Schools, Politics, and Common Sense

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Movement On Fixing Pensions?
2007-05-23 21:10:00
Finally, some forward progress on expense relief for schools. As part of the current budget negotiations the House is considering a bill (HB 4530) to “revalue” the assets in the teacher’s pension fund. This bill has already passed in the Senate. In reality this bill represents an accounting trick that will lower the school districts current pension contribution. This is welcome relief but make no mistake – this is a temporary fix. The fundamental problem continues to persist – extraordinarily generous healthcare benefits coupled with fewer new teachers and more retried teachers churning through the system. The bill will defer $190 million in current year expense along with $93 million in lower contribution to cover interest only on the amortization of the $24 Billion accrued liability. This only buys time – it does not fix anything. But it most assuredly a helps, so here’s to you Lansing – now make sure you don’t drop this ball or we all suffer. One thing t...
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GET READY FOR SMOKE AND MIRRORS FROM LANSING
2007-05-18 21:11:00
Newly released economic data will be spun by Lansing as good news. DON’T BELIEVE IT! Although collections will be higher than last year much of this is due to timing differences caused by when the infamous Single Business Tax (SBT) is actually collected. Not only is the temporary impact of this timing difference likely to return to trend in June, but future collections will be worse than anticipated. The reason is simple – Michigan is not creating new non-manufacturing jobs. Given the millstone of extraordinarily burdensome healthcare and pension costs schools will be forced to sacrifice more jobs on the inflexibility alter in Lansing. Not only is there NO MOVEMENT on containing healthcare and pension costs; irresponsible and (apparently) economically incompetent legislators like Andy Meisner in the House have passed legislation designed to ensure NO ALTERNATIVE cost savings measures could be pursued outside of the restrictive, expensive, and politically tainted collective barg...
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Dear Lansing: Michigan Continues to Burn, Stop Fiddling
2007-04-26 17:55:00
That the state economy is suffering is known to all. The inexcusable fact is that Lansing (Governor and Legislature) continues to abdicate the responsibility of making the hard choices. Everyone, including the MEA, must come to the table to COMPLETELY RESTRUCTURE Mich igan ’s system of government, its process of school funding, its out sized benefit packages, and its broken tax system. Casting stones at everyone else won’t work; the question should be what can I do, not what can I get? School districts are pleading for help with healthcare costs and pension costs – and what do we get from Lansing – NOTHING. These twin costs are driving school districts to the brink of insolvency – don’t believe me? Look at what these costs have done to GM, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler. As I’ve noted, the teachers pension fund has a $24 BILLION unfunded liability, and the trend not improving.Schools are looking at an end of year funding cut of $34 to $125 per student. For districts with cash...
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Legislators Gone Wild Part 2 – iPod Madness!
2007-04-16 23:13:00
Don’t get me wrong; I think the appropriate application of technology is not only inevitable, it should be a required component of all curriculum planning and long term educational strategies. I also applaud the initiatives of professionals exploring ways to make the delivery of education more engaging. However, with Michigan facing the reality of a legislature that postures in support of education while maneuvering to cut school budgets in the last month of the school year I’m perplexed by what played out this weekend regarding iPods. The technical web site ars technical sums it up best (although some of the commentary could have been cleaned up): Michigan kids won't get iPods after all By Justin Berka | Published: April 13, 2007 - 04:45PM CT There are going to be a lot of sad children in Michigan today. In fact, the volume of tears may be so great as to make the lake rise. And they're all crying because the big mean lawmakers aren't going to give them iPods after all. ...
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Legislators Gone Wild!
2007-03-29 17:15:00
Today we find the honorable Andy Meisner (District 27) submitting a bill that would allow teacher unions to negotiate a ban on privatizing bus, custodial or food service operations. Why a teacher union should seek to control this type of issue is beyond me. And let me be clear, I’m not suggesting that privatization is a panacea for school districts. But it should be an option open to exploration by local school boards. I also know that privatization is not typically contracted with unionized organizations, but the operative question is this: why would a school district explore the privatization option? The answer is always related to cost control or cost containment. And what would school districts want to do with the potential savings? They would want to provide more funds to help pay for TEACHERS! What a concept, districts seeking to save money so that they can continue to support their core mission – the education of Michigan’s children. Apparently, Representative Meisner b...
