Contents of this issue:
- Some MEAP scores up, others down
- Kent County school officials examine school choice policy
- Children flee Detroit Public Schools
- Montrose school payroll clerk charged with embezzlement
- Kalamazoo-area schools use competitive contracting
- Metro Detroit schools move elections to fall
SOME MEAP SCORES UP, OTHERS DOWN
LANSING, Mich. — Elementary and middle school students statewide
improved scores on the math and reading portions of the Michigan
Educational Assessment Program, but had lower scores in social
studies, according to the Detroit Free Press.
MEAP results showed a 1 to 5 percentage point gain in math and a
2 to 4 percentage point increase in reading, the Free Press
reported. Writing and science performances improved at some grade
levels and were flat or decreased in other grades, according to
the Free Press.
The state for two years has used Grade Level Content Expectations
in teaching math and science in kindergarten through eighth
grade, according to the Free Press.
"It's all about clarity," State Superintendent Mike Flanagan told
the Free Press. "The teachers are great once they have a sense of
what's expected."
SOURCES:
Detroit Free Press, "MEAP math, reading scores improve,"
Jan. 22, 2007
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770122008
Detroit Free Press, "Wayne Co. kids gain on MEAP," Jan. 23, 2007
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007701230355
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "MEAP scores down for grads,"
July 25, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7844
Michigan Education Digest, "MEAP scores show mixed results,"
March 14, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7647
KENT COUNTY SCHOOL OFFICIALS EXAMINE SCHOOL CHOICE POLICY
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — School administrators in Kent County have
formed a committee to re-examine parts of their current public
school choice practices, according to The Grand Rapids Press.
Although the committee discussed many alterations to the program,
including allowing administrators to deny transfer applications
and to request that parents specify to the assigned district the
reasons they want their children to enroll in another district,
there are likely to be few changes to the current policy, The
Press reported.
Rockford Superintendent Michael Shibler opposes the proposed ways
to limit public school choice.
"That's not choice," he told The Press. "I won't support
something like that, and I don't think my school board would,
either."
The group of students that could potentially be impacted by a
countywide policy change would be students attending parochial
and charter public schools. The group of administrators is
looking to crack down on those students who can leave a private
or charter school any time during the year to attend a
conventional public school district other than the one to which
they are assigned, The Press reported.
SOURCE:
The Grand Rapid Press, "School choice plan faces changes,"
Jan. 13, 2007
http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-34/1168674169193270.xml&coll=6
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Birmingham cracks down on residency
fraud," Jan. 9, 2007
http://www.educationreport.org/8167
Michigan Education Digest, "Thousands of parents exercise limited
school choice rights," July 5, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7807
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Case for Choice in
Schooling: Restoring Parental Control of Education,"
Jan. 29, 2001
http://www.mackinac.org/3236
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Impact of Limited School
Choice on Public School Districts," July 24, 2000
http://www.mackinac.org/2962
CHILDREN FLEE DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS
DETROIT — About 51,000 school-aged children who live in Detroit
attend other public school districts or charter public schools,
according to The Detroit News.
Detroit Public Schools has seen enrollment drops of 10,000
students each year for the past few years, and saw an additional
5,000 students leave this fall, according to The News. The
Detroit Federation of Teachers held an illegal strike that denied
instruction to students for several days in September.
Because so many students opt out of Detroit schools, the district
is no longer ranked as one of the 20 largest school districts in
the country, The News reported.
Parents are leaving DPS for charter schools and districts in
Warren, Clinton Township, Ecorse and Oak Park to seek better
educational opportunities for their children, The News reported.
"Parents are expecting quality schools, and it is incumbent upon
all of us to provide those schools," Dan Quisenberry, president
of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies, told The
News.
SOURCE:
The Detroit News, "51,000 opt out of Detroit Schools,"
Jan. 15, 2007
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070115/SCHOOLS/701150362/1026
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Detroit Public Schools announces
school closings," Jan. 9, 2007
http://www.educationreport.org/8167
Michigan Education Digest, "Detroit Public Schools enrollment
drops again," Nov. 29, 2005
http://www.educationreport.org/7448
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "School Budgets: A Crisis of
Management, Not Finance," Feb. 11, 2005
http://www.mackinac.org/6980
MONTROSE SCHOOL PAYROLL CLERK CHARGED WITH EMBEZZLEMENT
MONTROSE, Mich. — A former Montrose school district payroll clerk
is charged with embezzling $1.1 million over 10 years, according
to the Detroit Free Press.
