Search
Login
Register

MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST
July 29, 2008

Contents of this issue:
  • Detroit schools might have to repay $1.3 million to feds
  • Michigan ranks last in graduating black males
  • Bay City high schools switch to trimesters
  • Schools adjust to rising fuel costs
  • State adopts AYP 'growth model'
DETROIT SCHOOLS MIGHT HAVE TO REPAY $1.3 MILLION TO FEDS
DETROIT — A report from the U.S. Department of Education recommends that Detroit Public Schools be required to pay back at least $1.3 million in misused funds, according to the Detroit Free Press.

The report from the Office of the Inspector General found that from 2004-2006 the district did not properly report its spending of federal funds aimed at helping low-income students. DPS may also be required to pay up to $52 million more if it is not able to track down additional records, the Free Press reported.

District and state Department of Education officials claim that DPS does not owe anything. Department of Education spokeswoman Jan Ellis said many of the records have been found.

"We hope to be able to resolve almost all of it," Ellis told the Free Press.

SOURCE:
Detroit Free Press, "U.S. report says DPS must repay $1.3 million," July 23, 2008
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080723/NEWS01/ 807230340

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "DPS overspending pegged at $408 million for 2009," June 27, 2008
http://www.educationreport.org/9611

Michigan Education Digest, "DPS sues former employees for allegedly issuing illicit contracts," July 10, 2008
http://www.educationreport.org/9655

MICHIGAN RANKS LAST IN GRADUATING BLACK MALES
DETROIT — A national report found that Michigan has the lowest graduation rate for black males in the country, with Detroit Public Schools graduating the second lowest number of black males when compared to other large urban districts, according to The Kalamazoo Gazette.

The Schott Foundation for Public Education's report, "Given Half a Chance: The Schott 50 State Report on Public Education and Black Males," found that Michigan graduates 33 percent of black males, compared to 47 percent nationwide. Michigan graduates 74 percent of white males, which is just one percentage point lower than the national figure. Detroit Public Schools graduates 20 percent of black males and 17 percent of white males, The Gazette reported.

North Dakota led the country by graduating 89 percent of its black male population, according to The Gazette.

SOURCE:
Kalamazoo Gazette, "State worst in grad rate for black males," July 27, 2008
http://www.mlive.com/news/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/news-30/12171 32408219340.xml&coll=7&thispage=1

FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "How Ideology Perpetuates the Achievement Gap," Feb. 2, 2005
http://www.mackinac.org/6974

BAY CITY HIGH SCHOOLS SWITCH TO TRIMESTERS
BAY CITY, Mich. — Bay City Public Schools will move to a trimester system in its high schools starting in 2009-2010, according to The Bay City Times.

The schools will move to three 12-week terms, as opposed to the current two 18-week semesters. The switch will allow students to take 15 classes per year, instead of the standard 12 under the semester system. The district decided to change schedules as an adjustment to the new state graduation requirements, which leave little time for elective courses or for making up failed courses, The Times reported.

SOURCE:
The Bay City Times, "Bay City high schools to switch to trimesters as answer to Michigan's curriculum requirements," July 27, 2008
http://blog.mlive.com/bctimes/2008/07/bay_city_high_schools_to_switc.html

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "New high school graduation requirements in action" May 6, 2008
http://www.educationreport.org/9457

SCHOOLS ADJUST TO RISING FUEL COSTS
WATERFORD, Mich. — School districts across Oakland County are adjusting their budgets and enacting cost-saving measures to cope with rising fuel prices, according to Spinal Column Online.

"Individual districts are working on ways to reduce their operational costs by consolidating bus runs and routes, reducing bus idling times, examining bus stop locations and reviewing their operational practices to determine other cost-saving measures," Lori Richardson, program director of transportation services for the Oakland Intermediate School District, told Spinal Column Online. "Oakland Schools is continuing to work with districts to evaluate their transportation operations and assist them in implementation of cost-cutting measures whenever possible."

Last fall the ISD consolidated some of its special education bus routes and eliminated a 15-minute window where buses would idle. The measure saved the county schools about $3.5 million, Spinal Column Online reported.

