Contents of this issue:
- U.P. charter school breaks ties with union
- National test scores fall; average high school GPA increases
- Detroit Public Schools spent $1 million on artwork
- Berrien ISD settles contract, rejects MESSA
- Coopersville Public Schools seek energy consultant
- New issue of Michigan Education Report; win an iPod
U.P. CHARTER SCHOOL BREAKS TIES WITH UNION
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. — Teachers at Bahweting School voted 19-13 to decertify the Michigan Education Association as the
bargaining unit at the school, according to the Sault Ste. Marie
Evening News.
This reversed a 2005 vote to establish union representation in
the school, which is affiliated with the Chippewa Indian tribe.
Sault Tribe Chairman Aaron Payment was pleased with the results
of the vote.
"This will pave the way for developing a stronger relationship
with our teachers and allows the school to address these issues
as a unified group and not as adversaries," Payment said in a
prepared statement, according to the Evening News.
Teachers who supported union representation believe they were
forced into the vote, the Evening News reported.
"Basically we got bullied. If a bully pushes long enough, I'm
sure he'll get his way," teacher and MEA unit President Chris
Gordon said.
Education Week reported that for more than a year the school
administration and the union were without a contract settlement,
which, according to the Mackinac Center for Public Policy,
allowed for a decertification vote to be held under Michigan
Law.
SOURCES:
Sault Ste. Marie Evening News, "Bahweting teachers turn out
MEA," Feb. 24, 2007
http://www.sooeveningnews.com/articles/2007/02/24/news/news284.txt
Education Week, "Mich. Charter Awaits Vote on Union,"
Feb. 14, 2007
https://www.edweek.org//ew/articles/2007/02/14/23tribal.h26.html?print=1
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "March 31 Deadline for Public
School Decertification Petitions," Feb. 23, 2007
https://www.mackinac.org/8323
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "U.P. charter school teachers
consider cutting ties with union," Feb. 20, 2007
https://www.educationreport.org/8319
Michigan Education Digest, "Upper Peninsula charter school
unionizes," Oct. 25, 2005
https://www.educationreport.org/7391
Michigan Education Digest, "A Looming Charter School Re-Union?"
May 25, 2005
https://www.educationreport.org/7121
Michigan Education Digest, "Charter School Ousts MEA Union In
Historic Vote," Oct. 29, 2001
https://www.educationreport.org/3834
NATIONAL TEST SCORES FALL; AVERAGE HIGH SCHOOL GPA INCREASES
WASHINGTON, D.C. — High school seniors are taking more rigorous
courses and receiving better grades than in the past, but are
performing worse on national tests, federal data showed,
according to the Washington Post.
Of the 12th graders who took the National Assessment of
Educational Progress test in 2005, less than 25 percent scored
"proficient" or better on the newly revamped math test. Also,
about 35 percent scored "proficient" or better in reading, which
is the poorest performance on this portion of the test since it
was first administered in 1992. Additionally, 18 percent of
seniors scored "proficient" or better in science. This is down
from 21 percent in 1996, the Post reported.
Although performance on the NAEP has worsened, the average high
school GPA has increased from a 2.68 in 1990 to a 2.98 in 2005.
The percentage of students who have taken and completed a
standard level of study rose from 35 to 58 percent, while
students taking the most rigorous curriculum increased from 5 to
10 percent, according to the Post.
"We have our work cut out for us," Education Secretary Margaret
Spellings said in a statement, according to the Post. "If, in
fact, our high school students are taking more challenging
courses and earning higher grades, we should be seeing greater
gains in test scores."
SOURCE:
Washington Post, "Test Scores at Odds With Rising High School
Grades," Feb. 23, 2007
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/22/AR2007022201781.html
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, "Michigan is above average — but
that's not saying much," Feb. 23, 2007
https://www.educationreport.org/8252
Michigan Education Digest, "Michigan students average; black
students lagging," Oct. 25, 2005
https://www.educationreport.org/7391
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "How Ideology Perpetuates the
Achievement Gap," Feb. 2, 2005
https://www.mackinac.org/6974
DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS SPENT $1 MILLION ON ART WORK
DETROIT — The Detroit Public Schools is looking into the
previous administration's purchase of more than $1 million in
artwork, according to The Detroit News.
