Contents of this issue:
Private firm helps Battle Creek schools cut energy costs
NEA spends $8 million fighting NCLB
DPS error omits teachers from payroll
Grand Rapids administrators could get incentive-based raises
MESSA disagreement hampering Ferris State contract talks
PRIVATE FIRM HELPS BATTLE CREEK SCHOOLS CUT ENERGY COSTS
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — A private company that assists schools in reducing
energy costs helped Battle Creek Public Schools save $5 million in the past
decade, according to The Battle Creek Enquirer.
Texas-based Energy Education Inc., which had a $446,000 contract with Battle
Creek schools from 1997 to 2001, continues to provide consulting services to the
district, The Enquirer reported.
Steve Osborn, energy manager for the district, said the private company "came
in and taught us how to save energy," according to The Enquirer. Osborn said
students, teachers and staff have made simple changes in daily routines, such as
turning off lights in empty rooms and powering off computers that aren't in use.
Energy Education uses a computer software program that monitors energy use in
each building, which is compared against weather forecasts for specific days,
The Enquirer reported. Osborn said the program tracks energy uses, instead of
costs.
"From that, we can tell if a pipe is leaking or if there's abnormal usage
based on what we should be using and how much it costs," he told The Enquirer.
"We've found a lot of mistakes in buildings that way."
Osborn said the savings have been used to purchase thousands of computers and
new audio-visual equipment. About 45 school districts in Michigan contract with
Education Energy Inc., according to The Enquirer.
SOURCE:
The Battle Creek Enquirer, "Schools save $5M in energy," July 13, 2006
https://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060713/NEWS01/607130304/1002
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Walled Lake implements program to save on
energy," Nov. 1, 2005
https://www.educationreport.org/7417
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Six Habits of Fiscally Responsible
School Districts," Dec. 3, 2002
https://www.mackinac.org/4891
NEA SPENDS $8 MILLION FIGHTING NCLB
WASHINGTON — An investigation by Washington-based think tank Education Sector
found that the National Education Association has spent more than $8 million in
an effort against a federal law aimed at helping students succeed in math and
reading, according to USA Today.
The report showed that the NEA, the nation's largest teachers union, has
given millions of dollars to organizations that oppose the No Child Left Behind
Act, USA Today reported. NCLB regulations call for all students to be
"proficient" in math and reading by 2014.
USA Today reported that opponents of the law were critical of the Bush
administration for paying syndicated columnist Armstrong Williams about $240,000
to promote the legislation.
SOURCE:
USA Today, "Report: NEA pays opponents of No Child Left Behind law," July 10,
2006
https://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2006-07-10-nea-no-child_x.htm
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "NEA gives millions to special interest groups,"
Jan. 10, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7533
Michigan Education Digest, "IRS begins audit of nation's largest teachers
union," Nov. 25, 2003
https://www.educationreport.org/5971
DPS ERROR OMITS TEACHERS FROM PAYROLL
DETROIT — About 200 teachers were deleted from the payroll, causing the
Detroit Public Schools employees to miss a paycheck last week, according to The
Detroit News.
Some of the teachers, who are working during summer school, will not get paid
until July 25, some five weeks after summer classes began, The News reported.
Mattie Majors, a spokeswoman for DPS, said the error was caused by people not
transferring paperwork correctly among departments. According to The News,
Majors would not say who was responsible.
"The bottom line is, everybody wasn't on the list to get paid," Majors told
The News. "Now their names will be on the list."
SOURCE:
The Detroit News, "District error deletes paychecks for Detroit teachers,"
July 12, 2006
https://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006607120401
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Detroit teachers union wants more money," June
27, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7798
Michigan Education Digest, "Teacher 'sick-out' forces Detroit schools to
close," March 28, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7656
GRAND RAPIDS ADMINISTRATORS COULD GET INCENTIVE-BASED RAISES
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Administrators in the Grand Rapids Public Schools could
each get a 1.75 percent raise if the district loses fewer than 800 students,
according to The Grand Rapids Press.
The district is projecting about 800 students will leave during the 2006-2007
school year. Teachers accepted a similar pay incentive, along with a 1.25
percent raise, in a new contract with the district in June, The Press reported.
About 240 principals, office staff and administrators agreed to the plan and
also agreed to pay a higher percentage of their own health care costs, according
to The Press.
SOURCE:
The Grand Rapids Press, "Grand Rapids administrator raises tied to
enrollment," July 11, 2006
https://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-30/11526292599720.xml?grpress?NEG&coll=6
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "Grand Rapids teachers agree to incentive-based
pay," June 27, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7798
Michigan Education Digest, "Otsego teachers will pay more for expensive MESSA
insurance," May 9, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7701
MESSA DISAGREEMENT HAMPERING FERRIS STATE CONTRACT TALKS
BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — A disagreement over health insurance plans, and how much
employees should contribute toward their own insurance, has delayed contract
talks at Ferris State University, according to The Grand Rapids Press.
Administrators have offered a variety of health care insurance options from
which faculty members can pick. The university has agreed to pay the first
$10,740 for coverage, with employees paying anything over that, The Press
reported. Faculty also would get a raise and bonuses worth 3 percent.
Among the options are plans offered through the Michigan Education Special
Services Association. MESSA is a third-party administrator affiliated with the
Michigan Education Association union.
MESSA insurance for next year at Ferris would cost $15,419, The Press
reported. Blue Cross would cost $13,560. Mike Ryan, president of the Ferris
Faculty Association, told The Press that the university should pay the entire
cost of the more expensive MESSA plan.
SOURCE:
The Grand Rapids Press, "Insurance holds up Ferris contract," July 3, 2006
https://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-30/1151938018229810.xml&coll=6
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, "CMU saves millions without MESSA," April 11, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7677
Michigan Education Digest, "Holton staffers drop MESSA," May 2, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7696
Michigan Education Digest, "Pinckney teachers voluntarily abandon MESSA,"
Feb. 7, 2006
https://www.educationreport.org/7585
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.