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MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST
June 29, 2010

Pension suit, Chinese class, wary budgeting

Contents of this issue:

  • Judge puts new school health fund on reserve
  • Farwell adopts Chinese language program
  • State eyes alternative to MEAP tests
  • Some boards wary of no-cuts promise
  • South Lyon ties wages to per-pupil funding

JUDGE PUTS NEW SCHOOL HEALTH FUND ON RESERVE

LANSING, Mich. - The state can collect money from school employees for retiree health care, but can't spend it until a lawsuit over the new system is resolved, Ingham County Circuit Judge James Giddings ruled Thursday, according to The Detroit News.

The new system deducts 3 percent of employees' wages for a retiree health care fund; it is expected to generate about $300 million annually, The News reported. Giddings said that the state would not be harmed if the money is reserved until a case brought by the Michigan Education Association is decided, according to The News.

The MEA lawsuit charges that the new law violates the state's contract with school employees and is unconstitutional, The News reported.

Giddings will decide the case after reviewing motions and hearing oral arguments, according to The News.

SOURCE:
The Detroit News, "Judge: Michigan can't tap school pension contributions until suit is resolved," June 28, 2010

FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Gutted school pension 'reform' could come back to bite schools," June 28, 2010

FARWELL ADOPTS CHINESE LANGUAGE PROGRAM

FARWELL, Mich. - Farwell Area Schools will use part of its Project ReImagine grant to begin Chinese language classes in kindergarten and possibly in preschool, according to The Clare Sentinel.

The district's long-term plans include Chinese and Spanish immersion programs beginning at the elementary level, The Sentinel reported. About $22,000 of a $50,000 grant the district received as a Project ReImagine participant will go toward the Chinese immersion effort, according to The Sentinel.

Project ReImagine districts were selected by the Michigan Department of Education in November 2009 to implement innovative school reform programs that boost student achievement.

In related news, 20 district employees are retiring or leaving the district, The Sentinel reported. The district does not plan to replace all 20, which will bring down labor costs and help balance the budget in 2010-2011, according to The Sentinel.

SOURCE:
The Clare Sentinel, "Farwell Area Schools District ends 2009-2010 school year with positive fund balance," June 26, 2010

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

STATE EYES ALTERNATIVE TO MEAP TESTS

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Michigan has joined a group of 31 states jointly developing a new approach to standardized tests, according to Education Week. This would eventually move the state away from the familiar Michigan Educational Assessment Program tests in favor of evaluating students on academic tasks throughout the year as well as an end-of-year computerized assessment.

The group, named the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium, is one of two consortia that applied to the U.S. Department of Education last week to win up to $320 million to produce the new assessment system, Education Week reported. A third group applied for a grant specific to high school testing.

The goal is to create a way to test students that is comparable across states and that matches the new national academic standards Michigan and other states have adopted, according to the report. Tests must be in place by 2014.

The SMARTER system would assess students each year on two computer-based "performance tasks" in English and math, Education Week reported.

The end-of-year test would be "computer adaptive," meaning students would work individually at progressively harder problems until reaching the limit of their ability.

SOURCE:
Education Week, "Three Groups Apply for Race to the Top Test Grants," June 23, 2010 (Subscription required)

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "Michigan Adopts National Standards," June 22, 2010

SOME BOARDS WARY OF NO-CUTS PROMISE

FENTON, Mich. - At least two Michigan public school districts aren't counting on current predictions that per-pupil funding will not be cut in 2010-2011, according to media reports.

Fenton Area Public Schools adopted a budget that assumes the state will reduce funding by $125 per pupil, while the Kalamazoo Public Schools plans on a $100 per-student cut, according to reports in The Flint Journal and The Kalamazoo Gazette, respectively.

Last month some state lawmakers said that per-pupil funding next year likely would remain the same as in 2009-2010 due to an unexpected increase in state tax revenue, but Kalamazoo Deputy Superintendent Gary Start told The Gazette that the district prefers to use conservative estimates.

The state promised the same thing the previous year, he told The Gazette, but later cut state aid by $165 per student.

Even though it expects less money per student, Kalamazoo adopted a budget with no program or staffing reductions, The Gazette reported. The district anticipates an influx of 379 students, which would offset the per-student losses.

In Fenton, the district has eliminated six non-educator positions, implemented a 3 percent administrative pay cut, reduced staff hours and negotiated higher insurance contributions in order to bring spending down by $1.7 million next year, according to The Journal.

SOURCES:
The Kalamazoo Gazette, "Kalamazoo Public Schools avoid cuts in 2010-11 and expects to add a few teachers," June 24, 2010

The Flint Journal, "Fenton school board approves 2010-11 budget, cuts $1.7 million," June 24, 2010

FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Unstable Funding Myth," June 24, 2010

SOUTH LYON TIES WAGES TO PER-PUPIL FUNDING

SOUTH LYON, Mich. - Support staff employees have agreed to a 10 percent pay scale reduction in South Lyon Community Schools as of July 1, as well as a monthly medical benefit cap, according to a report at www.hometownlife.com.

The new four-year contract between the district and Teamsters Local 214 calls for adjusting wages in future years by 62.5 percent of any change in the Michigan per-pupil foundation allowance, the report said.

The school board approved the contract in a unanimous vote, and Assistant Superintendent Melissa Baker said the district no longer plans to seek bids from private companies to provide support services, Hometownlife reported.

The contract covers custodial, maintenance, grounds, food service and drivers, according to Hometownlife. They formerly were represented by the Michigan Education Association, but voted in March to switch representation to the Teamsters, according to Hometownlife.

SOURCE:
Hometownlife.com, "District, Teamsters reach agreement," June 24, 2010

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "Splitting the health insurance bill," Aug. 19, 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 med@educationreport.org

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

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
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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 >>