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The $24 BILLION Problem in School Funding
2007-03-06 17:41:00
The political talk in Lansing is beginning to show signs of coming to grips with a long overdue reality check by restraining their health care costs. As it relates to Michigan public schools, the elephant in the living room is represented by the twin issues of health care and pension funding. The health care issue is something all Michigan residents can relate to; we've all suffered from the slow adjustment in confronting the cost of this formerly "invisible" benefit. When it was just something added to the pay package consumers never had to worry that they may overuse, abuse, and misuse the service. Now, with co-pays, high deductibles, health savings accounts, and real world budgeting requirements the true cost of staying healthy is being brought into focus. In the long run, maybe that's not a bad thing. In the short run institutions that don't adjust will suffer the consequences (see any major auto supplier or OEM in this state for proof). The system in Michigan is stacked agai...
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Detroit News editorial missed the mark
2007-02-14 17:54:00
In last Sunday’s editorial page the Detroit News blasts school districts for finding ways to support student choice while making room for the much needed, and long overdue, updated high school graduation requirements http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti cle?AID=2007702110309>>. Like many districts, Birmingham has always had graduation requirements which substantially exceeded the state requirements; even with the new standards BPS exceeds the state mandate by 12 credits (16 to 28). The new requirements did compromise our flexibility between application of science and math credits; that difference required the addition of an additional math course to fit the state model. Much of the logic of moving to a trimester is focused on the ability to offer students unique high school electives like any of our 50 modern languages, or 25 engineering electives, or 30 business technology classes. None of these offerings make a “mockery out of [the] high school graduation...
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TAKE ACTION NOW!
2007-01-24 22:42:00
Write your state representatives now and demand that they take action now. Our schools are under assault and our teachers and their students are in peril. Lansing has kept its collective head in the sand for too long. Ask them to support a series of bills (for the Senate, ask them to introduce legislation similar to what the House Bills show). Use the links to the right for example email or letter... First, support Support House Bill 4116 which attempts to keep this years promised funding in place (it is aimed at preventing the proposed mid-year cut of over $214 per student). Second, support House Bill 4107 which is a move towards fixing the $23 Billion deficit in the state teacher’s pension fund, a deficit which threatens the financial stability of the entire school system. Third, ask legislators to reconsider bills that bring transparency to insurance programs so true costs can be revealed and cost effective alternatives can be considered. In the past these bills versi...
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Help Solve School Cost Problems – Part One, Healthcare:
2007-01-24 22:41:00
A history lesson for Birmingham parents: Cost s increases from 2003 to 2007 driven by healthcare and pension obligations run amok (based on a $62.9 million salary budget). Salary Increase Health care Increase Pension Increase $616,776 (0.99%) $2,690,000 (22.48%) $2,980,000 (36.83%) Why did salaries grow at less than 1%? Simply put, the wage structure brings new teachers in at low salary levels, with experienced teachers retiring at higher pay levels earned through increases tied to improved skills (higher learning), achievement of specialty certifications, contract increases, and increases tied to seniority. Will we always experience low salary growth through turnover? No, the district has experienced a long period of well matched turnover in the teacher ranks. Last year the district offered, for the first time ever, an early retirement incentive which is anticipated to save hundreds of thousands of ...
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Help Solve School Cost Problems – Part Two, Pension Plan:
2007-01-24 22:40:00
A history lesson for Birmingham parents: Cost s increases from 2003 to 2007 driven by healthcare and pension obligations run amok (based on a $62.9 million salary budget). Salary Increase Healthcare Increase Pens ion Increase$616,776 (0.99%) $2,690,000 (22.48%) $2,980,000 (36.83%) Do you want to take benefits away? No, all existing participants will stay in the pension program. The legislation cited above will provide a new alternative for NEW teachers; it is not directed at teachers in the system today. Will the legislation eliminate pensions? No, it will protect current participants but it will direct new teachers into a 401-k type program. What’s the problem with the current system? First, the state pension program (MPSERS) is over $23 billion under funded on current pension promises. Second, the cost to cover that short fall is taken out of the school aid fund but is treated as an unfunded m...
