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MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST
October 10, 2006

Contents of this issue:
  • Audit finds errors in school statistics
  • Schools suing state over background checks
  • Escanaba teachers get raises linked to health care costs
  • Former superintendent pleads no contest
  • Detroit teachers union looks to recall school board president
AUDIT FINDS ERRORS IN SCHOOL STATISTICS
DETROIT — A state Auditor General's Office report shows that several schools across Michigan maintain incorrect records on graduation and dropout rates, according to the Detroit Free Press.

The Auditor General's office reported an inability to get records from some districts, and an absence of reliability in reports it does receive. Some districts, for example, show 100 percent graduation rates while also reporting dropouts in the same class, the Free Press reported.

"When you put something out that is this inaccurate and has these kinds of holes, you're doing a disservice," Kurt Metzger, who collects dropout and graduation statistics for the United Way of Southeastern Michigan, told the Free Press.

Greg Bird, spokesman for the Office of Management and Budget, said Michigan has no plans to correct the inaccurate figures.

"This is self-reported data; these schools are given an appeals process," Bird told the Free Press.

Some say the state should take steps to make sure the information is accurate, because the data is used to determine yearly progress standards under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

"I don't understand why you would use something that you know is wrong," Dan DeGrow, superintendent of St. Clair County Regional Educational Service Agency, told the Free Press. "It affects local districts on AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) and other things, and it's not fair for them to go ahead and use it if it's wrong. It's not enough that they publish it and people see it, there are actual consequences for it."

For example, the audit found Bath High School, which reported a 100 percent graduation rate for the class of 2003, actually graduated 84 percent, while Ypsilanti Lincoln High School, which graduated more than 80 percent of students in 2004, reported a graduation rate of just 43 percent that year, according to the Free Press.

SOURCE:
Detroit Free Press, "School rankings don't add up," Sept. 29, 2006
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060929/NEWS06/609290367/1008

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "Graduation rates an imperfect measure of school excellence," Feb. 15, 2002
http://www.educationreport.org/4069

Michigan Education Digest, "Editorial: inflated data hinder education reform," Jan. 7, 2004
http://www.educationreport.org/6087

SCHOOLS SUING STATE OVER BACKGROUND CHECKS
LANSING, Mich. — About 460 school districts from across Michigan are suing the state over requirements in the Student Safety Initiative laws, according to The Detroit News.

Designed to protect students from criminals working in schools, the laws require school employees to be fingerprinted by July 1, 2008. The suit, filed in the Michigan Court of Appeals, says the requirement is a violation of the Headlee Amendment to the state constitution, which prohibits unfunded mandates, The News reported. The districts are seeking funding for the cost of the fingerprinting, which is about $65 per employee.

"Out of our general funds we have to get the money to pay for fingerprinting," Thomas Owczarek, president of the Warren Fitzgerald school board, told The News. "It's just not fair, and we want to recoup the money that is rightfully owed to us by the state."

SOURCE:
The Detroit News, "Police checks rile schools," Sept. 29, 2006
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006609290326

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Some convicted felons still working in schools," July 5, 2005
http://www.educationreport.org/7807

Michigan Education Digest, "List of felons forwarded to schools," May 16, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7704

ESCANABA TEACHERS GET RAISES LINKED TO HEALTH CARE COSTS
ESCANABA, Mich. — The teachers union in Escanaba has agreed to tie pay increases to the cost of health care premiums, according to The Daily Press.

Teachers will get a 2.75 percent raise this year, but the second year could vary from 2.25 percent to 2.75 percent, based on how successful the district is at containing health insurance costs.

Teachers agreed to continue paying $50 a month towards premiums, but will pay a larger share toward their own prescription drug coverage, The Daily Press reported.

"Negotiations is (sic) always a tough process," Dan DeLong, president of the Escanaba teachers union, told The Daily Press. "We had our differences, but I feel we worked out a contract that is fiscally sound for the district and gives us an adequate raise."

The district still is negotiating with unions that represent support personnel and administrators.

SOURCE:
The Daily Press, "Teachers' pay raise linked to health care," Oct. 7, 2006
http://www.dailypress.net/stories/articles.asp?articleID=4939

FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Decades of Dollars and Disappointment," Oct. 6, 2006
http://www.mackinac.org/7969

Michigan Education Digest, "Marquette teachers accept less costly MESSA insurance," Aug. 29, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7882

FORMER SUPERINTENDENT PLEADS NO CONTEST
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A former west Michigan public school superintendent pleaded no contest to charges of embezzlement, according to Booth Newspapers.

