[michiganbob]

State schools could get a letter as early next as next week saying they'll get funding cuts up to $125 per student. What does that really mean? From this morning's Free Press (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070426/NEWS06/70426025 - broken link):

State superintendent of public instruction Mike Flanagan said the $125-per-pupil state aid reduction, with only two months remaining in the school year, would devastate the finances of many districts. However, he said he did not know of any districts that would be forced to close doors early.

And this is only the beginning people. Expect a long, hot summer of state office shut downs, employee layoffs and general lack of services.

[M TYPE X]

Mole putting the screws on you!

... she plays hardball.

[Rapunzll]

We're a donor district here and don't get back anywhere near what we send down. If there weren't so many teacher in-service days, maybe they'd have more money to finish out the year, as well as getting rid of some of the teachers aids. I never did understand why so many classrooms have teachers aids these days. We never had them when I was a kid, and there were routinely 35 kids in a class.

I guess this means we won't be buying every school kid an iPod after all, eh?

[Siberia]

WHy not cut $1,000 instead, as the average school expenditure in the U.S. is $6,058...yet in Michgan it is $7,085!!!!!!!!!!!

Can someone explain why the state has to send over $7,085 per student to high schools in Michigan, when college tuition at many universities (not housing, etc) is actually less???

Also, why, inflation adjusted, has the cost per student went up seven fold over the last 60 years??? The chart below is INDEXED FOR INFLATION...and it isn't a very straight line, it shows a 7x increase instead! Simply put, cost per pupil has been out of control for decades...time to face reality.

http://www.cato.org/pubs/briefs/brie...bp025-fig2.gif

Also, why do teachers have both a better pension plan, and way, way better health plan with no co-pays versus the rest of those in America??? How can they even begin to complain when they get the best three months of the year off...when that is a perk the rest of America could never do without getting fired??? And how about those multiple weeks off during breaks throughout the school year...

Also, do they think we are stupid when the say "Don't shortchange the kids"...the "never cut funds" comments? Is anyone really dumb enough to think $7,000/year is allocated only all towards the kids themselves?

Time to re-evaluate, consolidate, re-invent, and thus fix this bankrupt and defunk system of public schools that is bleeding money and common sense today. Kids 20-30 years ago didn't have air conditioning (in Michigan of all places...what a joke!), pools, multiple gyms and football fields with seating for thousands....plus 30 sports to choose from. Why don't the parents pay for "AFTER SCHOOL EVENTS???", why should tax payers pay for suzy and johny to break their legs in sports? There is plenty of waste to be eliminated immediately, that won't affect real education...we can either change on our own today, or be forced to change in the near future after governmental bankrupcy occurs...

[Rapunzll]

Come on Siberia, you know it's not PC to say any thing other than teachers are way underpaid. <G>

[saraj]

ok, this is to educate all those out there that feel that teachers get too much. First, unlike people who work for corporations teachers do not have an employer that matches money for a 401K. We have what is called a 403B which is basically the same thing as a 401K without any form of matching money. The pension we receive is in place of an employer matching though the state actually takes some money out of my paycheck to help pay for it. It is not completely free. Every year I receive a statement that tells me how much i have contributed. Secondly, though I have good insurance and work for one of the larger districts in the state, i do have to pay a co-pay just like everyone else. I pay $10 for generic and $20 for brand named prescriptions. I also pay a doctors copay and 15% of a dental visit which is pretty comparable to the rest of the world at least it is for my husband. Please be careful about your facts. Teachers have to have more education then much of the rest of the community which cost money. In comparison, we make less than the average pay of other occupations for our education which is a result of working 10 months out of the year. Honestly, I think the benefits are pretty fair.

Oh and another thing, the schools are in the worst state they have been in since before Reagan was in office. We are really headed for square one. We have very little money to supply materials for our students, which in effect ends up coming out of our pockets. I happily spend somewhere between $500-$1000 every year to pay for things i need in my classroom for my students.

