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MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST
July 5, 2006

Contents of this issue:

  • Some convicted felons still working in schools

  • Thousands of parents exercise limited school choice rights

  • DPS to cut jobs; unions reject concessions

  • Fowlerville custodians agree to pay part of health insurance

  • Holland charter breaks ground

  • DPS must repay almost $1 million to feds

SOME CONVICTED FELONS STILL WORKING IN SCHOOLS
LANSING, Mich. — Drug dealing, stalking, drunk driving and armed robbery are among the felonies some 469 public school employees across Michigan have been convicted of, according to a list published by The Detroit News.

Results of a Michigan State Police background check were turned over to The News in a 43-page document that details more than 600 felonies committed by school employees, including administrators, cooks, janitors, teachers, aides and others. State law requires convicted felons to get written permission from the superintendent and school board to maintain employment with their district. Those convicted of felonies involving sex crimes are supposed to be fired immediately.

Waterford schools employs two maintenance workers with felony records, according to The News, one for assaulting a police officer and the other for carrying a concealed weapon.

"The offenses happened a while ago and the board felt they would not adversely affect their employment," Rhonda Lessel, spokeswoman for Waterford schools, told The News. "If anything happens in the future with them, we will look at it again at that time."

At least five names have been found to be on the list that should not be, The News reported. State Police officials say school districts were given a copy of the list for verification purposes, but some districts did not alert the state to mistakes.

The full list, including school district, employee, title, crime and year, is available at:
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060629/SCHOOLS/606290377

SOURCES:
The Detroit News, "Felons keep school jobs," June 29, 2006
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060629/SCHOOLS/606290379/1026

The Detroit News, "Mistakes hit felony list again," July 4, 2006
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060704/SCHOOLS/607040317/1026

FURTHER READING:
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

Michigan Education Digest, "High cost of fingerprinting school employees," Dec. 6, 2005
http://www.educationreport.org/7458

THOUSANDS OF PARENTS EXERCISE LIMITED SCHOOL CHOICE RIGHTS
LANSING, Mich. — More than 63,000 Michigan students attended public schools outside of their home district during the 2005-2006 school year, according to The Bay City Times.

Since passage of Michigan's Schools of Choice law 10 years ago, students can attend a participating school district other than the one to which they've been assigned either in their own intermediate school district, or in a neighboring ISD.

"When you look at 10 years, Schools of Choice offers options for parents, which is always a positive thing," Bay City Public Schools Superintendent Carolyn Wierda told The Times.

Some 417 of Michigan's 552 school districts participate in the choice program. Because the state foundation grant, currently at $6,875 per pupil, follows the student, districts are now forced to compete, The Times reported. In 2002, for example, the four districts located in Bay County spent close to $100,000 on advertising.

SOURCE:
The Bay City Times, "Schools of Choice legislation has forced districts to compete for students," June 25, 2006
http://www.mlive.com/news/bctimes/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1151230564297750.xml&coll=4

FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Case for Choice in Schooling: Restoring Parental Control of Education," Jan. 29, 2001
http://www.mackinac.org/3236

Michigan Education Report, "Public Schools of Choice gives parents more options," Jan. 18, 1999
http://www.educationreport.org/1571

DPS TO CUT JOBS; UNIONS REJECT CONCESSIONS
DETROIT — Unionized workers in Detroit Public Schools balked at district requests for concessions, even if it could mean as many as 2,000 jobs may be cut, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Administrators said at a recent budget hearing that $105 million in concessions is needed from the 19,000 unionized employees in the district, the Free Press reported.

"We gave at the office," Ruby Newbold, president of a coalition of Detroit school unions, told the Free Press.

The unions agreed to 5 percent cuts last year, while teachers worked five days without pay, the Free Press reported.

"We in good faith just gave the district one year to get the budget in control," Phil Schloop, business representative for the International Union of Operating Engineers, told the Free Press.

The 2006-2007 budget is based on a potential loss of 9,400 students and the closure of three schools, according to the Free Press.

