Contents of this issue:
High schools recruit charter students
Ravenna superintendent will retire rather than make cuts
Grosse Pointe schools could get foundation
Independent schools growing in Metro Detroit
Next Ann Arbor superintendent to start at $175,000
Censured teachers union president wants to keep office
Improper DPS tax collection unresolved
HIGH SCHOOLS RECRUIT CHARTER STUDENTS
MUSKEGON, Mich. — Public and independent high schools are trying
to recruit charter school students in eighth grade who are
considering where to enroll as freshmen in the fall, according to
The Muskegon Chronicle.
Timberland Charter Academy, a K-8 school, recently held its
second annual open house, allowing area high schools the chance
to show what they can offer to parents and prospective students,
The Chronicle reported.
Timberland currently enrolls 52 eighth graders and 75 seventh
graders. Orchard View and Muskegon public school districts, the
Greater Muskegon Catholic Schools and Western Michigan Christian
School were at the open house with booth displays, The Chronicle
reported.
"I want my daughter to get information packets and choose where
she wants to go," Patricia Lattimore told The Chronicle.
The Michigan Association of Public School Academies said 91 of
the state's 220 charter schools offer a high school component, so
students finishing eighth grade at charter schools without grades
9-12 must choose where to attend high school.
"There are a lot of choices in this area, and we want to help
parents and students with that," Timberland Principal Juanita
Preston told The Chronicle.
SOURCE:
The Muskegon Chronicle, "High schools court upcoming grads of
charter school," March 23, 2006
https://www.mlive.com/news/muchronicle/index.ssf?/base/news-8/1143130537128230.xml&coll=8
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Case for Choice in
Schooling: Restoring Parental Control of Education,"
Jan. 29, 2001
https://www.mackinac.org/3236
Michigan Education Report, "Give parents choices," Oct. 19, 1999
https://www.mackinac.org/2524
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "With Clear Eyes, Sincere
Hearts and Open Minds: A Second Look at Public Education in
America," July 27, 2002
https://www.mackinac.org/4447
RAVENNA SUPERINTENDENT WILL RETIRE RATHER THAN MAKE CUTS
RAVENNA, Mich. — The superintendent of Ravenna Public Schools
will retire, rather than make nearly $800,000 in budget cuts,
according to The Muskegon Chronicle.
Dave Paulsen, 58, told school board President Mike Pierson last
month he is planning to retire, The Chronicle reported. The
school board is to vote on his retirement April 17.
"Let's just say I don't have the will to do some of the things
that have to be done because I don't think they're educationally
sound," Paulsen told The Chronicle.
Paulsen's retirement coincides with the expiration of the current
one-year contract between the district and teachers, which ends
June 30, The Chronicle reported.
The school board has discussed a switch in health insurance
plans, away from the Michigan Education Special Services
Association to a Blue Cross Blue Shield plan featuring health
savings accounts, The Chronicle reported. Such a move would save
the district about $400,000, or half of the anticipated
shortfall. MESSA is a third-party insurance administrator
affiliated with the Michigan Education Association.
"A lot depends on the teachers' union," Pierson told The
Chronicle.
Pierson said other cuts could include staff and administrative
reductions and a "pay-to-play" program for sports, The Chronicle
reported.
SOURCE:
The Muskegon Chronicle, "School chief retires rather than make
cuts," March 30, 2006
https://www.mlive.com/news/muchronicle/index.ssf?/base/news-8/1143735427178930.xml&coll=8
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "School districts wrestle with high
health care costs," March 7, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7611
Michigan Education Digest, "West Michigan schools try to save
money by changing health insurance," Sept. 20, 2005
https://www.educationreport.org/7358
Michigan Education Digest, "New Mona Shores contract includes
MESSA changes," March 7, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7639
GROSSE POINTE SCHOOLS COULD GET FOUNDATION
GROSSE POINTE, Mich. — Grosse Pointe Public Schools might help
establish a foundation to raise money for capital projects,
according to The Detroit News.
The school board may approve a $750,000 loan to start the
independent foundation, which they hope will raise $3 million in
three years, The News reported.
"I don't think there's a question among any members of the board
that we see an opportunity — that the foundation will provide
flexibility and funding for our district," board President
Jeffrey Broderick told The News.
Athletic boosters and PTO groups in the district already raise
$300,000 to $500,000 a year, The News reported. Superintendent C.
Suzanne Klein said the district may have to use part of its $10
million fund balance to eliminate a $3.5 million deficit next
year.
SOURCE:
The Detroit News, "Grosse Pointe board considers school
foundation," March 7, 2006
https://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060307/SCHOOLS/603070326/1026/SCHOOLS
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "School looks for donations,"
Jan. 3, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7503
INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS GROWING IN METRO DETROIT
DETROIT — Muslim and Jewish parents in the Detroit area are
increasingly choosing to send their children to independent
schools, rather than to the public schools to which they have
been assigned, according to The Detroit News.
Crescent Academy International, which opened in 1991, has built a
new $7 million school to handle increased enrollment, The News
said. It now has 350 students. Enrollment at the American Islamic
Academy has grown 40 percent, to 420 students, in the past year.
Two Orthodox Jewish schools in Southfield have experienced
double-digit growth over the last five years, while Jewish
Academy of Metro Detroit in West Bloomfield more than tripled its
enrollment to 176 students in six years, The News reported.
