Contents of this issue:
- Brandywine schools pleased with new janitorial service
- Portage free speech policy facing scrutiny
- Ypsilanti schools compete for Ann Arbor students
- Berrien ISD files unfair labor practice charge against union
- Grand Rapids area schools move to trimesters
BRANDYWINE SCHOOLS PLEASED WITH NEW JANITORIAL SERVICE
NILES, Mich. — Brandywine Community Schools is saving $170,000
after signing a competitive contract with a private custodial
firm, and teachers are thrilled with the quality of service they
have been receiving, according to the Niles Daily Star.
The district decided in November to contract with D.M. Burr
Facilities Management, a Flint-based company, and has been
receiving services since Dec. 26, according to the Daily Star.
"We're hearing rave reviews from classroom teachers," Director of
Business and Finance Sue Furney told the Daily Star.
The schools recently broke ties with another private company
after both parties "agreed that it was not a good fit," Furney
told the Daily Star. Brandywine looked into hiring D.M. Burr
because of its work with other districts.
"They have experience in schools. They had excellent
recommendations from the districts they already work with,"
Brandywine Superintendent Gary Rider told the Daily Star.
During negotiations, the district suggested that D.M. Burr
increase its hourly wage from $7 to $8, and the company passed
the raise on to employees who work in Brandywine schools. The
company also increased the number of hours per week that schools
are served by custodians, from 64 to 73. D.M. Burr serves two
other districts in Genesee County and has expanded by opening an
office in South Bend, Ind. They are marking their contract with
the Brandywine Schools as a chance for expansion, the Daily Star
reported.
SOURCES:
Niles Daily Star, "Brandywine schools OK with new custodians,"
Jan. 10, 2007
http://www.nilesstar.com/articles/2007/01/10/news/ndnews1.txt
Niles Daily Star, "Brandywine school board hires new custodians,"
Nov. 15, 2006
http://www.leaderpub.com/articles/2006/11/15/stories/niles/ndnews3.txt
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "Beyond brooms, burgers and buses,"
Nov. 21, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/8032
Michigan Education Digest, "Oakland County schools save money
with competitive contracting," Oct. 3, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7959
Michigan Education Report, "Competitive contracting grows despite
myths," Sept. 6, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7900
PORTAGE FREE SPEECH POLICY FACING SCRUTINY
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The Portage school board's code of conduct is
under fire for restricting board members' freedom of speech,
according to The Kalamazoo Gazette.
Some Republican officials and the state president of the American
Civil Liberties Union attended a recent board meeting and called
for some of the rules to be eliminated. The Gazette reported that
many believe the regulations were drafted in order to prevent
Trustee Wendy Mazer from publicly disagreeing with the board. Mazer is seen as more conservative than the other board members,
according to The Gazette.
Some on the board were upset about Mazer's comments to The
Gazette regarding the rules in an article published before the
meeting.
"It bothered me that one of my fellow trustees, rather than
sitting down with each of us individually, would choose this
forum, the stealth forum, putting information together in an
article," Trustee Tom Eddy said, according to The Gazette.
ACLU of Michigan President Jim Rodbard pointed to specific board
rules that he believes hinder free speech, The Gazette reported,
such as wanting members to refer press inquiries to district
leadership and publicly supporting all decisions, even if a
particular member voted against the majority.
Board President Shirley Johnson defends the rules.
"The intent of our norms is to accomplish both effective
boardsmanship and effective communication," she said, according
to The Gazette.
SOURCE:
The Kalamazoo Gazette, "Fate of Portage board's conduct rules is
unclear," Jan. 10, 2007
https://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-21/1168446091104260.xml?kzgazette?NEKP&coll=7
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Secret Ballot?" May 22, 2006
https://www.mackinac.org/7708
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "A voter's checklist for
school elections," Apr. 28, 2006
https://www.mackinac.org/7688
YPSILANTI SCHOOLS COMPETE FOR ANN ARBOR STUDENTS
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Ypsilanti Public Schools has launched an
$8,000 marketing project to bring Ann Arbor students into the
district through the state's limited public school choice
program, according to The Ann Arbor News.