SOURCE:
Detroit Free Press, "District asks unions for $105 million," June 27, 2006
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006606270417

FURTHER READING:
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

FOWLERVILLE CUSTODIANS AGREE TO PAY PART OF HEALTH INSURANCE
FOWLERVILLE, Mich. — The 17 custodians in the Fowlerville Community Schools will pay $864 a year toward the cost of their health insurance as part of a new contract, according to the Livingston Daily Press & Argus.

The employees previously had not been paying anything toward the insurance, purchased through the Michigan Education Special Services Association, the Press & Argus reported. MESSA is a third-party administrator that is affiliated with the Michigan Education Association union.

Superintendent Ed Alverson told the Press & Argus that because the custodians agreed to pay a share of the cost, the district would not contract out for janitorial services.

SOURCE:
Livingston Daily Press & Argus, "School custodians avoid privatization," June 23, 2006
http://www.livingstondaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006606230308

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Montague teachers approve MESSA changes," June 20, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7786

Michigan Education Digest, "Holton staffers drop MESSA," May 2, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7696

HOLLAND CHARTER BREAKS GROUND
HOLLAND, Mich. — Black River Public School plans to build a $3 million addition, according to The Grand Rapids Press.

Black River, a public school academy, expects full enrollment of about 700 students in 12 grades when the new school year begins, with another 150 on a waiting list, The Press reported. Holland Public Schools, meanwhile, will close a school two blocks away from Black River due to falling enrollment, according to The Press.

Black River has raised about $1.2 million for the project, which will house a gym, music rooms and cafeteria, according to The Press. As a charter school, Black River receives per-pupil funding from the state, but cannot raise additional funds by levying local property taxes.

SOURCE:
The Grand Rapids Press, "$3M project kicks off," June 22, 2006
http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-8/1150988113109520.xml?grpress?NELK&coll=6

FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Charter Schools: 13 Years and Still Growing," May 3, 2005
http://www.mackinac.org/7087

Michigan Education Digest, "Holland teachers threaten illegal strike," May 2, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7696

DPS MUST REPAY ALMOST $1 MILLION TO FEDS
DETROIT — Detroit Public Schools has to repay almost $1 million in federal grants after a U.S. Department of Education audit found much of the money was not spent appropriately, according to the Detroit Free Press.

The district owes the federal government $930,448 in Title I money that was to be used to increase parental involvement at low-income schools, the Free Press reported. The audit, while it does not accuse anyone of theft, acknowledges that, "There are no assurances that these costs did not benefit an employee personally," the Free Press reported.

Among the findings: A nearly $500,000 no-bid contract with an ex-convict to pass out flyers; $63,000 on anger-management classes that were never held; $5,578 on five flat-screen televisions that are unaccounted for; and $25,516 for membership fees to professional organizations, according to the Free Press.

DPS Superintendent William F. Coleman told the Free Press that the FBI did not tell him agents were in the district on June 27 to interview employees. Coleman also told the Free Press, "This was not business as usual and we took swift action. I will not tolerate mismanagement."

Jan Ellis, a spokeswoman with the Michigan Department of Education, told the Free Press the money probably would be withheld from future Title I dollars the district may receive, rather than requiring the district to pay back the money.

SOURCE:
Detroit Free Press, "City schools owe nearly $1 million," June 28, 2006
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060628/NEWS01/606280326/1003/NEWS

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "DPS limits 'excessive' retreat spending," May 23, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7710

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
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Wed., March 17, 2010
"Detroit Public Schools will end up with 100 fewer school buildings than it had in 2006 if a new closure plan is carried out." >>
Tue., March 16, 2010
"Most of the country's public schools would have more freedom under a proposed rewrite of the No Child Left Behind law." >>
Tue., March 16, 2010
"Reading scores improved in all grades, and math scores in most grades, while science and social studies scores dipped slightly on the Michigan Educational Assessment Program tests taken in fall of 2009." >>
Mon., March 15, 2010
"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." >>
Sun., March 14, 2010
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Sat., March 13, 2010
"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." >>
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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 >>