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MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST
March 2, 2010

Contents of this issue:

  • Health care poll: Public workers should pay more
  • Michigan not seen as 'Race' front-runner
  • Regional teacher contract on the table
  • Mixed results in bond votes
  • Retiring superintendents say pension not a factor

HEALTH CARE POLL: PUBLIC WORKERS SHOULD PAY MORE

LANSING, Mich. - About 57 percent of voters likely would support requiring public employees, including teachers, to pay 20 percent of their health care premiums, according to a recent poll, the Michigan Information & Research Service Inc., reported today.

The same poll showed that voters were divided — 47 percent in favor and 48 percent opposed — on the idea of cutting public employee salaries by 5 percent, MIRS reported.

The poll of 600 likely voters was conducted by the Lansing-based firm EPIC/MRA from Feb. 22 to Feb. 25, MIRS reported. It had a plus-or-minus margin of error of 4 percent.

When asked how to balance the state budget, 28 percent of respondents favored cutting existing programs and services without any increase in state taxes or fees, while 9 percent favored raising taxes and fees enough to cover the budget deficit without any program or service reductions, MIRS reported. The remainder favored some combination of cuts and tax hikes.

SOURCE:
Michigan Information & Research Service Inc., "Poll: 'Make Public Employees Pay Bigger Healthcare Share,'" March 2, 2010 (Subscription required)

FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Most School Health Plans Are Too Expensive for Michigan," Feb. 10, 2010

MICHIGAN NOT SEEN AS 'RACE' FRONT-RUNNER

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Will Michigan be included when first-round finalists in the Race to the Top program are named, possibly this week? Not according to most predictions by national education writers and observers, though the final decision is up to U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

Forty states and the District of Columbia applied for a share of the $4.35 billion that will be distributed on a competitive basis to states that have promised various educational reforms and innovations. First-round finalists may be named this week, followed by first-round winners in April and then a second round in September.

Michigan's own education leaders have suggested that the state will stand a better chance in the second round, The Grand Rapids Press reported.

Education Week reporters predicted that Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Illinois and Tennessee will win first-round grants based on such things as their support of charter schools and use of student test scores to evaluate teachers.

Thomas W. Carroll, president of the Foundation for Education Reform and Accountability, also names Florida, Louisiana and Tennessee as likely winners, but says Michigan is "competitive" as well, based on the legislation it adopted on failing schools, charter school growth and teacher evaluation.

Michigan was not mentioned in a Washington Post column by Kevin Huffman, executive vice president of public affairs for Teach for America, who says the real question is whether promised reforms actually come about. He credited Louisiana for submitting a realistic plan based on expanding programs that already are in place.

SOURCES:
The Grand Rapids Press, "Pundits don't expect Michigan to appear at Race to Top finish line," March 1, 2010

Education Week, "Race to Top Madness Almost Here!" March 1, 2010 (Subscription required)

City Journal, "Who's Winning the Race to the Top?" Feb. 26, 2010

The Washington Post, "Education reform's 'Race to the Top' features some non-starters," Jan. 30, 2010

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "State to schools: Think outside the classroom," Oct. 2, 2009

REGIONAL TEACHER CONTRACT ON THE TABLE

COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. - The Comstock Park Education Employees Association voted to approve what could become a regional labor contract if their colleagues in other school districts adopt it as well, according to The Grand Rapids Press.

Details of the contract have not been made public, but it includes health care changes intended to bring down school spending, The Press reported.

Sixteen of the 21 public school districts in Kent County face contract negotiations in 2010-2011, which led administrators and the regional Kent County Education Association to develop a template contract, according to the report.

At least nine districts would have to adopt the template in order for it to take effect; otherwise, each district will negotiate independently, The Press reported.

County schools project an 18.6 percent increase in health insurance premiums next year, Comstock Park Finance Director Jamie Carnes told The Press.

SOURCE:
The Grand Rapids Press, "Comstock Park educators first group to approve template contract in Kent County," Feb. 23, 2010

The Grand Rapids Press, "Kent County schools consider template contract for teacher, support staff bargaining," Feb. 23, 2010

FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Michigan School District Health Insurance," (Database).

MIXED RESULTS IN BOND VOTES

LIVINGSTON COUNTY, Mich. - Voters in Hartland Consolidated Schools, Pinckney Community Schools and Chippewa Valley Schools approved bond issues of $28 million, $59 million and $89 million, respectively, last week, but Berkley School District voters turned down a $168 million proposal, according to media reports.

The Hartland vote will continue an existing 7.6-mill levy for an additional five years, pushing the retirement date to approximately 2034, according to the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus. All of the district's schools will be upgraded, the report said.

Similarly, Pinckney taxpayers now will continue to pay a debt- retirement tax of 7.55 mills until 2037, rather than 2027, according to the Press & Argus. Chippewa Valley residents will pay 7.65 mills until 2031, rather than 2026, according to The Macomb Daily. The money in those districts will go to assorted technology and equipment purchases and facility upgrades.

In Berkley, voters told The Daily that they couldn't afford the 4.27- to 7.75-mill tax increase, and that the proposal to rebuild five elementary schools as well as a new middle school was too expansive.