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Legislative Contact Data
2007-01-01 16:18:00
Use the following to contact your representatives:Governor Jennifer M. Granholm P.O. Box 30013 Lansing, Michigan 48909 Phone: 517-373-3400 Constituent Services Phone: 517-335-7858 Fax: 517-335-6863 Follow this link to e-mail the governor: http://www.michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168- 21995-65331--,00.html Village of Beverly Hills, Village of Bingham Farms and Village of Franklin residents: State Senator: Gilda Jacobs (D-14th) Room 1015, Farnum Building P.O. Box 30036, Lansing, MI 48909-7536 Lansing phone: 517-373-7888 Toll free phone: 888-937-4453 Lansing fax: 517-373-2983 Local fax: 248-545-0394 e-mail: sengjacobs@senate.michigan.gov State Representative: Chuck Moss (R-40th) Room SO889, House Office Building P.O. Box 30014, Lansing, MI 48909-7514 Lansing phone: 517-373-8670 Toll free phone: 877-707-6677 Lansing fax: 517-373-5868 e-mail: ChuckMoss@house.mi.gov City of Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills and ...
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Cost Containment Bills
2006-11-30 20:41:00
As I've posted about in the past, our Legislators can have a significant impact on local school cost structures with well crafted legislation (that in itself can be a significant task). There are several bills under consideration that can help us next year, and in the years to come – Senate Bill s 895, 896, 897, 898 and House Bill 4947 are the bills that target health care costs and pension costs directly. These bills would give vital health insurance information to school districts and employees, make it easier to create self-insured pools, and amend the retirement system for future employees to save districts money and employees jobs (the state of Michigan did this for its employees in 1997). Different versions of these bills have been floating around for years with no action taken; now is the time to act if we hope to contain costs in an environment where there is little hope for increased funding. ACT NOW, contact your legislators and urge them to vote in support of these bill...
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Difficulties in Special Education – The Adversarial Process
2006-11-28 22:07:00
In the November issue of Leadership Insider, Christopher Borreca looks at the current state of special education and specifically at the adversarial aspects of IDEA (The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). Mr. Borreca is a member of National School Boards Association Council of School Attorneys and has extensive experience with IDEA and other special education legislation. Mr. Borreca laments the path taken by many parties seeking the promise of a free appropriate public education (FAPE). That path is the process of adversarial confrontation which can develop when educators and parents disagree on the educational programs offered to their children. As Borreca points out, “the real problem may not reside in the emotionality of the issues, the expenditure of limited public dollars, or the behavior of zealous advocated who defend their clients’ positions. The real dilemma may be the very system itself [IDEA], which was created to assist in obtaining adequate services fo...
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Michigan Votes Custom Score Card!
2006-11-15 16:52:00
You can now create a custom score card to see how legislators vote according to your personal view on issues. It's a great program and something everyone should use to regularly check-up on how their state legislators are doing. Visit the site here or use the link on the right side of this blog.
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Why Proposal 5 Failed
2006-11-10 17:32:00
To paraphrase an old campaign slogan - It's all about the costs stupid.While a guarantee in funding sounded like a nice idea, the obvious exclusion of cost controls was noticed by the public and several editorial writers. As I've pointed below, over the last four years salary costs have increased LESS THAN 1%, while health care and pension costs have increased 22.5% and 36.8% respectively. That is unsustainable. Efforts to reform the pension system and the health care system must be undertaken at the state level. This is not just about saving costs, it's about making sure that our employees are safe too. I want the best for my teachers - but not at the expense of having to cut their jobs and gut my programs just so third party providers can feed at the trough - it's not fair, and it's not right.
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Time to VOTE!
2006-11-08 01:49:00
Ok, it's now time to vote. Remember to support the millage renewal and don't get frustrated like this man. He smashed a $5,000 voting machine with a cat!
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The Politics of War - Different Voices
2006-11-01 23:16:00
Regardless of your position on the justification for the war in Iraq, we are there now. It has transformed itself into a root cause of celebration for "jihadists" and a terrible struggle for our troops and the ordinary citizens of Iraq. The transformation has also expanded the arguments for or against the continued effort. This article (Only choice on war is to win or lose it) has a direct take on what's at stake now (ignore for the time on what we were told was at stake at the start). It is an interesting reflection. Beyond that view is the opinion of James Fallows, a writer for the Atlantic. In his feature article (subscription required) Fallows takes a pragmatic view of what has happened and proposes a strategy to allow for a exit to the war. In essence he points out we have won the war - but only if we view it in original context.He argues that the essence of the change is this: because of al-Qaeda's own mistakes, and because of the things the United States and its alli...
