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Lansing must embrace basic reform following the Watkins debacle

Mon., April 11, 2005

In a Dec. 6 report to the Michigan Board of Education, then-state Superintendent of Public Instruction Thomas Watkins called for "boldness and candor" in addressing a "structural funding challenge" in the state’s public schools. A few weeks later, he exercised a bit of that boldness and candor in response to critics of charter schools, telling The Grand Rapids Press: "Let’s take a look at traditional schools. Some of them will complain about losing 300 (students) to a charter, but you won’t hear a peep out of them when 3,000 (dropouts) go to the streets."

In January, the Michigan Board of Education tabled a one-year renewal of Watkins’ contract. This decision came just one day after Board President Kathleen Straus had bristled when asked by MIRS to respond to rumors that the Granholm administration wanted Watkins to leave. Straus asserted, "The State Board awarded the Superintendent an A- grade on his last performance evaluation, and my colleagues and I have the utmost confidence in Tom."

Perhaps Watkins made errors that have not yet come to light. But whether the board and the Granholm administration like it or not, his sudden political exile has sent the signal that it is virtual suicide to challenge the status quo or tolerate even weak forms of school choice, such as charter schools (once championed by President Clinton). Watkins’ December report may have been short on specific remedies, but it did show promise, making it plain that "additional revenue without unprecedented change" in the state’s education system was not likely to make a difference.

If the Michigan Board of Education, Gov. Jennifer Granholm and the state Legislature hope to regain any credibility with the public, they must now show that they are serious about helping kids — and not just shutting down people who offer straight talk about the system. They should enact at least four reforms that don’t require school choice, but would free education money for kids in the classroom without raising taxes:

1. Exempt public schools from Michigan’s archaic Prevailing Wage Act. Mackinac Center research suggests that forcing school districts to contract with only those construction firms that pay "prevailing wages" inflates school renovation and building costs by $150 million annually — a job-killing subsidy to construction unions that provides no equivalent increase in building quality. In 1997, Ohio exempted its public schools from a similar law, and the results there indicate that the Center’s savings estimates are sound.

2. Create a level playing field for providers of employee health insurance. Many Michigan public school districts are awash in soaring health care costs because they face intense union pressure to buy insurance from MESSA, the health insurance provider affiliated with the Michigan Education Association. MESSA’s Rolls-Royce premiums for Cadillac plans are financed by taxpayers who typically get nothing so irrationally excessive in their own jobs.

The Legislature’s efforts to create a level playing field in school health insurance have foundered on MESSA’s unwillingness to provide claims data that would allow school districts to shop around effectively. This costly game of cat-and-mouse should end: The Legislature should require district insurance contracts to stipulate that general health insurance data produced under the contracts are owned by the public, not the provider. Enabling school districts to consider multiple providers would likely save millions of dollars.

3. Overhaul teacher certification. School boards should be permitted broader latitude in hiring competent instructors, whether or not they’ve jumped through the dubious hoops of university education courses. If today’s certification requirements guaranteed competency, poor student outcomes wouldn’t be a national epidemic, and Michigan businesses and universities wouldn’t spend $600 million annually on remedial education. Unfortunately, today’s certification requirements exclude many competent candidates, creating shortages in key subject areas and driving up the cost of hiring teachers.

4. Encourage competitive bidding for school support services. Holland Public Schools in West Michigan voted recently to save as much as $700,000 in annual costs by outsourcing custodial work, but a Mackinac Center survey in 2003 indicated that two-thirds of Michigan school districts do not outsource busing, food or even janitorial services to the private sector. These districts should be strongly encouraged to do so; 63 percent of the districts that had privatized these services reported cost savings, while 88 percent said they were satisfied with the service quality (only 3 percent were not).

The problems listed above are the "elephants in the room" that are too often ignored when education spending is discussed. Tom Watkins wasn’t quick to recognize them either. But if Watkins wasn’t permitted to hint that there is more to fixing education than "spend more money" and "charter schools are evil," it’s hard to see why Michiganians should send another nickel to the public schools until state policy-makers pass these commonsense reforms.

Lawrence W. Reed is president of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a research and educational institute headquartered in Midland, Mich. An earlier version of this article was published in The Oakland Press on Friday, Jan. 14, 2005.

Michigan Education Daily
"Some parents who attended a South Redford School District forum recently called on teachers to make wage or benefit concessions as a way to protect school programs." >>
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"At least 14 public school districts in the Muskegon area offer some type of alternative education, either on their own or through a consortium, but the programs are under both budget and academic pressure." >>
"Michigan voters may see a ballot initiative in August asking them to approve a sales tax on services, with the understanding that their approval would also mean education spending reform, the chairman of the House Education Committee said Wednesday." >>
"All Flint Community Schools administrators, including members of the superintendent's cabinet, are likely to receive layoff notices this spring, though the majority could be back next year." >>
"Sara McLaren is taking a once-in-a-decade opportunity to tie the U.S. Census directly to her civics and social studies curriculum at Niles High School." >>
"Research done by the dean of the University of Michigan school of education was featured at length in a New York Times magazine article recently about training effective teachers." >>
User Comments
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. >>
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

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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 >>

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>.


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


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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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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?
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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 >>