SOURCES:
Livingston County Daily Press & Argus, "Voters OK nearly $90M for schools - Pinckney, Hartland look to get rolling on bond projects," Feb. 24, 2010

The Macomb Daily, "$89M school bond passes," Feb. 24, 2010

The Macomb Daily, "Berkley bond won't be back in 2010," Feb. 24, 2010

FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "A Michigan School Money Primer: Local Property Taxes by Type," May 30, 2007

RETIRING SUPERINTENDENTS SAY PENSION NOT A FACTOR

GENESEE COUNTY, Mich. - Four long-time school superintendents will retire in Genesee County in 2010, according to The Flint Journal. Two said their decision is not related to a proposal by Gov. Jennifer Granholm to boost pension benefits for retirees.

Superintendents Barbara Goebel of Flushing Community Schools, Clay Perkins of Davison Community Schools, Ralph Coaster of Fenton Area Public Schools and Thomas Svitkovich of the Genesee Intermediate School District all have announced retirement plans, according to The Journal.

A spokesman for Goebel and Svitkovich told The Journal that their decisions were unrelated to the governor's proposal to offer a retirement incentive to long-time school employees, saving the state money by replacing some of them with incoming employees at beginning wages. The other superintendents could not be reached for comment, The Journal reported.

The Journal reported that a superintendent making $150,000 a year, with 30 years seniority, would receive an extra $4,500 annually under the proposal, or a pension of about $72,000 a year. A Michigan Education Association spokeswoman told The Journal that the average teacher would receive $1,000 to $2,000 on top of an annual pension of about $28,000.

Several Flint area school administrators told The Journal that it was hard to predict how many teachers would accept such an incentive.

SOURCE:
The Flint Journal, "Four Genesee County superintendents set to retire this year; Could Gov. Granholm's retirement proposal push more experienced educators to exit?" Feb. 26, 2010

FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Retirement fund losses will cost schools, but how much?" April 20, 2009

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 Lorie Shane at
mailto:med@educationreport.org

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Michigan Education Daily
Wed., September 1, 2010
"An aviation school in Michigan is one example of a new generation of public charter schools designed to serve niche audiences." >>
Tue., August 31, 2010
"A 10-year-old Windsor boy who completed part of his education in Michigan is being denied entry to public high school in Windsor even though he's completed the eighth-grade curriculum." >>
Mon., August 30, 2010
"Principal John Hoving is using Facebook as a way to promote Bay City All Saints Central School as well as to head off possible cyber bullying." >>
Sun., August 29, 2010
"Royal Oak Public Schools students will be featured in an Oct. 12 episode of MTV's "If You Really Knew Me," a cable television program that the producer describes as "students trying to be accepted for who they are."" >>
Sat., August 28, 2010
"Public schools in Michigan were offered an automatic "A" on part of their annual state report card this year, a one-time arrangement that may have spared some from being unaccredited." >>
Fri., August 27, 2010
"More than 1,000 teacher retirements will allow Detroit Public Schools to recall all teachers from layoff and hire up to 300 more to fill staffing gaps." >>
Thu., August 26, 2010
"Inland Lakes Schools is considering hiring a private firm to provide custodial services as a way to save money, but a union representative says that new federal funding makes such a move unnecessary." >>
User Comments
carol peterson
education is an all around development for a child
he should be mentally and physically strong


<a href="http://rescueyoursavings.com" rel="dofollow">Savings</a> >>
carol peterson
education is an all around development for a child
he should be mentally and physically strong >>
johnstfu
Informative post. In order to deal with today's troubled youth, it is helpful to take a professional guidance for better teen recovery programs. Choosing a specialized organization for troubled youth is one of the most important steps for better teen recovery. Boysville is one of the non profit organization dedicated to help troubled youth with years of successful results by helping <a href=http://www.troubledteensguide.com/>troubled youth</a> to responsible individuals. Hope this organization continue their priceless support to most of the needy troubled youth with various helpful services. >>
Aarowman
Public servants like Presidents, Vice-Presidents, Senators, Congressmen, Judges, Secretaries of Various Departments and the like should be first to be compensated for performance.
The idea that the playing field for students is level everywhere is as Quixotic as thinking all politicians are honest and competent.
There are neighborhoods where only Portugese or gang sign language is spoken, where the parents both work two jobs to pay rent, where getting to school and back is more dangerous than Iraq and Afghanastan.
This Secretary of Education has to remove the silver spoon, roll up his sleeves and take his superior intellect attitude into the trenches and show the poor slobs that are taking their teachers jobs for granted how he would do it. Just because his mommy used to help out in Chicago doesn't give him the Congression Medal of Honor. Actually he's a stuffed shirt pretending to know it all.
How much do you want to bet that he wouldn't attempt entering these neighborhoods let alone these schools without security. >>
verdemont resident
This article is tucked away yet is profoundly correct. Parents are pseudo parenting little objects of consumption. Teens, professionals, working moms like the "idea" of a child but are not in for the long haul and everyone loses.

Schools are enabling parents to do precious little. The time parents spend with their children is the only thing that matters. Bussing needs to be cut, school breakfast, lunch, and afterschool care needs to be stopped. Parents will grow that bond by sacrificing the nails, hair, parties, drugs, quads, vacations, etc. and making a lunch for their child and arrangements to be home when the child is out of school. No one is that poor that they can't provide a boloney sandwich, a baggie of pretzels, an apple, 50 cents for a milk, and two cookies each day.

Please respond!

>>
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 >>