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MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST
November 4, 2008

Contents of this issue:

  • Teachers call in sick, school closed
  • DPS: Agreement in lieu of takeover
  • Schools beef up video surveillance
  • Only write-ins on Holly ballot
  • Parents' e-mail addresses won't be released

TEACHERS CALL IN SICK, SCHOOL CLOSED

REDFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. - Twenty-six teachers called in sick to Redford Union's Hilbert Middle School on Monday, forcing the district to send 900 students home, according to WWJ Newsradio 950.

Superintendent Donna Rhodes told WWJ that there is a labor dispute between the district and its teachers over pay and health care. Teachers currently are working under a contract implemented by the school board, the station reported.

"The ... unfortunate thing is that we have had, last week, some very positive negotiations with the teachers' union," Rhodes told WWJ.

Substitute teachers were sent to those elementary schools in the district that also reported higher-than-normal teacher absenteeism on Monday, according to the report.

SOURCE:
WWJ Newsradio 950, "Teacher Absences Force School Closure," Nov. 3, 2008

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Redford Union schools file unfair labor charge against teachers," July 31, 2007

DPS: AGREEMENT IN LIEU OF TAKEOVER

DETROIT - The Detroit school board will meet Wednesday to decide whether to agree to budget-cutting measures suggested by a state review team. The alternative is a financial takeover by the state, according to The Detroit News.

Board President Carla Scott said Friday that she believes the board will approve the consent agreement, saying the district wants to work cooperatively with the state, The News reported.

The agreement would require Detroit Public Schools to put together a deficit elimination plan with specific timelines for reducing positions and wages as well as reductions in travel, utility costs, overtime, purchasing and other expenditures, in view of a projected budget that puts spending $408 million over revenue, according to The News.

If the district rejects the agreement, challenges its validity in court or fails to comply with its terms, an emergency financial manager must be appointed to take charge of the district's finances, according to the Michigan Department of Treasury, The News reported.

SOURCE:
The Detroit News, "Consent agreement may help DPS avert financial takeover," Oct. 31, 2008

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "DPS overspending pegged at $408 million for 2009," June 27, 2008

SCHOOLS BEEF UP VIDEO SURVEILLANCE

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. - A number of public schools in Michigan are installing new or additional security cameras, according to newspaper reports in Calhoun, Bay and Saginaw counties.

Six public school districts in Calhoun County will install video systems to monitor school buildings and grounds, paid for with about $500,000 in grant funding through the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, according to The Battle Creek Enquirer.

In Saginaw Township, the board of education approved plans to add 83 digital cameras at Heritage High School, covering every exit and entrance as well as the football stadium and bleachers, at a cost of $88,000, The Saginaw News reported. The system will record and store footage for 30 days.

School board member Barbara Russell said that the equipment should cut down on the number of scuffles, food fights and other disturbances, according to The News.

In Bay County, the Bangor Township School District installed 16 cameras in John Glenn High School and the Essexville-Hampton district upgraded its system by adding hallway cameras in one high school as well as placing cameras in elementary buildings, according to The Bay City Times.

"It's unfortunate that we live in a day and age when there's vandalism and things like that. We just want to protect our facilities," Essexville Superintendent John Mertz told The Times.

SOURCES:
The Battle Creek Enquirer, "Local schools get security cameras," Oct. 17, 2008

The Saginaw News, "Heritage beefing up video surveillance," Oct. 28, 2008

The Bay City Times, "Local schools install security cameras to monitor student and staff safety," Aug. 26, 2008

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Wayne-Westland schools get security upgrade," Nov. 13, 2007

ONLY WRITE-INS ON HOLLY BALLOT

HOLLY, Mich. - Nobody filed petitions to run for either of two seats on the Holly Area Schools Board of Education, so voters will choose the winners Tuesday on a write-in basis, according to The Flint Journal.

While no names will appear on the ballot, five people are campaigning for write-in votes, The Journal reported, including incumbent David Rath. Rath told The Journal that people encouraged him to run when no one else expressed interest. Since then, other write-in candidates joining the campaign include a former teacher, firefighter, pipefitter and purchasing executive, according to The Journal.

Oakland County Clerk Ruth Johnson told The Journal that it is not unusual for Holly candidates to file petitions at the last minute, but that an all-write-in election is uncommon.

SOURCE:
The Flint Journal, "Write-ins only candidates seeking Holly school board seats," Oct. 23, 2008

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "Legislative Alert: Vote by mail or online," July 16, 2008

PARENT E-MAIL ADDRESSES WON'T BE RELEASED

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. - Bloomfield Hills Public Schools will no longer release parents' e-mail addresses, even to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act, the Detroit Free Press reported.

The Free Press had reported earlier that the district twice released addresses in 2007 after FOIA requests, under the advice of an attorney, and that one of the recipients shared them with school board candidates who used them to send campaign messages to parents.

Betsy Erikson, spokeswoman for the district, told the Free Press that the attorney has changed his opinion based on a Michigan Supreme Court decision this summer.

Superintendent Steve Gaynor said the district "will immediately begin protecting parent e-mail addresses from outside release," according to the Free Press.

SOURCE:
The Detroit Free Press, "Bloomfield Hills Schools agrees to withhold parents' e-mail addresses," Oct. 31, 2008

FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Daily Digest, "Release of e-mail addresses raises questions," Oct. 29, 2008

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 Lorie Shane at
mailto:med@educationreport.org

To subscribe or unsubscribe, go to
http://www.educationreport.org/pubs/mer/listserver.aspx?Source=MED

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
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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 >>