field is level.
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I believe the public schools do not have the right to make the diagnoses with these kids because they are using one measurement and recording it from their arms that they have a certain percetnage of body fat with one arm caliper test.
Does any one have feed back?
>>
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