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MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST
August 22, 2006

Contents of this issue:
  • Jackson school board approves light discipline of administrator
  • Livingston county schools to save money with contracted subs
  • WMU president fired
  • A dozen groups want to help DPS dropouts
  • Michigan students about average on ACT
  • Detroit teachers discuss illegal strike
JACKSON SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES LIGHT DISCIPLINE OF ADMINISTRATOR
JACKSON, Mich. — The Jackson Public Schools board of education approved light discipline of an administrator who allegedly allowed a teacher's aide convicted of drug dealing to continue working with students, according to The Jackson Citizen Patriot.

William Patterson, a middle school assistant principal, received a "letter of concern" from the district, which is the least serious form of discipline, The Citizen Patriot reported. The school board issued a statement supporting that action.

The Citizen Patriot reported that Patterson knew Tonia M. Jones had pleaded guilty to cocaine-related charges in 2003, but did not report the matter to district officials. Jones served 60-day sentences during the summer months while still employed by the district, but was fired Feb. 1 after being sent to prison for continued drug activity, according to The Citizen Patriot.

Patterson's union argued that he was not obligated to inform the district of Jones's conviction because of "confidentiality issues," The Citizen-Patriot reported.

SOURCE:
The Jackson Citizen Patriot, "Board stands by its man," Aug. 16, 2006
http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-18/1155742536219310.xml?jacitpat?NEJ&coll=3

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Some convicted felons still working in schools," July 5, 2005
http://www.educationreport.org/7807

Michigan Education Digest, "List of felons forwarded to schools," May 16, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7704

Michigan Education Digest, "Court seals data on school employees with criminal backgrounds," Jan. 31, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7570

Michigan Education Digest, "School employee background check turns up felons," Jan. 24, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7564

LIVINGSTON COUNTY SCHOOLS TO SAVE MONEY WITH CONTRACTED SUBS
BRIGHTON, Mich. — The five public school districts in Livingston County expect to save tens of thousands of dollars now that a competitive contract is in place for substitute teachers, according to The Ann Arbor News.

The Livingston Educational Service Agency signed a contract with Caledonia-based Professional Educational Services Group to handle payroll and assignment duties for several hundred substitute teachers, The News reported.

Brian Higgins, assistant superintendent for the Pinckney district, said the move will help schools control costs. Pinckney also has competitive contracts in place for its cafeteria and busing services.

"I understand some teachers may not be happy with not being part of the retirement system," Higgins told The News. "The retirement system is very costly and is going up at skyrocketing rates. This is an effort by the districts in the county to come up with ways to reduce costs and work more efficiently with each other."

Individual districts will save 8 percent of what they had been paying, according to The News. Brighton Superintendent Jim Craig told the newspaper his district will save about $40,000 a year.

SOURCE:
The Ann Arbor News, "Teacher subs go private in county; Livingston officials say move will save districts money," Aug. 14, 2006
http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-19/1155566526112980.xml?aanews?NEA&coll=2

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Houghton Lake to privatize substitute teachers," July 25, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7844

Michigan Education Digest, "Substitute teachers privatized in Grand Rapids," May 9, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7701

Michigan Education Digest, "Privatized subs can save schools money," April 11, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7677

Michigan Education Digest, "Fennville district to outsource substitute teachers," March 23, 2004
http://www.educationreport.org/6465

WMU PRESIDENT FIRED
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Judith I. Bailey was fired as president of Western Michigan University recently as trustees expressed concerns over lower enrollment and higher costs, according to The Grand Rapids Press.

Trustees called a special meeting Aug. 15, voting to fire Bailey eight months after they extended her $269,000-a-year contract through 2009, The Press reported.

"I see no reason that a university as great as Western Michigan University should be having problems that are dissimilar to those at other public universities in the state," Chairman James Holden said after the meeting, according to The Press.

Enrollment at WMU under Bailey is down 15 percent, and the 2007 budget includes an $8.3 million deficit, The Press reported.

The board earlier had offered Bailey a $400,000 buy-out, which she rejected. Bailey told The Press she believes she can lead the university through this difficult time, and expects her contract to be honored.

SOURCE:
The Grand Rapids Press, "Western Michigan University fires president," Aug. 15, 2006
http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-31/115567110530150.xml?grpress?NEG&coll=6

FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Bringing the Market to the Ivory Tower," Dec. 15, 2004
http://www.mackinac.org/6914

Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "State College Money Should Follow Students, Not Lobbyists," May 15, 2006
http://www.mackinac.org/7703

PUBLIC SCHOOLS GET ANOTHER FUNDING INCREASE
LANSING, Mich. — Michigan's public schools will receive an increase in state funding for the 2006-2007 school year, according to The Detroit News.

