Contents of this issue:
- Districts recycle dismissed teachers
- Holland privatization increases fund balance
- Southfield to add math and science academies
- Leland support staff gets raises
- Southfield considers competitive contracting
- Comment and win an iPod
DISTRICTS RECYCLE DISMISSED TEACHERS
DETROIT — Many school districts in metro Detroit have
paid
unsatisfactory tenured teachers to leave the district
while
erasing any records of misconduct, making it easier for
them to
relocate to other districts, according to the Detroit
Free
Press.
These settlements may violate state law, which prohibits
districts from entering agreements to hide misbehavior,
according to the Free Press. Throughout metro Detroit, a
sample
found that a quarter of teachers who entered into buyout
agreements with their district went on to teach in other
districts, the Free Press reported.
School officials prefer the buyouts because of the steep
costs
involved in firing tenured teachers. In Michigan, a
teacher
usually earns tenure after four years and, after
receiving it,
can only be fired for abuse of students, sexual
misconduct,
substance abuse or poor teaching. Before a teacher can
be fired,
however, school administrators must thoroughly document
the
problem, offer counseling and provide recommendations
for
improvement. School districts win 90 percent of tenure
hearings,
but use buyouts more often, according to the Free Press.
The Dearborn Public Schools spent $178,308 over the last
four
years to fire two tenured teachers accused of verbal
abuse. The
district bought out four additional teachers during the
same
time period, two of whom were charged with sexual
misconduct and
two accused of substance abuse. The district bought out
all four
teachers for a total of $233,181.
"If it's going to cost us $150,000 and we're uncertain
of the
outcome, why not settle it? That's the economically
prudent
course of action," Tom White, executive director of
Michigan
School Business Officials, told the Free Press.
Some are concerned about the fact that many buyout
agreements
include language where the district agrees to erase any
reference to allegations in a teacher's file, while also
agreeing to answer all new employment questions without
mentioning any allegations or problems, the Free Press
reported.
SOURCE:
Detroit Free Press, "In metro Detroit, bad teachers can
go on
teaching," Dec. 30, 2007
https://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071230/NEWS06/712300593
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "Tenure law is impediment to
school
reform," May 12, 2000
https://www.educationreport.org/2874
HOLLAND PRIVATIZATION INCREASES FUND BALANCE
HOLLAND, Mich. — Privatization and changes to employee
health
insurance have helped Holland Public Schools add $2.8
million to
its fund balance and spend more money on academics this
year,
according to The Grand Rapids Press.
Holland initially addressed its budgeting problems when
many
parents chose other options for their children who are
assigned
to the district. After making changes over the past few
years,
Holland has not only been able to add to its fund
balance, but
is also adding $300,000 to the science, music, art,
theater and
physical education budgets, The Press reported.
"The numbers show that some of the gains are, in fact,
being
made at the expense of teachers," Holland teachers union
President Charles Ballard told The Press.
Holland's fund balance is one of only six among Michigan
public
school districts to increase in the last year. The
district says
it was able to do this because of its decision to
contract for
noninstructional services and by bargaining for teachers
to
contribute to their own health benefits.
District officials say they could have saved the
$300,000 to
increase the fund balance closer to the recommended
level, but
thought the money was better spent in the classrooms.
"We could save the money, and be a little closer to MSBO
(Michigan School Business Officials) standards,"
district
Business Manager Bryan Vos told The Press, "but we think
spending some in our current budget is what's best for
kids."
Two-thirds of the money will be given to the science
department,
while the rest will be distributed equally among the
other
budgets, according to The Press.
SOURCE:
The Grand Rapids Press, "Holland beefs up science, art,
music,
fund balance," Dec. 31, 2007
https://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-39/1199112320285820.xml&coll=6
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Fund Balance,"
in "A
Michigan School Finance Primer," May 30, 2007
https://www.educationreport.org/8565
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Michigan School
Money
Report"
(select "Holland City School District" from the
"District 1"
drop-down menu)
https://www.mackinac.org/depts/epi/fiscal.aspx
SOUTHFIELD TO ADD MATH AND SCIENCE ACADEMIES
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — Southfield Public Schools is working
to open
two academies next year that will focus on math,
science,
engineering and technology, according to the Detroit
Free Press.