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Thankful for good leadership
2006-11-01 16:30:00
See this article to understand how a system can fail (not an issue in our district). The key to a working district: “People in the organization need to understand government and management roles and the consultative roles of parents and the community,” says Kathleen P. Macy, principal associate with TeamWorks International Inc., an organization that counsels troubled school districts.We have the good fortune of having many, many supportive constituents in the district that keep pushing for the best practice and support. Remember, people who disagree or object to what happens in our schools have the same objective as we all do, keep kids first. That is our common conversation and in respectful disagreement we can fashion better results.
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Pros and Cons of Looping
2006-11-01 16:26:00
A recent discussion of "looping" provides a basis for discussion on a practice which has some applications in our district (the 1st & 2nd grades classes at Pierce) and the 3/4, 5/6, 7/8 classes at Covington. See the discussion here.Flexibility is key, say experts. By Alexandra R. Moses A second-grade teacher for years, Melissa Fleischer wanted to know how first-graders were prepared, so she moved back a grade with the idea of staying with her class for two years.Then she thought she’d just stick with them to third grade. Then fourth. Then fifth.“We just sort of kept rolling,” says Fleischer, an instructional coach at Bailey’s Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences in Falls Church, Va. “The community we had established with the kids was just amazing.”The practice, known as looping, has grown in popularity over the last several years as tougher federal standards pushed educators for new ways to boost student performance. In a looping class, the teacher advanc...
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Detroit Free Press Supports Millage Renewal
2006-10-30 21:07:00
Birmingham The 11.3-mill rate renewal on all property sought by this Oakland County district represents $12.4 million of its revenue. Based on the continued steady achievements of Birmingham's students and its administrators, taxpayers should continue the investment for another 10 years. A YES vote is in order.
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Where Birmingham Education Dollars Come From Today
2006-10-27 19:51:00
This is an update of an old slide that shows where funding comes from - it does not show how every dollar collected under the non-homestead millage (the 18 mills) is DEDUCTED from what the state says we should receive. That's how the 6 mills state tax gets redistributed around the state and away from our schools - remember, Oakland county is a donor county to the state treasury.And remember, the local residential millage goes down every year as home values go up, we're the only tax millage which goes down every year.
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K16 Proposal 5 is Bad Legislation
2006-10-23 23:58:00
I initially supported the K16 initiative (prior to any formulation of ballot language) because it put a spotlight on poor school funding - over the last 4 years Michigan has had no increase in state support (in two of those years we had mid-year funding cuts). But the K16 Prop osal is BAD LEGISLATION and I DO NOT support it; it does nothing (as Phil Power points out) to control the cost side of the equation; just for that reason it's poorly constructed legislation - not to mention that it's a monumentally bad idea to enshrine a spending mandate in the Michigan Constitution.That said, two things need to be addressed: 1) We need legislative help on healthcare - the MEA (state teachers union) owns the largest third party healthcare provider serving teachers and they are able to keep cost data (experiential claims data) away from school districts; a practice that essentially forestalls competitive bidding. Several bills have been sent to the legislature but they never get support. Why?...
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Open Letter to Pension Experts
2006-10-23 19:48:00
The following is a letter I sent to experts on Pens ions and Pension Plans. It address the real world issues confronting the people that have to struggle with problems that sound interesting in Ivory Tower discussions, but have significant impact on our everyday life. Specifically - it focuses on how Michigan, and in particular Birmingham Schools, are impacted by the unfunded position of State sponsored pension plans.Gabriel, Roeder, Smith & CompanyAttention: Mr. Norman Jones, Mr. Paul ZornOne Town SquareSuite 800Southfield, MI 48076Dear Mr. Jones and Mr. Zorn,In researching the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS) I came across your letter (http://www.nctr.org/pdf/grswilshirerespo nse2003.pdf) to Mr. Nesbitt of Wilshire & Associates regarding his report on the condition of Defined Benefit Pension plans. Your rebuttal letter concluded that the funding condition of State Pension Plans is not as bad as the Wilshire report might lead readers to believe.I respec...
