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MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST July 1, 2008

Tue., July 1, 2008
Contents of this issue:
    • DPS cuts 1,700 jobs
    • West Ottawa Schools proceeds with tenure hearing
    • Resident concerned about Mesick contract ratification procedure
    • Northville unions agree to $1.2 million in concessions
    • Fruitport schools financially stable due to schools of choice
    DPS CUTS 1,700 JOBS
    DETROIT — The Detroit Public Schools avoided a shutdown by approving a budget that will eliminate 1,700 jobs, according to the Detroit Free Press.

    The budget proposal passed 9-2 and will include eliminating about 800 teaching positions and 900 other jobs. DPS will also eliminate 142 vacant administrative positions. Additionally, the district plans to cut $81 million in non-salary spending and negotiate $70 million in union concessions. However, no details on how those reductions will occur have been provided, the Free Press reported.

    The budget proposal leaves the district with a deficit of $112.8 million for this fiscal year and a deficit of $104.7 million for 2008-2009. DPS hopes to have a surplus of $2.6 million by 2009-2010, according to the Free Press.

    SOURCE:
    Detroit Free Press, "Detroit school officials OK budget, avoid shutdown," June 30, 2008
    http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080630/NEWS01/ 80630102/1003/NEWS

    FURTHER READING:
    Michigan Education Report, "Detroit not the only school district seeing red," June 30, 2008
    http://www.educationreport.org/9620

    WEST OTTAWA SCHOOLS PROCEEDS WITH TENURE HEARING
    HOLLAND, Mich. — West Ottawa Public Schools is proceeding with its first tenure hearing in hopes of firing a teacher, according to The Grand Rapids Press.

    The district claims Karl Nadolsky, 58, gave students answers to a biology test to mask his poor performance. Nadolsky denies this and argues his actions were based on legitimate pedagogical theory. The board of education voted to remove him in January, and he has appealed the case to a state tenure judge, The Press reported.

    "We don't want him back in the classroom," school board President Randy Schippers, a Holland lawyer, told The Press.

    "Now, we have to follow the process the state devised to try to make that happen."

    Tenure hearings are rare because many districts decide to settle for a buyout, which usually costs less. There are about 50 tenure cases each year and they take an average of more than 10 months to resolve. The hearings are similar to an actual trial, with lawyers and witnesses presenting evidence. In this case, the district was not willing to settle on a buyout. Nadolsky could have retired with full benefits, according to The Press.

    Nadolsky was paid his full salary, $69,712, plus $16,198 worth of benefits, while awaiting a hearing, The Press reported. The district has also spent $17,915 in legal fees and $23,577 for a long-term substitute.

    SOURCE:
    The Grand Rapids Press, "West Ottawa Public Schools holds its first teacher tenure hearing," June 24, 2008
    http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/06/west_ottawa_public_schools_hol.html

    FURTHER READING:
    Michigan Education Report, "Tenure law is impediment to reform," May 12, 2000
    http://www.educationreport.org/2874

    RESIDENT CONCERNED ABOUT MESICK CONTRACT RATIFICATION PROCESS
    MESICK, Mich. — A Mesick man was reportedly "baffled" by the lack of transparency during teacher contract ratification procedures, according to the Cadillac News. Greg Bailey asked for a copy of the contract being voted on at the June 9 school board meeting and was told there were no copies or any information available to the public, the News reported. "I objected to approving the teachers' contract without the public being able to comment (knowledgeably) on it," Bailey told the News.

    After the board meeting, Bailey requested a copy via the Freedom of Information Act, but was denied because the contract wasn't finalized at the time.

    "I'm very, very upset with the process," Bailey told the News.

    "This is a timely matter for completing these things and providing the information to the public."

    The major changes to the contract include a switch in health insurance coverage from the Michigan Education Special Services Association, a third-party administrator affiliated with the Michigan Education Association school employees union, to Blue Cross Blue Shield. Teachers will receive a $1,000 signing bonus in the fall for the switch, while also seeing pay increases of 1.75 percent, 2.3 percent and 2 percent over the next four years. The 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years will both include raises of 2 percent, according to the News.

    SOURCE:
    Cadillac News, "Man upset by Mesick school board ratifying teachers' contracts," June 25, 2008
    http://www.cadillacnews.com/story_news/?story_id=332820&year=2008

    FURTHER READING:
    Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Michigan School Databases" http://www.mackinac.org/depts/epi

    NORTHVILLE UNIONS AGREE TO $1.2 MILLION IN CONCESSIONS
    NORTHVILLE, Mich. — Northville school support staff prevented the contracting of custodial, transportation and food services by accepting $1.2 million in concessions, according to the Northville Record.

    The union agreed to a three-year contract which will include a 2 percent pay reduction, a freeze on salary steps, annual payments of $390 for health care and a revised pay schedule for new employees. The new wage schedule is a 22 percent decrease from the current system, the Record reported.

    "The board is deeply grateful to the custodial, transportation and food service staff for their support in reaching this agreement," Board President Joan Wadsworth told the Record. "We recognize the sacrifice involved. We are delighted to be able to keep our terrific staff and know that the school community is delighted as well."

    SOURCE:
    Northville Record, "Privatization Dropped," June 26, 2008
    http://hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080626/NEWS12/ 806260596/1029

    FURTHER READING:
    Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Privatization Rolls on Despite Rhetorical Opposition," June 9, 2008
    http://www.mackinac.org/9526

    FRUITPORT SCHOOLS FINANCIALLY STABLE DUE TO SCHOOLS OF CHOICE
    FRUITPORT, Mich. — The Fruitport Community Schools have bucked the trend of district financial troubles, due largely to the number of schools of choice students it receives each year, according to The Muskegon Chronicle.