Nationwide, Catholic schools constitute the largest group of
independent schools, with more than 8,000 as of 2002, The News
reported. The number of Jewish schools stood at 730 in 2002,
while there were 188 Muslim schools the same year. The News
obtained these data from the National Center for Education
Statistics at the U.S. Department of Education.
SOURCE:
The Detroit News, "Muslims, Jews pick private education,"
March 6, 2006
https://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060306/SCHOOLS/603060312/1026
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "School Choice for Whom:
Governments or Parents?" Nov. 2, 1998
https://www.mackinac.org/1285
Michigan Education Report, "Detroit Public Schools enrollment
drops again," Nov. 29, 2005
https://www.educationreport.org/7448
NEXT ANN ARBOR SUPERINTENDENT TO START AT $175,000
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The next superintendent of the Ann Arbor
Public Schools will make about $31,000 more than the incumbent,
despite a district budget $6 million in debt, according to The
Ann Arbor News.
The school board approved a base salary of $175,000 and plans to
discuss additional compensation, including a car allowance, with
whichever candidate ultimately is selected, The News reported.
Current Superintendent George Fornero, who is leaving to take a
job in Illinois, makes $144,200 in base salary and $155,700
overall.
"I think I can go to $175,000 because I need the best, and I need
them now," board member Deb Mexicotte said, according to The
News.
Trustee Susan Baskett was the only no vote in a 6-1 decision.
"My fear is that $175,000 is too high to start with," she said,
according to The News. "A higher base salary does not necessarily
get you a higher quality superintendent."
Ann Arbor must cut up to $8 million from its budget for next
year, and will spend about $6 million from its savings to balance
this year's budget, according to The News.
SOURCE:
The Ann Arbor News, "Superintendent's pay set," March 23, 2006
https://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-17/1143128629322330.xml?aanews?NEA&coll=2
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Ypsilanti schools could privatize top
administrators," Jan. 17, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7551
Michigan Education Digest, "More school construction problems in
Ann Arbor," Mar. 14, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7647
Michigan Education Digest, "New Ann Arbor high school $3 million
over budget," Dec. 13, 2005
https://www.educationreport.org/7464
CENSURED TEACHERS UNION PRESIDENT WANTS TO KEEP OFFICE
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The president of the Kalamazoo Education
Association is seeking to retain the position, despite being
censured and previously voted out, according to the Kalamazoo
Gazette.
Millie Lambert was censured by the local union for "conduct
unbecoming an officer of the association," a decision upheld by
the state teachers union, the Gazette reported. The incident goes
back to 2004, when Lambert received a check for nearly $5,000 in
backdated mileage expenses from a union treasurer whose term had
expired. The irregularity was discovered by new Treasurer Katie
Pennington.
"It's a circus," Pennington told the Gazette. "Teachers are
better people than this. It's hard to defend your career's
professionalism when something like this occurs."
Lambert was KEA president from 1986 to 1992, then had to step
down due to term limits. She ran again and won in 2000, but lost
in 2004, the Gazette reported. Lambert was appointed president
when the winner was promoted to a building principal job and the
vice president did not feel ready to serve as president.
Pennington told the Gazette she is not running for re-election as
treasurer and feels "vilified" by union members.
"I'm doing my job, no more, no less," Pennington told the
Gazette. "Two different boards saw what I saw."
Lambert returned the money in April 2005.
"The reality is, it was a mistake on my part not to file timely
mileage statements," Lambert told the Gazette. "It was an error,
and I paid for it."
The president of the KEA is paid a full teacher's salary by
Kalamazoo Public Schools, half of which is reimbursed to the
district by the union. Members pay $800 in dues annually,
according to the Gazette.
SOURCE:
Kalamazoo Gazette, "Censured teachers' union leader hopes for re-election," March 22, 2006
https://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-16/114304445699580.xml?kzgazette?NEKP&coll=7
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Judicial board censures Kalamazoo
union president for misusing funds," July 19, 2005
https://www.educationreport.org/7166
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Must Teachers Pay for Union
Image Building?" July 5, 1994
https://www.mackinac.org/123
IMPROPER DPS TAX COLLECTION UNRESOLVED
DETROIT — A Wayne County Circuit Court judge recently ruled two
companies should be allowed to proceed with part of a lawsuit
against the Detroit Public Schools over the illegal collection of
taxes, according to The Detroit News.
Judge Isidore B. Torres dismissed some claims by Briggs Tax
Service and Kay Bee Kay Properties against DPS relating to the
district's collection of $259 million in property taxes over
three years, The News reported. Torres did say, however, the
companies' claim that illegal collections in 2004 violated the
state constitution should go forward, The News reported.
DPS continued to collect taxes on commercial property between
2002 and 2005 after the millage had expired, The News reported.
Voters approved reinstating the 18-mill levy last November.
About 50 cases surrounding the issue are to be heard by the
Michigan Tax Tribunal, according to The News.
SOURCE:
The Detroit News, "Tribunal to hear school tax issue,"
March 23, 2006
https://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060323/POLITICS/603230372/1003/METRO
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The $200 Million Question,"
Jan. 17, 2005
https://www.mackinac.org/6947
Michigan Education Report, "DPS' credit rating falls after $259
million tax error," Dec. 15, 2005
https://www.educationreport.org/7467
MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST is a service of Michigan Education
Report (
https://www.educationreport.org),
a quarterly newspaper
with a circulation of nearly 150,000 published by the Mackinac
Center for Public Policy (
https://www.mackinac.org),
a private,
nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational institute.
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