The district has strategically placed 14 billboards throughout
Ann Arbor, one of which is located in an area where many parents
opposed a move to redistrict its high school. About 860 of
Ypsilanti's 4,100 students attend through schools of choice. About 100 of those come from Ann Arbor, The News reported.
Ann Arbor officials claim they are not concerned about losing
students to Ypsilanti this year.
"We believe strongly that our curriculum, especially in high
school, is very strong and attracts people to our district," Ann
Arbor Public Schools Spokeswoman Liz Margolis told The News.
Ann Arbor does not participate in the schools of choice program,
The News reported.
SOURCE:
The Ann Arbor News, "Ypsilanti schools ads aim for Ann Arbor
students," Jan. 7, 2007
https://www.mlive.com/news/aanews/index.ssf?/base/news-20/116826907659190.xml&coll=2
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Thousands of parents exercise limited
school choice rights," July 5, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7807
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Case for Choice in
Schooling: Restoring Parental Control of Education,"
Jan. 29, 2001
https://www.mackinac.org/3236
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Impact of Limited School
Choice on Public School Districts," July 24, 2000
https://www.mackinac.org/2962
BERRIEN ISD FILES UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICE CHARGE AGAINST UNION
BERRIEN SPRINGS, Mich. — The Berrien County Intermediate School
District has filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge against the
Berrien County Intermediate Education Association due to a
conflict over health insurance coverage, according to the South
Bend Tribune.
The teachers union is proposing that the ISD switch to the
Michigan Education Special Services Association, a third-party
administrator affiliated with the Michigan Education Association,
a school employees union. However, the ISD has not used MESSA in
more than 15 years and is currently self-insured, according to
the Tribune.
According to Assistant Superintendent Jim Palm, the BCISD has a
right under the Michigan Public Employment Relations Act to be
the policyholder of any health program offered to its employees.
The ISD is filing the unfair labor practice charge because under
PERA, negotiating over the policyholder is prohibited, according
to the Tribune.
Mike Schroeder, spokesman for the BCIEA, told the Tribune that
the district's filing the ULP was a "publicity stunt." Schroeder
also said the union has filed several complaints against the
district with the Michigan Employment Relations Commission.
"We feel that's something we should handle internally through the
bargaining process," Schroeder told the Tribune.
Currently, the district pays $99,498 a month for health benefits
through its current administrator, but would pay $112,917 per
month with MESSA, the Tribune reported.
SOURCE:
South Bend Tribune, "ISD, union disputing health pact,"
Jan. 12, 2007
http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070112/News01/701120390
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Decades of Dollars and
Disappointment," Oct. 6, 2006
https://www.mackinac.org/7969
Michigan Education Report, "Blue Cross and MESSA," Sept. 6, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7907
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "MESSA Reference Page,"
March 10, 2006
https://www.mackinac.org/7643
GRAND RAPIDS AREA SCHOOLS MOVE TO TRIMESTERS
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Three more districts have joined the group
of Grand Rapids area schools moving from a two semester calendar
year to trimesters, according to The Grand Rapids Press.
Caledonia, Hamilton and Hudsonville have elected for trimesters
in response to the state's new graduation requirements, giving
students more opportunities to take elective courses. In
Caledonia, where block scheduling is currently being used,
trimesters will save the district about $200,000, according to
The Press.
With the trimester system, students attend five, 75-minute
classes a day and can complete a standard two semester course in
two trimesters. This allows for easier completion of state
graduation requirements, while opening up a trimester for other
elective courses, according to The Press.
SOURCE:
The Grand Rapids Press, "Switch to trimesters gives school year a
new look," Jan. 12, 2007
https://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-34/1168608316257920.xml& coll=6&thispage=2
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Lapeer may switch to trimester
system," Nov. 28, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/8085
Michigan Education Digest, "Hamilton looking at trimesters,"
June 20, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7786
Michigan Education Report, "Hope in state graduation standards
misplaced," Mar. 7, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7633
MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST is a service of Michigan Education
Report (
https://www.educationreport.org),
a quarterly newspaper
with a circulation of approximately 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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