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MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST
May 1, 2007

Contents of this issue:
  • Detroit Public Schools to lay off 555 teachers
  • Midland Public Schools considers contracting for custodial work
  • Royal Oak teachers protest at board meeting, want to keep MESSA
  • Goodrich schools to expand Schools of Choice program
  • Win an iPod; Map: Does your district competitively contract?
  • Hillsdale offering free seminar for teachers
DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO LAY OFF 555 TEACHERS
DETROIT — The Detroit Public Schools has sent layoff notices to 555 teachers, according to The Detroit News.

Detroit Federation of Teachers President Virginia Cantrell told The News that a district often distributes more notices than needed.

"Based on the information we have seen, we believe most of the layoffs will be rescinded before they take effect," Cantrell wrote in a statement.

The number of teachers who lose their jobs my also decline because between 300 and 400 teachers are planning to retire at the end of this year, The News reported.

SOURCE:
The Detroit News, "Detroit Public Schools sends layoff notices to 555 teachers," April 27, 2007
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070427/UPDATE/704270436/1003/METRO

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Detroit schools could lay off 430," Oct. 24, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/8013

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

MIDLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS CONSIDERS CONTRACTING FOR CUSTODIAL WORK
MIDLAND, Mich. — The Midland Public Schools could save between $700,000 and $900,000 in the first year, and about $2.6 million over three years, if it chooses to competitively contract for custodial services, according to the Midland Daily News.

Midland needs to cut $5 million to balance next year's budget and has decided that if it is going to contract its custodial services, it will hire Grand Rapids Building Services.

The Midland City Educational Support Personnel Association protested at a recent school board meeting, expressing concern about health and retirement packages as well as making claims about potential safety risks associated with hiring a competitive company.

"I hope the board of education will hear the voice of this community," said Fred Baker, a spokesman for the Michigan Education Association, which is headquartered in East Lansing. "We want to maintain our local control and local accountability."

GRBS Vice-President Karin Wysocki cleared up many concerns by explaining that the company puts an emphasis on hiring locally, offers a health package and makes its job applicants go through an intensive screening, according to the Daily News. The company also refuses to hire anyone with a felony or misdemeanor record other than a traffic violation, the Daily News reported.

Wysocki also stated that her employees are trained to do many of the popular jobs done by current custodial staff, like setting up tables, adjusting chairs and walking teachers to their cars.

Midland has recently sent lay off notices to 21 teachers, reduced the schedules of eight others and eliminated the media specialist positions in the district, according to the Daily News.

The board will vote on contracting for food and custodial services at its May 14 meeting, the Daily News reported.

SOURCES:
Midland Daily News, "Midland school outsourcing decision nears," April 24, 2007
http://www.ourmidland.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18252234&BRD=2289& PAG=461&dept_id=472542&rfi=6

Midland Daily News, "Midland schools announce 21 teachers laid off, 8 have duties reduced," April 25, 2007
http://www.ourmidland.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=18258256&BRD=2289&PAG=461& dept_id=578054&rfi=8

Midland Daily News, "MPS media specialist positions to be cut," April 25, 2007
http://www.ourmidland.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=18258648&dept_id=578054&brd=2289&pag=461

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "Do private employees in public schools provide the same quality of service as public employees in public schools? Yes," Feb. 23, 2007
http://www.educationreport.org/8254

Michigan Education Report, "Profit has a role in public schools," Feb. 23, 2007
http://www.educationreport.org/8250

Michigan Education Report, "Map: School contracting continues to grow," Feb. 23, 2007
http://www.educationreport.org/archives/2007/mer2007-01maps.pdf

ROYAL OAK TEACHERS PROTEST AT BOARD MEETING, WANT TO KEEP MESSA
ROYAL OAK, Mich. — Members of the Royal Oak teachers union protested the district's proposed health insurance changes at a recent board meeting, according to the Royal Oak Daily Tribune.

The Royal Oak board of education has stated that it will allow teachers to keep health coverage purchased from the Michigan Education Special Services Association, a third-party administrator affiliated with the Michigan Education Association school employee union, if teachers contribute $2,500 per year towards their own insurance. District officials are looking to control benefit costs. Superintendent Thomas Moline reports that MESSA costs $15,500 per teacher with family coverage, while the average insurance cost in the Detroit area is $11,900 per employee, the Daily Tribune reported.

"All they need to do is give a concession on insurance and we're done," Moline said, according to the Daily Tribune. "They can have it; they just have to help us pay for it."

SOURCE:
Royal Oak Daily Tribune, "Teachers rally for contract," April 27, 2007
http://www.dailytribune.com/stories/042707/loc_protest001.shtml

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Howell board stands behind decision to leave MESSA," March 20, 2007
http://www.educationreport.org/8357

Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "A Collective Bargaining Primer For Michigan School Board Members," Feb. 28, 2007
http://www.mackinac.org/8258

Michigan Education Digest, "Howell custodians abandon MESSA," Sept. 5, 2006
http://www.educationreport.org/7919

Michigan Education Report, "Growing number of districts seek solutions to costly health insurance," Dec. 15, 2005
http://www.educationreport.org/7479

GOODRICH SCHOOLS TO EXPAND SCHOOLS OF CHOICE PROGRAM
GOODRICH, Mich. — The Goodrich board of education voted 4-3 to approve a limited Schools of Choice plan that would open enrollment to 21 students from outside Genesee County in a effort to bring more revenue in to the district, according to The Flint Journal.

The district will continue to allow another 21 students from other districts inside the county to enroll each school year.

"This is the only way we can get revenue," board member James Bertrand told The Journal. "The other option is to cut costs."

Board member Michael J. Thorp questioned how much the district will gain from bringing these students into the schools because their families will not pay any district or intermediate school district taxes.

SOURCE:
The Flint Journal, "School board votes to accept out-of-county students," April 24, 2007
http://www.mlive.com/news/fljournal/index.ssf?/base/news-43/1177428041267880.xml&coll=5

FURTHER READING:
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

WIN AN IPOD; MAP: DOES YOUR DISTRICT COMPETITIVELY CONTRACT?

MIDLAND, Mich. — The spring issue of Michigan Education Report offers a map illustrating which districts have taken advantage of competitive contracting. It can be accessed here:
http://www.educationreport.org/archives/2007/mer2007-01maps.pdf

Michigan Education Report is offering readers a chance to win an iPod when they comment on articles in its spring 2007 issue.

Comments can be made via e-mail about stories on the U.S. House Fellows program (http://www.educationreport.org/8238), school district health benefits savings (http://www.educationreport.org/8239), whether private employees in public schools provide the same quality of service as public employees in public schools (http://educationreport.org/8254 and
http://www.educationreport.org/8255), a community college cooperating with home-school students (http://www.educationreport.org/8228) and the role of profit in public schools (http://www.educationreport.org/8250). Please visit http://www.educationreport.org/8332 for more information.

HILLSDALE OFFERING FREE SEMINAR FOR TEACHERS
HILLSDALE, Mich. — Economics, social studies, civics and history teachers are invited to participate in a free summer seminar July 15-21 as part of the Foundation for Teaching Economics program, "Economics for Leaders." The seminar takes place on the campus of Hillsdale College and will be led by Dr. Gary Wolfram, Munson Professor of Political Economy at the school. The program is based on the National Voluntary Standards in Economic Education. Room and board is free, and each participant will receive a $150 stipend. Credit hours are available, and three SBCEUs are free of charge for Michigan public school teachers.

Visit http://www.fte.org/teachers/programs for more information, or call 800-383-4335.

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

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. >>