Dana Bacon, 42, allegedly wrote duplicate checks, falsified
billing documents and made unauthorized payments to herself from
1996 until she was fired in December 2005, the Free Press
reported. Last year, the district laid off 29 teachers and seven
administrators in response to an $858,000 deficit, according to
the Free Press.
"I put any layoffs or cutbacks squarely on (Bacon)," Genesee
County Prosecutor David Leyton said, according to the Free Press.
"The children of the school district suffered for this crime."
Bacon, who was arraigned Jan. 18, is facing one count of
embezzlement over $20,000, five counts of using a computer to
commit a crime and four counts of uttering and publishing, the
Free Press reported. If convicted, she would face up to 24 years
in prison, according to the Free Press.
SOURCE:
Detroit Free Press, "Montrose school payroll clerk accused of
embezzling $1.1 million" Jan. 19, 2007
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770119012
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Former MEA union employee sentenced
in embezzlement case," Nov. 17, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/8067
Michigan Education Digest, "Former MEA union employee pleads
guilty," July 11, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7810
Michigan Education Report, "Financial scandals exposed in
Michigan school districts," Nov. 17, 2002
http://www.mackinac.org/4835
KALAMAZOO-AREA SCHOOLS UTILIZE COMPETITIVE CONTRACTING
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Approximately half of the Kalamazoo-area
school districts have signed competitive contracts for their
janitorial, food or transportation services, according to The
Kalamazoo Gazette.
In the southwestern part of the state, 17 of 35 districts have
contracted for at least one of these services. Comstock Public
Schools Business Manager Todd Mora believes that the trend will
continue, The Gazette reported.
"I predict it will increase, because districts are looking to
save money on employee benefit costs, especially retirement," he
told The Gazette.
A 2006 survey by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy found that
38 percent of Michigan school districts competitively contract
for one or more non-instructional service, The Gazette reported.
SOURCE:
The Kalamazoo Gazette, "Going private: Schools looking to
contractors to save money on employee benefits," Jan. 14, 2006
http://www.mlive.com/news/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/news-21/116875409716370.xml&coll=7
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Brandywine schools pleased with new
janitorial service," Jan. 16, 2007
http://www.educationreport.org/8174
Michigan Privatization Report, "Survey 2006: School Outsourcing
Continues to Grow," Dec. 21, 2006
http://www.mackinac.org/8130
Michigan Education Report, "Beyond brooms, burgers and buses,"
Nov. 21, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/8032
METRO DETROIT SCHOOLS MOVE ELECTIONS TO FALL
DETROIT — Seven districts in metro Detroit have moved elections
to the fall, and others are considering it, according to the
Detroit Free Press.
Avondale, Berkley, Birmingham, Rochester, Royal Oak, Waterford
and Lake Shore school districts have aligned their elections with
those of other local units of government as costs have increased
for districts that hold stand-alone elections in May. Bloomfield
Hills is currently considering a switch, according to the Free
Press.
Opponents of the switch claim moving elections will put education
issues on the back burner on an already full ballot. Proponents
claim that districts will not only see cost savings, but will see
an increase in voter turnout as well, according to the Free
Press.
"It saves a lot of taxpayer money. It provides more money for
education. It makes it easier for the voter," Oakland County
Clerk Ruth Johnson told the Free Press.
For many districts, the cost of holding elections in May has
increased significantly. The Huron Valley Schools has seen its
costs increase by more than $30,000, the Free Press reported.
Johnson said that districts in Oakland County could save a
combined $1 million by moving all of their elections to November,
according to the Free Press.
SOURCE:
Detroit Free Press, "School election shift to fall,"
Jan. 14, 2007
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070114/NEWS05/701140644
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Lansing area school districts could
move election dates," Jan. 9, 2007
http://www.educationreport.org/8167
Michigan Education Digest, "Avondale moves elections to
November," Dec. 12, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/8113
Michigan Education Digest, "Rochester moves school board
elections, lengthens terms," Nov. 14, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/8067
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Secret Ballot?" May 22, 2006
http://www.mackinac.org/7708
MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST is a service of Michigan Education
Report (
http://www.educationreport.org),
a quarterly newspaper
with a circulation of approximately 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 Sarah Grether at
mailto:med@educationreport.org
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