Contents of this issue:
Fennville ties pay raises to student performance
Bay City schools could save $4 million with insurance change
Forest Hills teachers to pay portion of MESSA premiums
Detroit seeks school security volunteers
100-plus in Zeeland join new insurance pool
State wants employee list back
FENNVILLE TIES PAY RAISES TO STUDENT PERFORMANCE
FENNVILLE, Mich. — Teachers in the Fennville Public Schools have
agreed to a two-year contract that could earn them pay raises
based on student performance, according to The Holland Sentinel.
Teachers next year could earn 0.75 percent raises based on
improved MEAP scores, plus an additional 0.75 percent raise based
on increased revenues in the district, The Sentinel reported.
Teachers also will receive a 1 percent raise this year and next,
regardless of student performance or the district's revenue.
Maintenance workers and custodians in the district agreed to a
three-year contract that will give them 1.5 percent raises each
year. They also agreed to change health insurance coverage and
join the West Michigan Health Insurance Pool, The Sentinel
reported. Superintendent Mark Dobias told the newspaper the move
should reduce the district's insurance costs by about 10 percent
per year.
SOURCE:
The Holland Sentinel, "District approves contracts with three
unions," Feb. 16, 2006
http://hollandsentinel.com/stories/021606/local_20060216018.shtml
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "New York union chief proposes teacher
incentive pay," May 11, 2004
http://www.educationreport.org/6630
Michigan Education Report, "Incentives for Teacher Performance in
Government Schools: An Idea Whose Time Has Come," May 30, 2002
http://www.educationreport.org/4373
Michigan Education Report, "Increase teachers' pay the right
way," Sept. 13, 2000
http://www.educationreport.org/3084
BAY CITY SCHOOLS COULD SAVE $4 MILLION WITH INSURANCE CHANGE
BAY CITY, Mich. — Bay City Public Schools could cut more than
half of its budget deficit by changing health insurance plans,
according to The Bay City Times.
The district is considering closing two schools, eliminating some
transportation and reducing the size of its staff in order to cut
$7.5 million from next year's budget, The Times reported. About
$4 million could be cut by selecting an insurance plan other than
what is offered through the Michigan Education Special Services
Association, according to The Times. MESSA is a third-party
insurance administrator affiliated with the Michigan Education
Association.
Douglas Newcombe, Bay City's finance director, told The Times any
one of a number of alternative health insurance plans could
reduce costs significantly without reducing coverage.
About $1 million has already been cut from the budget this year,
The Times reported. Some $190,000 of that came after seven of
eight school employee unions agreed to open their contracts to
change insurance plans. All but the teachers union switched Feb.
1 to MESSA PPO, dropping the more expensive MESSA Super Care I
plan, The Times reported. All union contracts will be up for
negotiation this summer, Newcombe told The Times.
SOURCE:
The Bay City Times, "Bay City district will consider closing two
school buildings," Feb. 14, 2006
http://www.mlive.com/news/bctimes/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1139933804212510.xml&coll=4
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Another school employee group
abandons MESSA," Feb. 14, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7589
Michigan Education Digest, "Pinckney teachers voluntarily abandon
MESSA," Feb. 7, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7585
Michigan Education Report, "Growing number of districts seek
solutions to costly health insurance," Dec. 15, 2005
http://www.educationreport.org/7479
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Michigan Education Special
Services Association: The MEA's Money Machine," Nov. 1, 1993
http://www.mackinac.org/8
FOREST HILLS TEACHERS TO PAY PORTION OF MESSA PREMIUMS
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Teachers in the Forest Hills Public Schools
will have to pay a portion of the cost to keep a more expensive
health insurance plan after the 2006-2007 school year, according
to The Grand Rapids Press.
The district and teachers union agreed to extend their contract
through the 2007-2008 school year, but prescription co-pays will
increase to $10 and $20 next year, reducing the district's costs
by about $670,000, The Press reported. The district will continue
covering the full cost of MESSA Super Care I in 2006-2007, but
will switch to a less expensive PPO the following year, with
teachers paying the difference if they want to keep the more
costly Super Care I, according to The Press. The Michigan
Education Special Services Association is a third-party insurance
administrator affiliated with the Michigan Education Association.
Other provisions of the contract include 1.25 and 1.75 percent
raises over the two years, a no-layoff clause and a reduction in
tuition reimbursement. Teachers taking graduate classes will
receive $300 instead of $600.
SOURCE:
The Grand Rapids Press, "Prescriptions to cost Forest Hills
teachers more," Feb. 14, 2006
http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-27/1139932182134500.xml&coll=6
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Another school employee group
abandons MESSA," Feb. 14, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7589
Michigan Education Report, "Growing number of districts seek
solutions to costly health insurance," Dec. 15, 2005
http://www.educationreport.org/7479
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Michigan Education Special
Services Association: The MEA's Money Machine," Nov. 1, 1993
http://www.mackinac.org/8
DETROIT SEEKS SCHOOL SECURITY VOLUNTEERS
DETROIT — A clergy group hopes to recruit 2,000 volunteers to
help stem increasing violence in Detroit Public Schools,
according to The Detroit News.