The School Aid Fund will go up by $337 million when the state's new fiscal year begins Oct. 1, pushing the amount of funding for public schools to more than $13 billion, The News reported.

Minimum per-pupil funding will increase by $210, to $7,085, with some districts receiving more than $11,000 per student, according to The News.

Some $100 million in state funding will be spent on preschools, while middle schools will receive extra money for math and science instruction, The News reported.

SOURCE:
The Detroit News, "Public schools, colleges get raise in state budget," Aug. 16, 2006
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060816/SCHOOLS/608160332/1026

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Foundation grant to increase again," July 11, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7810

Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "School Funding: Lack of Money or Lack of Money Management?" Aug. 30, 2001
http://www.mackinac.org/3683

A DOZEN GROUPS WANT TO HELP DPS DROPOUTS
DETROIT — A dozen businesses and groups want to run alternative high schools to help dropouts in Detroit, according to The Detroit News.

"There's a population of 15,000 kids that fall into that category," Hildred Pepper, chief contracting officer for Detroit Public Schools, told The News. "So definitely the need is out there."

The alternative schools are for students ages 16 to 19. They would operate as contract schools, meaning they have union teachers, but more flexibility on how the building operates, according to The News. The schools, which can focus on vocational and career training, also receive up to 80 percent of the per-pupil funding that conventional schools receive.

SOURCE:
The Detroit News, "12 groups submit proposals for Detroit alternative high schools," July 29, 2006
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060729/SCHOOLS/607290320

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Study: Detroit graduation rate worst in nation," June 27, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7798

Michigan Education Digest, "DPS students leave rather than relocate," June 6, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7766

Michigan Education Digest, "Detroit Public Schools enrollment drops again," Nov. 29, 2005
http://www.educationreport.org/7448

MOST MICHIGAN HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES NOT COLLEGE READY
LANSING, Mich. — Only 25 percent of Michigan's class of 2006 are considered "college ready" in English, math, reading and science, based on ACT scores, according to Booth Newspapers.

That level of proficiency means a student has a 75 percent chance of getting a grade C or better in a college course, Booth reported. Overall, the class of 2006 scored an average of 21.5 on the ACT, slightly higher than the national average of 21.1, according to Booth. The ACT has a maximum score of 36.

SOURCE:
Booth Newspapers, "Michigan students just above average on ACT," Aug. 16, 2006
http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1155685206182600.xml?news/statewide?NE&coll=1

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "ACT scheduled to take place of MEAP in 2007," Sept. 27, 2005
http://www.educationreport.org/7364

Michigan Education Digest, "Group looks to replace MEAP with ACT," Dec. 23, 2003
http://www.educationreport.org/6059

Michigan Education Report, "Which Educational Achievement Test is Best for Michigan?" Early Fall 2002
http://www.educationreport.org/4622

DETROIT TEACHERS DISCUSS ILLEGAL STRIKE
DETROIT — Detroit Public Schools teachers say they plan to take picket signs with them Sunday when they vote on whether or not to strike, according to the Detroit Free Press. It is illegal under Michigan law for teachers to strike.

Detroit teachers are scheduled to report Aug. 28, with classes beginning Sept. 5. The Free Press reported that Detroit teachers also took picket signs with them to a similar meeting in 1999, which was a precursor to a strike that lasted six days.

DFT President Janna Garrison told the Free Press the union and district are "far apart" in contract negotiations. The union wants a 15.6 percent pay raise for teachers at the top of the pay scale, while Superintendent William F. Coleman III said the district needs to cut $88 million.

Coleman added that teacher salaries and benefits consume $832 million of the district's $1.4 billion budget, according to the Free Press.

The district is confident the school year will start on time.

"We're confident that our teachers, who are among the best and who have an unbridled passion for our children, will come to work as expected," DPS spokesman Lekan Oguntoyinbo told the Free Press.

SOURCE:
Detroit Free Press, "Teachers ready picket signs," Aug. 21, 2006
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060821/NEWS01/608210330

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "DPS to cut jobs; unions reject concessions," July 5, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7807

Michigan Education Digest, "Detroit teachers union wants more money," June 27, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7798

Michigan Education Digest, "Study: Detroit graduation rate worst in the nation," June 27, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7798

MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST is a service of Michigan Education Report (http://www.educationreport.org), a quarterly newspaper with a circulation of nearly 150,000 published by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy (http://www.mackinac.org), a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational institute.