Wes VanDenburg, who served as superintendent in Caledonia and Belding, agreed to pay each district $1,500 restitution, along with lawyer and accountant fees and court costs, Booth reported.

A person who pleads no contest does not admit guilt, but accepts the court's sentence. VanDenburg is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 6 in Kent County Circuit Court.

Caledonia officials found 41 receipts that they said had been fabricated, and said VanDenburg was paid twice for 26 others, according to Booth. Prosecutors in Ionia County dropped charges against VanDenburg associated with Belding schools.

SOURCE:
Booth Newspapers, "Former Caledonia superintendent pleads no contest to embezzlement," Oct. 7, 2006
http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/michigan/index.ssf?/base/news-38/ 1160240956173690.xml&storylist=newsmichigan

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Former MEA union official pleads guilty," July 11, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7810

Michigan Education Digest, "Judicial Board Censures Kalamazoo Union President for Misusing Funds," July 19, 2005
http://www.educationreport.org/7166

DETROIT TEACHERS UNION LOOKS TO RECALL SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT
DETROIT — The Detroit Federation of Teachers union wants to recall school board President Jimmy Womack, according to The Detroit News.

"We're very dissatisfied with his leadership," DFT President Janna Garrison told The News.

The DFT executive board voted to start a recall campaign because, Garrison told The News, Womack would not give in to union demands during contract talks.

Womack said a recall attempt lacks merit, especially since many DPS teachers do not live in the district.

"I'm not here to make the popular decision, but what I think is the right decision: putting the children and district first," Womack told The News.

The Detroit teachers union conducted an illegal strike, which denied instruction to students for several days, before agreeing to a new contract last month.

SOURCE:
The Detroit News, "Detroit teachers union works to oust board president," Oct. 4, 2006
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061004/SCHOOLS/610040395/1026

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Classes resume after Detroit teachers end illegal strike," Sept. 19, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7934

Michigan Education Digest, "Detroit teachers union wants more money," June 27, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7798

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 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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User Comments
suemack
Since 2009, the EFM was allocated $500.5 million in stimulus funds. They tore down a High School and built a multi-million dollar Cass Tech, the structure alone costing $94 million. $45 million was spent for a safety program. $41 million was used to purchase a reading series not needed, $50 million was used to buy all new computers for staff and students. $1.6 million was used for administrative travel and all leadership positions recieved significant raises. The EFM in the first year gave himself a $86,000 raise, including resources from philanthropist contributions, his salalry was somewhere beyond $450,000. This is a leadership who spent more to rent and eventually buy five floors of the Fisher Bldg for office space, paying more than the owner paid for the entire building one year earlier, adorned with rare and expensive artifacts.

Teachers have had pay freezes since 2001, they have had pay cuts, benefit cuts and an additional $500.00 has been deducted from their monothly pay for two years and counting.

Oh the money is in the schools alright, it just doesn't make it to the classroom. >>
adrianna
except/accept??????? per pupil funding. If you're a teacher, I hope this was a typo. >>
danielsmith506
Yes, I am agree with you. Educational equity argument can help, But also cause blowback credits are more popular than vouchers.

Thanks
_______
Daniel

<a href=“http://www.legalx.net” rel=“dofollow”>Find Attorney</a> >>
danielsmith506
Yes, I am agree with you. Educational equity argument can help, But also cause blowback credits are more popular than vouchers.

Thanks
_______
Daniel

<a href=“http://www.legalx.net”>Find Attorney</a> >>
9Billion
Your comment "No one is that poor that they cant provide a boloney sandwich..." was the definition of "out-of-touch". First, I agree whole-heartedly that parents matter. I would love to see parents drive or car pool kids to school. Even provide them with food, too. However, sadly it is unrealistic. The economy is so weak that everything is shrinking. If we eliminate transportation and food for students we may find many families electing not to send the child to school at all...then what?

Please respond! >>
colonelb
This agreement has saved the districts money yet we are chastised for it despite the fact the wording at issue was known to be invalid and unenforceable by either side. I applaud our effort and believe this suit is frivolous. http://www.godfrey-lee.org/education/components/board/default.php?sectiondetailid=3458&threadid=554 >>
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. >>