The district is on a state-mandated plan to eliminate its $200
million deficit and has faced criticism for its spending and
contracting practices. Under state law, DPS must competitively
bid for supplies and materials that cost more than $19,211. The
current board is uncertain about whether or not bids were
collected for the art purchase, The News reported.
SOURCE:
The Detroit News, "DPS investigates $1M art purchase,"
Feb. 24, 2007
https://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070224/SCHOOLS/702240348/1026
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Detroit Public Schools spends $1.3
million on travel," Feb. 13, 2007
https://www.educationreport.org/8225
Michigan Education Digest, "Detroit Public Schools announces
school closings," Jan. 9, 2007
https://www.educationreport.org/8167
Michigan Education Digest, "Detroit Public Schools enrollment
drops again," Nov. 29, 2005
https://www.educationreport.org/7448
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "School Budgets: A Crisis of
Management, Not Finance," Feb. 11, 2005
https://www.mackinac.org/6980
BERRIEN ISD SETTLES CONTRACT, REJECTS MESSA
BERRIEN SPRINGS, Mich. — Employees in the Berrien County
Intermediate School district will receive a 2.25 percent pay
increase this year, while remaining with the ISD's self-insured
health plan, according to the South Bend Tribune.
Contract negotiations were stalled for seven months because the
ISD wanted to maintain its self-administered health plan, rather
than changing to a plan provided by the Michigan Education
Special Services Association, according to the Tribune. MESSA is
a third-party health insurance administrator affiliated with the
Michigan Education Association, a school employees union.
Under the BCISD health plan, employees will contribute $77
dollars a month toward their own health insurance, while the
district will contribute the remaining $1,130 per month. Next
year, as health costs rise, employees will contribute $85
dollars per month, the Tribune reported.
"As the costs go up, the board pays a large share and the staff
pays an increased cost, too," Superintendent Jeff Siegel said.
"It's just split between the board and the employee, each
picking up a portion of the increased costs."
Besides receiving a pay increase of 2.5 percent for next school
year, the employees' life insurance maximum was increased from
$2 to $4 million and the health plan was extended to include
chiropractic coverage, according to the Tribune.
SOURCE:
South Bend Tribune, "ISD employees get raise, same insurance,"
Feb. 18, 2007
http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070218/News01/702180481
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Berrien ISD files unfair labor
practice charge against union," Jan. 16, 2007
https://www.educationreport.org/8174
Michigan Education Digest, "Hart schools leave MESSA,"
Dec. 5, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/8104
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Decades of Dollars and
Disappointment," Oct. 6, 2006
https://www.mackinac.org/7969
COOPERSVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS SEEK PRIVATE ENERGY CONSULTANT
COOPERSVILLE, Mich. — The Coopersville Public Schools would be
able to cut its utility bills by $1.83 million if it contracts
with a company to evaluate and manage its energy use, according
to The Grand Rapids Press.
The district is considering contracting with the Texas-based
Energy Education Inc. to create an energy management plan for
the district and to train a local "energy manager" to help
employees modify their energy usage, according to The Press.
The services would cost $317,000 over 10 years, but Energy
Education Inc. would refund the money if the district does not
see savings because of their program, The Press reported.
"They can see things we wouldn't," Operations Director Paul
Cooper told The Press.
SOURCE:
The Grand Rapids Press, "Coopersville: District mulls energy
plan," Feb. 22, 2007
https://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1172159773106520.xml?grpress?NECJ&coll=6
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Districts could save money with
private energy consultant," Dec. 12, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/8113
Michigan Education Digest, "Merrill schools move to alternative
fuel," Nov. 7, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/8059
Michigan Education Digest, "Private firm helps Battle Creek
schools cut energy costs," July 19, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7817
NEW ISSUE OF MICHIGAN EDUCATION REPORT; WIN AN IPOD
MIDLAND, Mich. — The expanded
spring issue of Michigan Education Report is being mailed now. Michigan Education Report is offering readers a chance to win an iPod when they comment on articles in its spring 2007 issue.
Comments can be made via e-mail about stories:
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.