The district is hoping to offer programs for
high-achieving
students and plans to have options for both middle and
high
school students. The middle school program will be
housed in an
existing school, while the location for the competitive
University Preparatory High School has yet to be
determined.
Students will take an admission test in March for the
high
school program, the Free Press reported.
"We know that in order to attract more people to the
district,
we're going to have to be above and beyond everyone
else. We
have to offer things other districts don't," Betty
Robinson,
president of the Southfield Area Council Parent Teacher
Association, told the Free Press.
Southfield has seen sharp decreases in enrollment and
hopes to
not only provide for its high achieving students, but
also to
possibly bring students who left for private and charter
public
schools back into the district, the Free Press reported.
SOURCE:
Detroit Free Press, "Southfield schools to focus on kids
who
excel," Dec. 30, 2007
https://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071230/NEWS03/712300584
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Dearborn: A
Traditional
Public School District Accepts the Charter School
Challenge," in
"The Impact of Limited School Choice on Public School
Districts," July 24, 2000
https://www.mackinac.org/2977
LELAND SUPPORT STAFF GETS RAISES
LELAND, Mich. — The Leland schools support staff and
board of
education have agreed to a one-year contract that will
include a
2 percent pay increase while also saving the district
$14,000
through health benefits changes, according to the
Leelanau
Enterprise.
Employee groups agreeing to the contract include food
service
employees, bus drivers, teachers aides and most
secretaries. The
district's teachers agreed to a similar contract earlier
in
November, the Enterprise reported.
In addition, the board discussed plans to take advantage
of a
new state law and competitively bid for insurance
coverage.
Plans are also being formulated to create an insurance
pool with
Suttons Bay and Northport schools.
SOURCE:
Leelanau Enterprise, "School contract OK'd in Leland,"
Dec. 20, 2007
http://www.leelanaunews.com/blog/2007/12/20/school-contract-ok%E2%80%99d-in-leland/
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Selective Moral
Outrage,"
Sept. 24, 2007
https://www.educationreport.org/9003
SOUTHFIELD CONSIDERS COMPETITIVE CONTRACTING
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — Southfield Public Schools is
considering
contracting for a number of noninstructional services in
an
attempt to stop its trend of deficit spending, according
to
C & G News.
The district has been dipping into reserved funds for
four years
and reportedly spent $4.3 million of the funds in 2007.
Members
of the school board note that its primary goal is to
protect
programs, even as costs rise and enrollment decreases,
the News
reported.
"This is exploratory," Deputy Superintendent Ken Siver
told the
News. "The board is in a continuing financial crisis and
is
looking at all options for a solution."
Southfield's foundation allowance is $11,235 the fifth
highest
amount in Michigan, the News reported.
There is disagreement, however, over the need for
contracting.
Theresa Vernon, a special education bus driver for
Southfield,
told the board of education, "We're dedicated. Private
companies
aren't doing what we do," according to the News.
Thom Bainbridge said he'd recently read that the
Michigan
Education Association school employees union contracts
for food,
janitorial and security at its East Lansing
headquarters.
"It is incumbent upon our Board of Education to employ
the best
management in the most fiscally advantageous manner,"
Bainbridge
told the News.
SOURCE:
C & G News, "School board examines privatization,"
Dec. 20, 2007
http://www.candgnews.com/Homepage-Articles/2007/12-26-07/VE-SCHOOLBOARD.asp
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Survey 2007: More
Growth in
School Support Service Privatization," Aug. 16, 2007
https://www.mackinac.org/8881
COMMENT AND WIN AN IPOD
MIDLAND, Mich. — Go to
https://educationreport.org and post
a comment for a chance to win one of three iPods.
MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST is a service of Michigan
Education
Report (
https://www.educationreport.org),
a quarterly newspaper
published by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy
(
https://www.mackinac.org),
a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan
research and educational institute.
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