Some districts are also participating in a fuel consortium. The Macomb/Oakland Fuel Consortium Aggregate Bus Fuel Purchasing Program allows schools to band together to purchase bus fuel at lower prices. Individual districts are consolidating runs or seeing transportation savings from new all-day kindergarten programs, according to Spinal Column Online.

SOURCE:
Spinal Column Online, "Schools consider changes to deal with rising fuel costs," July 29, 2008
http://www.spinalcolumnonline.com/Articles-i-2008-07-23-55732.113117_ Schools_consider_changes_to_deal_with_rising_fuel_costs.html

FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Empirical Studies on Cost Reduction," in "A School Privatization Primer," June 26, 2007
http://www.mackinac.org/8711

STATE ADOPTS AYP 'GROWTH MODEL'
LANSING, Mich. — Michigan schools now get credit for students who have made headway in reading or math — but still are not proficient — in their effort to meet the academic bar set by the No Child Left Behind Act.

Called a growth model, the new system allows students who have not reached proficiency on state standardized tests, but who are "on trajectory" to reach proficiency within three years, to be counted favorably in NCLB calculations. Until now, only students who reached proficiency could be counted.

The new formula will make it easier for some schools to make "adequate yearly progress" and avoid sanctions under NCLB, although only a relatively small number of students are involved, according to the Michigan Department of Education. Nationwide, critics of NCLB have long said that schools deserve credit for improvement, not just proficiency, while others say that NCLB provisions already have been watered down enough.

SOURCE:
Michigan Education Report, "Michigan adopts NCLB 'growth model,'" July 29, 2008
http://www.educationreport.org/9682

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "'A PLUS' plan would permit states to opt out of NCLB," Aug. 15, 2007
http://www.educationreport.org/8813

Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "NCLB Falls Short of Helping Parents," Aug. 24, 2007
http://www.mackinac.org/8960

MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST is a service of Michigan Education Report (http://www.educationreport.org), an online newspaper 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=MED

Related Topics: Education
Michigan Education Daily
Wed., September 1, 2010
"An aviation school in Michigan is one example of a new generation of public charter schools designed to serve niche audiences." >>
Tue., August 31, 2010
"A 10-year-old Windsor boy who completed part of his education in Michigan is being denied entry to public high school in Windsor even though he's completed the eighth-grade curriculum." >>
Mon., August 30, 2010
"Principal John Hoving is using Facebook as a way to promote Bay City All Saints Central School as well as to head off possible cyber bullying." >>
Sun., August 29, 2010
"Royal Oak Public Schools students will be featured in an Oct. 12 episode of MTV's "If You Really Knew Me," a cable television program that the producer describes as "students trying to be accepted for who they are."" >>
Sat., August 28, 2010
"Public schools in Michigan were offered an automatic "A" on part of their annual state report card this year, a one-time arrangement that may have spared some from being unaccredited." >>
Fri., August 27, 2010
"More than 1,000 teacher retirements will allow Detroit Public Schools to recall all teachers from layoff and hire up to 300 more to fill staffing gaps." >>
Thu., August 26, 2010
"Inland Lakes Schools is considering hiring a private firm to provide custodial services as a way to save money, but a union representative says that new federal funding makes such a move unnecessary." >>
User Comments
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. >>
verdemont resident
This article is tucked away yet is profoundly correct. Parents are pseudo parenting little objects of consumption. Teens, professionals, working moms like the "idea" of a child but are not in for the long haul and everyone loses.

Schools are enabling parents to do precious little. The time parents spend with their children is the only thing that matters. Bussing needs to be cut, school breakfast, lunch, and afterschool care needs to be stopped. Parents will grow that bond by sacrificing the nails, hair, parties, drugs, quads, vacations, etc. and making a lunch for their child and arrangements to be home when the child is out of school. No one is that poor that they can't provide a boloney sandwich, a baggie of pretzels, an apple, 50 cents for a milk, and two cookies each day.

Please respond!

>>
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 >>