    The school board approved a final budget for the 2007-2008 school year with revenues of $29.3 million and expenditures of $29.8 million. Even with the slight deficit, the district maintains a fund balance of $4.7 million. The district was in the position to purchase new textbooks and offer summer school to grades 1-12 for the first time, The Chronicle reported.

    For the 2008-2009 school year, the district is estimating revenue of $29.7 million and expenditures of $30 million. This budget does not include estimates for increases in schools of choice students. The district has received about 50 new students over the past two years.

    "We've had more (schools of) choice numbers than ever, and each year we get more," Superintendent Nicholas Ceglarek told The Chronicle. "But we think it's important to budget conservatively in this economy."

    SOURCE:
    The Muskegon Chronicle, "Choice students help Fruitport schools finances," June 27, 2008
    http://blog.mlive.com/chronicle/2008/06/ choice_students_help_fruitport.html

    FURTHER READING:
    Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Limited Educational Choice," in "The Case for Choice in Schooling," June 9, 2008
    http://www.mackinac.org/3272

    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
Michigan Education Daily
Wed., August 27, 2008
"The president of the Grand Rapids teachers union sent a letter to substitute teachers in the district asking them not to cross picket lines should the union strike." >>
Wed., August 27, 2008
"The number of Michigan schools failing to meet standards set by the federal No Child Left Behind Act increased by 150 during the 2007-2008 school year." >>
Wed., August 27, 2008
"Portage Public Schools might revise its construction bidding process to give preference to the low bidder rather than local companies." >>
Wed., August 27, 2008
"One in four Michigan high school students do not graduate." >>
Wed., August 27, 2008
"General Electric Capital has filed a federal lawsuit against Detroit Public Schools over a lease for Apple computers." >>
Wed., August 27, 2008
"The Saginaw School District will pay more than $65,000 to rid itself of a teacher accused of poor classroom behavior." >>
Tue., August 19, 2008
"A Detroit-area businessman has started a group to raise money in hopes of funding college scholarships for Detroit Public Schools graduates." >>
User Comments
Carol
Michigan High School & the University deliver quality education to its
students & has maintained its standard with good caliber. The courses offered by the Michigan institutes are versatile and for future progress of the society and the students, it further enhances them to become excellent citizens!!
---------------------------
Carol
<a href="http://http://www.treatmentcenters.org/michigan">Michigan Treatment Centers</a>
>>
drgrenan
Thank you for your comments. I would be honored and proud to go to any school district or meeting to stand up for your/our children!! Just EMail me and I will be there or call me anytime at 616-8474282
Thank You, Dr Jack Grenan Educator and Cancer Survivor >>
ilifflij
Parents and teachers have not had a voice. The waivers used have allowed administrators of various Michigan schools to plunk in 20 - 25 students in a classroom of students with learning disabilities. As a special education teacher, I find it very difficult to meet the individual learning objectives of that many students. >>
rlboogren
This article presents excellent information. As the parent of a child with a disability I advocate for my son. Currently, there is no one to speak for all the children with disabilities in Michigan. There is no transparency of government. The position of State Superintendent is a dictatorship with the power to make all the decisions. As a parent, I cannot voice my concerns by voting. >>
Ferndale Eagle
Ferndale High School in Ferndale, Michigan succeeded in correcting the mistaken reporting of the Johns Hopkins University report that had included it as a "dropout factory" with poor "promoting power." The University researchers have acknowledged that Ferndale High School does not belong in this category and removed the school from the list because of the school district's high outward mobility (more students move out than move in during high school.). The high school has a three-year promoting power ration of 77% rather than the 50% reported in the Associated Press in October 2007, with the Class of 2006 having a 91% promoting power. Please visit Johns Hopkins' website for more clarification to see the "Schools Removed from the List of Weak Promoting Power High Schools: http://web.jhu.edu/CSOS/images/Removed_from_List_5_14_08.pdf .

Also, visit www.ferndaleschools.org for info about the school district. >>
From Mackinac Blog
So you're not going to admit an anti-MESSA bias?

*wink* >>
From Mackinac Blog
The links to the sources used in MED are so that people can read the entire article. MED provides a summary of what the media reports. A "further reading" is then included for those readers who wish to read more on a related topic. >>
From Mackinac Blog
And you don't simply "report" stories in the Education Digest. For example, in this story in question you link directly to a story where MESSA's accused of stonewalling, further bolstering the bias and claim that MESSA is doing something wrong here.

Your coyness is patronizing. >>
From Mackinac Blog
Michigan Education Digest is just that, a digest, which means it is a compilation of what is reported by other media. You may want to contact the Paw Paw newspaper and give them a copy of the questionnaire so they can do a follow-up story on the issue. Please keep us updated on that matter.
- Ed. >>
From Mackinac Blog
What the news article on MESSA conveniently leaves out is the intrusive nature of the questionnaire sent out in the Paw Paw district. It asks for--under threat of not being covered if you don't comply--your name, ss number, all family details, and a specific 14-question section on your medical history.

And there's a 3-page lawyer note attached to the survey that essentially says the company has the right to share this info with anyone they choose to do so.

Where's the ACLU when you need them?

It's a disgrace that a site like this would be so in bed with corporate interests that it would gladly back such an invasion of personal privacy.

And before you ask, yes I have indeed seen the survey. I have a copy of it. Why doesn't your site post THAT? >>