|
|
Privatizing Teaching Jobs In Senate Package
School districts could hire school teachers through a private company, expanding a privatization program already allowed for lunch workers and bus drivers, under legislation being prepared by the head of the Senate Education Committee.
As part of a significant education reform package sponsored by Senator Phil Pavlov (R-St. Clair), schools could privatize their instructional services, giving district a way to avoid the perceived high-dollar packages pushed by the teacher unions.
"I look at it as offering options," Pavlov said. "If there is something out there that can offer school officials the same options at a lower cost, schools need to take a look at that. It needs to part of the conversation on reform."
Pavlov said he's still ironing out the details on the language of a bill, but it is slated to be part of a package that also includes lifting the cap on state university-chartered public academies and creating a mandatory school of choice program for the state.
The privatization piece would require teachers from a private firm to have all of the same qualifications as current instructors. The difference would be that school districts could take bids for instructional services once an existing contract expires.
Doug Pratt, spokesman for the Michigan Education Association (MEA), called the idea of instructional services a "terrible idea" because it will be turning over school houses to "Wall Street" and out of the hands of qualified teachers.
"What Sen. Pavlov seems to be talking about is handing the education of our children over to the lowest bidder and letting for-profit companies take over our classrooms," Pratt said.
Cost considerations will be on the mind of the company in charge of the teachers, with the over-riding concern being "How can I do this as cheap as possible?" Pratt said.
Comments
15 April 2010
42 years 21 weeks
As for the Senator and those that voted for him, assuming he was elected, you just can't fix stupid!
An Educator
15 April 2010
42 years 21 weeks
Maybe we should implement education requirements where you require a Masters degree to be a Senator and continue with your education at their expense like we do the teachers.
I watched your recent news broadcast regarding our State "Leaders" and "their" vision of unions and the budget fight. What's good for the goose is good for the gander!! Unions are NOT the problem! Our fearless State "leaders" need to consider taking concessions, too!! Consider the following . . . Michigan lawmakers are paid $79,650 per year with $12,000 expense accounts, trailing only California (source http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/10/michigan_state_...). Michigan legislators get 90 percent of their health insurance paid after age 55, with six years of service (source http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/10/michigan_state_...). At age 65, legistators become eligible to receive federal Medicare health coverage but also can get state-paid benefits that cover expenses not paid by Medicare (source http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/10/michigan_state_...).
I certify I am over the age of 13: agreed
15 April 2010
42 years 21 weeks
15 April 2010
42 years 21 weeks
15 April 2010
42 years 21 weeks
15 April 2010
42 years 21 weeks
This is certainly not about what's best for kids.
15 April 2010
42 years 21 weeks
I can't think of a better way to eliminate the middle class than beginning with privatizing union workers.
15 April 2010
42 years 21 weeks
Really - do you WANT your child's teacher to make $35,000 a year after ten years with no benefits?
Pavlov is a community college dropout who runs a family bulldozer company. You want him drafting legislation on education? Really?
Bet Betsy DeVos is investing in new contract employee services right now.
15 April 2010
42 years 21 weeks
I actually surprised it has not been tried before (I'm sure it has but I don't have any information in front of me). Just on the surface, I see no reason why the concept could not be explored further to determine if it is a viable enough idea to warrant a test somewhere.
15 April 2010
42 years 21 weeks
The aim for Michigan should be to provide the best education for the children of the state, not the cheapest. If the pay is low the quality of the teachers will follow. Why would a talent college student chose to enter a profession which has such low pay and lack of respect. The Michigan legislators need to focus first on a high quality education not just getting cheap warm bodies in the classroom. You get what you pay for, think about it.
15 April 2010
42 years 21 weeks
When will people wake up to the fact that Michigan Republicans are simply on a power trip, seizing every opportunity they can to dismantle the public employee infrastructure of this state, and especially the teachers, purely to put more money in their own already well-lined pockets? They have no skin in the game: most of their children are either grown or attend private schools, so they see no need to support public education. They hate all public employees: they think the police are on the take, the firemen sit around all day eating, the secretary of state workers are incompetent, the garbage collectors are overpaid, and the teachers get the summer off. Yet they're the first to insist on collecting their Social Security checks no matter how wealthy they are (and most of them are, indeed, much better off than the average citizen). Their hypocrisy and greed are unmatched. It is a shameful time to be a Michigander.
15 April 2010
42 years 21 weeks
I wonder if ALEC provided model legislation.
15 April 2010
42 years 21 weeks
If you want to know what this would be like ask any substitue that works for a third party employer like PESG...
It is absolutely amazing what goes on between the school district who has no reason to care anymore about what kind of quality they have in the classroom and the 3rd party employer...
These school districts did this to simply escape having to put into a retirement fund in favor of the 3rd party making a profit on their private investments...anyone who had or has invenstments in the stock market during the crash or even recently knows how that worked out!!!
Does anyone really think that the people who are on school bds. really care about what is going on in their schools? Did any of them carefully consider these decisions and their impact on teachers let alone kids?
I could go on and on with this having spent years in many locations...Want some horror stories about the conditions I see even in schools which are in "rich districts"?
Sorry to say that this is part of well thought out plan to provide brainless slaves for the system which has us all Living around the Castles as we beg for the left overs...It is much cheaper to provide a lousy education than it is to invest in what is necessary to do what might be considered the right thing...
I shall leave teaching soon as an extremely talented and knowledgeable individual capable of inspiring even the least capable among us to greater things...decisions were made at the legeslative level to rob those kids of that opportunity to which some day that bill will come due...those responsible know who they are...congratulations you have succeeded!!!
...a KNIGHT in somewhat tarnished armor...
15 April 2010
42 years 21 weeks
ou're a square navigating your way through a maze of squares with gravity physics and fun gameplay to boot.
http://gurjeetguri.blogspot.com