"This is an initial step toward securing a peaceful and
productive future for our children," Rev. Samuel Bullock Jr. told
The News. Bullock is president of the Detroit-area Council of
Baptist Pastors.
The volunteers will receive four hours of training, be
fingerprinted and undergo a background check, The News reported.
The fingerprinting, as with school employees, will cost $70 each.
"We will find that money," Superintendent William Coleman III
told The News. "We have to."
Once approved, the volunteers will receive jackets and two-way
radios. Their primary duties will be to act as the "eyes and
ears" of the district's security force, The News reported. About
300 people already have been trained.
Violence in and near Detroit public schools, including shootings,
stabbings and robberies has escalated recently, according to The
News. The district security force has been cut one-quarter since
2004, and security guards are not armed, The News reported.
SOURCE:
The Detroit News, "Volunteers look out for Detroit kids,"
Feb. 14, 2006
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060214/SCHOOLS/602140357/1026
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "DPS still seeking solutions to school
violence," Jan. 24, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7564
Michigan Education Digest, "Two students stabbed at Detroit high
school; shots fired," Jan. 17, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7551
Michigan Education Digest, "Detroit school shootings,"
Dec. 13, 2005
http://www.educationreport.org/7464
100-PLUS IN ZEELAND JOIN NEW INSURANCE POOL
ZEELAND, Mich. — More than 100 employees in the Zeeland Public
Schools will become part of the West Michigan Health Insurance
Pool next year, according to The Grand Rapids Press.
Moving the 110 administrators and support personnel to the pool
will reduce health insurance costs for the district by $115,000
the first year, The Press reported. Zeeland teachers' insurance
remains with the Michigan Education Special Services Association,
a third-party administrator affiliated with the Michigan
Education Association.
David Van Ginhoven, assistant superintendent for the district,
told The Press the West Michigan pool has coverage plans similar
to what the employees now have. The group includes 11 school
districts and serves more than 1,000 employees. Zeeland will
spend $5 million, or about 12 percent of its total budget, on
health insurance this year, according to The Press.
SOURCE:
The Grand Rapids Press, "Insurance move for Zeeland
administrators, support staff to save $115,000," Feb. 14, 2006
http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1139931993134500.xml&coll=6
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Another school employee group
abandons MESSA," Feb. 14, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7589
Michigan Education Digest, "Pinckney teachers voluntarily abandon
MESSA," Feb. 7, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7585
Michigan Education Report, "Growing number of districts seek
solutions to costly health insurance," Dec. 15, 2005
http://www.educationreport.org/7479
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Michigan Education Special
Services Association: The MEA's Money Machine," Nov. 1, 1993
http://www.mackinac.org/8
STATE WANTS EMPLOYEE LIST BACK
LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Department of Education has asked
school districts to return a disputed list of school employees
with criminal backgrounds, according to The Detroit News.
The list, sent last month, was ordered recalled by U.S. District
Judge Paul V. Gadola. Based on a background check of school
employees against a State Police database, the list came under
attack from teachers and unions, who claimed that it was
inaccurate, The News reported. It was previously blocked by
another judge from being released to the media.
"It must be treated as if the list was never received," attorney
William Albertson, whose firm is representing more than 400
school districts, told The News. "It is devoid of any legal
significance."
Brian Whiston, director of community and government services with
the Oakland Intermediate School District, said he believes the
list is about half wrong, based on what local superintendents
have told him, The News reported. Whitson did recommend that
local school districts verify employee backgrounds on their own,
especially in attempts to remove employees with sex crime
convictions from schools.
"If you've got accurate information, move forward on this,"
Whiston told The News.
The first State Police check found about 4,600 criminal offenses,
including 2,200 felonies, The News reported. A new list is to be
completed by the State Police by early March.
SOURCE:
The Detroit News, "State asks school districts to return criminal
lists," Feb. 16, 2006
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060216/SCHOOLS/602160356/1026
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Judge blocks release of names; new
list complete by March 1," Feb. 14, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7589
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Parents Still Have an Option
to Check Kids' Safety," Feb. 2, 2006
http://www.mackinac.org/7574
Michigan Education Digest, "Schools get names of employees with
criminal backgrounds," Feb. 7, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7585
Michigan Education Digest, "Court seals data on school employees
with criminal backgrounds," Jan. 31, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7570
MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST is a service of Michigan Education
Report (
http://www.educationreport.org),
a quarterly newspaper
with a circulation of 148,000 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
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