The cuts are impacting the students in the district. Currently, the high school day in my district has been cut from 7 to 6 hours which makes it much more difficult for students to fulfill their required classes for graduation. This year they cut elementary foreign language and instrumental music, counselors, all high school media center teachers and instituted pay to play which means the only students who get to play are those whose parents have money. Substitutes are being outsourced to an employment agency. Classroom numbers will all be maxed out next year with 31-32 in a class. By the year 2014 all students will be required to pass the MEAP including students who are mentally disabled and cannot speak English. Next year, if a permanent solution is not found for budget concerns elementary specialists and busing will be cut in addition to other programs that help needed students overcome their academic difficulties. All students will have to be driven to school, eventually, for busing is not a student right. In a few of years the schools will be bankrupt. In two years we will have to cut $30 million dollars because our fund equity will be completely used up. If you care about your child and their education YOU NEED TO CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE AND DEMAND THEY DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND NOW!!!

[michiganmoon]

I think that we need to take a look at Special Education and its budget. A large portion of special education students are simply lazy and get a label of Emotionally Impaired or Learning Disabled... Yes many special education students need the extra money and extra teacher help, but many don't. I am not advocating taking away a one on one teacher worker for a kid with downs...but special education kids get more money and many of them shouldn't be in special education.

[Schaumburger]

I don't know about that. There exist no "labels," but real symptoms in Special Ed. There is a peer review process and some safe guards that prevent non-special students from reaching special status. They simply don't corral lazy students into special needs classes. It's usually caught early on or is discovered by development patterns, social interaction, behavior, doctors and parents. There is a multi-faceted approach to declare someone special.

Down's is a small portion of Special ED. What about Johnny who masturbates under the table during homeroom, because he was sexually abused by his mom? What about Sara who can't respond or act on emotion, because she was shut in a room and left to fend for herself during important psychological development stages? Sociality and discerning emotions are keyin child development and learning -- once she missed those milestones she is licked. There's more in special education then Down's. My Girlfriend's mom is a Lansing Special Ed teacher and educated both Johnny, Sara, and many others.

My sister was in the same boat and I remember both my parents had to document everything to get her into special ed. Her mental disability and seizures got her in -- thank God.

[michiganmoon]

I disagree. I am a teacher and lazy kids actually ask how they can get into special ed and some manage to get in. In fact a lot of schools like getting kids into special education, because it can get their school more money. I've worked at two different schools and I clearly feel that both schools had several kids in special education who had no business whatsoever being in it.

When I was in HS special ed was looked down upon, the lazier kids take pride in being in it today. Kids will tell me, "I don't have to get work done in class, I am in special ed, I have an extra week on assignments." More than 1 out of every 5 of my students is in special ed. Most of them shouldn't be in special ed and have poor grades because they don't try. Some do very wel when they try, but of course why try that hard when special ed enables you to be lazier. And they run up the bill.

[Schaumburger]

Special ed was always, sadly, looked down upon. It's a travesty in some places really. I knew teachers would spread rumors and slurs about the special ed programs. It was always about how they got more money than they did to teach their bright kids. Or, how it's so easy to get in. The commonality of the detractors of special ed was making it sound like Special Ed was Welfare.

Are you sure that you mean "special ed," because it sounds like "alternative ed." I think you mean Alternative Ed. As you may know they are too distinctly different educations. Alternative ed is probably what you mean by admitting lazy students. Sometimes all it can take is having a physical spat, truancy, drug use, 0.0-1.0GPA, intolerance, etc. In some districts, it's at the discretion of the Consoler, Parents, and Principal -- a simple signature and consent form. The problem is, once you get into Alt Ed the law labels your record with some tag line or something or other....

If these 'lazy' students are in Special Ed it's partly your responsibility as an educator to speak up then. If you are instructing at a school that clearly is putting students in special needs classes that aren't supposed to be there then stop the waste and cheating.