Contact Managing Editor Ted O'Neil at
mailto:med@educationreport.org

To subscribe or unsubscribe, go to
http://www.educationreport.org/pubs/mer/listserver.aspx?Source=wwwMED
Michigan Education Daily
Mon., February 8, 2010
"Michigan voters could see an education funding question on the ballot this year if the state Legislature doesn't take action on the issue." >>
Sat., February 6, 2010
"In an apparent flap over who is allowed to book time on the school board agenda, the Novi Education Association said that if it can't bring in a representative from the Michigan Education Association to speak at a board meeting, then it will hold a community meeting of its own." >>
Fri., February 5, 2010
"More high school students than ever are taking Advanced Placement tests, but the failure rate is increasing as well." >>
Thu., February 4, 2010
"Nine southeast Michigan school districts paid $25,000 each to be named a "top school district" in Michigan by a Detroit-area public relations firm." >>
Wed., February 3, 2010
"Two former Detroit Public Schools employees accused of defrauding the district of $400,000 in a payroll scam pled guilty in federal court." >>
Tue., February 2, 2010
"Students rallied outside Pontiac High School last week to protest the layoffs of 15 teachers, but comments made by one student suggested that the youths also disagreed with teacher seniority rules." >>
Mon., February 1, 2010
"In a bid to reduce state spending by up to $450 million, Gov. Jennifer Granholm has proposed modifying the pension and health care plans for future school and state retirees, but also would offer an incentive to any who retire this summer." >>
User Comments
JackI
Is it true that young ones today are losing interest on these subjects? Obviously, the White House is promoting programs that will help students on coping up with math and science subjects. But, The federal government thinks that the quality of math and science education can repair credit with the scientific community and improve US education with a few <a rev="vote for" title="U.S. Government Spends $250 Million on Science and Math" href="http://personalmoneystore.com/Payday-Loans/ ">payday loans</a> of sorts. In reality, it will take far longer to accomplish than they might think – US educators can't even get students to accept that "irregardless" isn't a word, and the difference between their, they're, and there – our students can't even learn their own language! It's a noble aim, to be sure, but throwing money at it may not work in the long run. >>
beggarsall
I am a teacher in the same county who is presently trying to quit the union. Like Caldwell, I strongly disagree with the MEA.

This article was timely.

Rob Olson
Pittsford Area Schools

>>
rickolson
I agree this is a change worth making. I describe some of the uneven effects of the idea on my blog at http://rickolson.blogspot.com/2009/08/statewide-health-insurance-plan-for.html which you may also wish to read.

The devil will be in the details, so this is one we will need to monitor closely.

Rick Olson from Saline, former school Business Manager >>
MichelleO

Nowadays, saving money is very crucial and properly investing the money can keep you and your family away from the effect of the financial crisis. The sad news is that a lot of the options for short term funding have been drying up. Short term funding is a necessary thing to have around, and going through traditional channels such as banks isn't an option for a lot of people anymore – basically it's only open to Ken Lewis. Installment loans are an option, but some people, including senior citizens, have been thinking about raiding their retirement fund. Getting into your pension retirement plan or 401(k) funds is the last thing you want to do if you don't qualify for any withdrawals yet. The penalties are substantial, and you'll end up needing installments loans to pay them if you use retirement funds for <a rev="vote for" title="Installment Loans Reliable Option As 401(k)s are Dwindling" href="http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2009/05/17/installment-loans-reliable-option-401ks-dwindling/">short term funding</a>.


>>
QUEEN_BEE_09
I AGREE >>
colonelb
Godfrey-Lee on the west side of the state has been running all-day, every-day kindergarten for several years. >>
BenjaminY
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.

LINK TO READ FOR MORE INFO:
http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2009/03/10/state-advance-detroit-public-schools-70m/


>>
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.
>>
karen
The purpose is to encourage non excercising children to excercise but my daughter's highschool gave her an improper body fat percentage and made my healthy daughter who trains 20 hours a week in tap jazz and ballet believe she was overweaghit instead of a person with muscles.
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?
>>
deepakp9
Specifically, 81 percent of students in religiously affiliated schools and 82 percent of students in other private schools have parents who report being "very satisfied" with their schools, compared to 55 percent of students in assigned public schools and 63 percent of students in chosen public schools.

High levels of satisfaction among private school parents also extend to opinions about their children's teachers, academic standards of the school, order and discipline at the school, the amount of homework assigned, and interactions with school personnel.

http://fitt.in >>