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Legislative Alert

Thu., June 19, 2008

Back to school for administrators?

A voluntary certification program for school administrators would become mandatory under legislation introduced by Rep. Dudley Spade, D-Tipton, on June 10.

House Bill 6234 would prohibit conventional public school districts and public school academies from employing a superintendent, principal, assistant principal, administrator or chief business official unless the person has the school administrator certification that was created as a voluntary program by Public Act 335 of 2006.

Current administrators who are not certified would have to enroll within six months of the bill’s passage and complete the program within the next five years.

According to information at the Michigan Department of Education Web site, the voluntary certification requires completion of an approved master’s degree or higher in educational leadership or administration.

The bill was referred to the House Education Committee.

Track this bill online at: www.michiganvotes.org/2008-HB-6234


Extend time limit on ‘retired’ employees

Teachers or administrators who return to work in a school district after retiring would be allowed to collect a salary for up to eight years and simultaneously collect their full pension benefits under a bill originally introduced by Rep. Tim Melton, D-Pontiac/Auburn Hills in 2007.

Current law allows retired school employees to return to work in certain school districts or in certain positions — without a pension reduction — if there is deemed to be a "critical shortage" in that discipline. The bill would extend the time limit on such employment from six years to eight.

According to a House Legislative Analysis of the proposal, the hiring district would have to prove that it tried unsuccessfully to fill the job on its own. Districts could only hire employees who had been retired at least 12 months. After three years, the hiring district would begin picking up the cost of that employee’s health insurance.

The Michigan Department of Education identified 41 "critical shortage" areas in 2007-2008, ranging from superintendents and principals to varied special education disciplines to teachers of Arabic.

House Bill 4593 passed in the House of Representatives on a 105-1 vote on June 12.

Track this bill online at: www.michiganvotes.org/2008-HB-4593


Extra training on reading disabilities

Principals, teachers and administrators would have to acquire additional training in reading disabilities and instruction under a bill passed by the state Senate in June.

Originally introduced by Sen. Wayne Kuipers, R-Holland, in 2007, the initial version would have required a student to demonstrate basic literacy skills before being promoted to fourth grade. Students would have been tested after second and third grades.

But the substitute bill that was adopted instead requires school staff to take training on identifying reading problems and selecting appropriate interventions. In addition, the Michigan Department of Education would have to develop a model summer remedial reading program for first- through fourth-graders and a model early intervention program for struggling readers.

The substitute, Senate Bill 842, passed the Senate by voice vote on June 10 and was sent to the House of Representatives, which referred it to the House Education Committee.

Track this bill online at: www.michiganvotes.org/2008-SB-842

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Michigan Education Daily
"Hillsdale Community Schools is offering severance packages to teachers and support personnel who retire now as a way to save money in the long run." >>
"The University of Michigan believes that a plan to create a single health insurance pool for all public employees is unconstitutional, firefighters believe it's unwise, but the president of Lansing Community College sees it as the right moral choice." >>
"Jackson Public Schools is investigating switching insurance carriers, self-funding or asking all employee groups to agree to higher deductibles and co-pays as ways to spend less on health insurance." >>
"Not yet certain whether they will face a $127 per-pupil cut in December, school administrators are reviewing their choices for dealing with it." >>
"More than one-third of the students who live within Detroit Public Schools boundaries attended a public charter school in 2008-2009." >>
"More than one-third of the students who live within Detroit Public Schools boundaries attended a public charter school in 2008-2009." >>
"State school Superintendent Michael Flanagan asked lawmakers and teachers unions Thursday to settle their differences and clear the way for Michigan to apply for up to $400 million in federal funding for public schools." >>
User Comments
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

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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 >>

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>.


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I AGREE >>
Godfrey-Lee on the west side of the state has been running all-day, every-day kindergarten for several years. >>
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/


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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.
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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?
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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 >>
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