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Support Education - Vote for Patricia (Pan) Godchaux
2006-06-12 20:23:00
In light of Joe Knollenberg’s poor voting record on education issues, voters in the 9th Congressional District of Michigan have the opportunity to send Joe to an overdue retirement. Joe ranks dead last in support of nearly every educational initiative except those which pander to his religious base (fully supports prayer in schools and support withholding money from schools that don’t allow prayer in school. Don’t get me wrong – I’m happy to have governmental leaders that are grounded in a strong religious and moral background – I just don’t like them mixing their religion with my government. In March of 1994 Joe set the tone when he voted YES on giving federal aid only to schools allowing voluntary prayer. Unless I missed something that’s why the First Amendment includes: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Seems like Congressman Joe Knollenberg would like to have the Government specifically f...
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Congressional Hypocrisy and the Vote
2006-06-06 17:00:00
Members of Congress employ various voting methods to say they support programs when they really have the opposite intent. A prime example is Education voting and current budget priorities. A clear example of this comes from the editorial section of National School Board Association NSBA Editorial on Voting.This game goes on with many different issues and provides a way for Congressional Leaders to hide behind worthless votes.
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My Message to Graduating High School Seniors
2006-06-05 04:45:00
Commencement AddressGood afternoon graduates, family members, staff and guests. I am truly honored to address you, the graduating class of 2006. On behalf of my fellow Board members President Deb Roberts, Geri Rinschler, Michael Fenberg, Lori Soifer, Shelli Weisberg, and Dr. David Garrett; we wish to congratulate all of you on your achievement. Parents, I salute you on having survived the process of molding outstanding young adults (along with having survived the discovery of unidentified molds lurking deep in the backpacks of those aforementioned adults).This ceremony marks the completion of your high school requirements. It is the district’s way of saying: "You've passed the test;" or rather a seemingly endless array of tests from Finals, AP’s, MEAP’S, and College Boards. You may feel like you’ve been tested more than Ken Jennings on Jeopardy, and in some ways that’s true – it’s just without the 2 ½ million dollars he won.Our district’s mission statement says ...
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Recess before lunch improves student behavior.
2006-04-04 21:06:00
Once you think about this it makes sense. An article in the Michigan School Board Association Headlines magazine shows how we let students play, and eat has a BIG impact on how they behave. Follow this link to get the publication: MSAB 4/3/2006.Others can read this: Traditionally lunch precedes recess at most schools. However, a new pilot study by the Montana Team Nutrition Program shows that flipping lunch with recess can dramatically improve students’ behavior. Researchers monitored 1,112 K-8 students during the 2002-03 year. They noticed that when students had lunch before recess they often spent less than five minutes eating lunch in order to rush out to play. What’s more, several students just ate chips or a candy bar. The sugar and fat from those snacks hit the students’ systems 90 minutes later—when most teachers reported peak discipline problems. When students ate lunch after recess, teachers reported fewer problems. At one school, when lunch was moved until after re...
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Complexities of the School Millage
2005-09-10 19:12:00
School funding is hard to understand, and that’s not good for taxpayers. As a board member I will try my best to explain how things work. Birmingham Public Schools get most of their money from a formula dictated by the State Legislature, with additional funds through the support of our local homeowners who support the “Hold Harmless” millage (check the chart below for the items that make up school funding). Some facts:• The “Hold Harmless” millage in Birmingham has been frozen at $3,877 per student since Proposal A was adopted as law in 1994. The amount ($3,877 per student) has never increased; it will never increase under Proposal A.• Because the “Hold Harmless” millage is frozen at $3,877 per student, that millage rate has DROPPED as property values increase. The total amount of tax raised by the millage changes only as student enrollment changes.• What does this mean? Local community tax support for schools (through the “Hold Harmless” millage) has been th...
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Support Birmingham Schools - Support The Sinking Fund
2005-04-22 18:22:00
As a member of the Birmingham Board of Education, I am dismayed at the level of half truths, misrepresentations, and lies being pushed by those opposing the sinking fund campaign. First, some truths: we enjoy the benefits of having one of the best school districts in the state because parents demand it, our children deserve it; our teachers believe it and our administration and support personnel work hard to maintain it. Over the last 10 years we have continued to improve operational efficiencies and our teachers have supported those efforts with their hard work and dollars. Nearly $8 million of saving achieved over the last three years along speaks to the effort in this area. However, the current school funding crisis keeps us on the "cutting path" and unless things change in Lansing, the funding crisis will reach further into our classrooms. Our administration, support personnel and teachers understand the challenges we face and have been significant partners in contributing to th...
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