Props 2 and 5 Earn a ‘NO’ Vote From State’s Education Leaders

Educators across the state today called on voters to stand with them in opposing Proposals 2 and 5. School boards, principals, administrators, and school business officials today announced that they are united in supporting good teachers, good teaching practices, and improved outcomes for students. They warned that the ballot initiatives would harm students by eroding education funding and rolling back progress made in implementing important reforms – including teacher evaluations.

Five statewide associations joined in asking voters to defeat the harmful proposals. The Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB), Michigan School Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP), Michigan Association of School Administrators (MASA), Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA), and Michigan School Business Officials (MSBO) collectively represent every level of school administration in nearly every public school district across the state.

"This is about our schools being able to provide a high-quality education to every student that passes through their doors," said Kathy Hayes, Executive Director of MASB. "That means having effective teachers in every classroom and ensuring student access to the materials, technology and support they need to excel. Proposals 2 and 5 would take away the supports that schools need to best prepare students for college or a career."

Wendy Zdeb-Roper, Executive Director of MASSP added: "Principals, like parents, want our students to receive the best education from the best teachers, but Proposal 2 would eliminate teacher evaluation systems and force us back into a seniority system that makes time on the job more important than performance. In addition, Proposal 5 threatens the state's ability to ever increase revenue for our schools, even in case of an emergency. We are asking parents to help protect critical education reforms that will help our students succeed by voting no on Proposals 2 and 5."

Approval of Proposal 2 would nullify any future or existing law that infringes upon the right to collectively bargain. That would mean sweeping changes for schools, in particular the ability of school administrators to manage certain workplace terms and conditions in their districts and buildings. The likely consequences include:

• Putting all prohibited subjects of bargaining back on the table, such as teacher evaluations (including classroom observations), teacher assignment, and personnel decisions (including firing based on seniority/discipline);
• Effectively overturning all recent tenure reform and the work of the Michigan Council for Educator Effectiveness; and
• Removing the 80/20 insurance premium sharing mandate for public employees.

"In my 45 years working in and around public education, I have never met an educator worth his or her salt who didn't want the best for every student," said William Mayes, Executive Director of MASA. "This isn't about business versus education or teachers versus administrators, this is about students receiving the education necessary to prepare them for success in life. Our students only get one shot and these proposals put that opportunity in serious jeopardy."

In recent history, no state tax or tax increase has ever passed the Michigan Legislature with a supermajority vote. Proposal 5 would likely make it practically and politically impossible to ever pass a state tax or major tax reform again, regardless of the financial circumstance or emergency.

States with supermajority requirements for raising taxes tend to make up for lost revenue through increases in local taxes. However, Proposal A prevents school districts from raising operating millages. This would mean that Michigan schools would be unable to make up for lost state revenue on the local level.

"The financial strain this deceptive proposal will put on local schools will mean fewer programs, fewer educators and fewer options for students – plain and simple," said William Miller, Executive Director of MAISA. "Sharing and consolidating services has been a way of life in local districts for a decade and financial stresses have already forced many schools to eliminate programs such as music and art and impose pay-to-play athletics. Passage of Proposal 5 would only further directly and negatively impact the quality of education we can offer our students."

"Proposal 2 would undo the health care reform that is currently saving schools $400 million per year, not to mention the long-term loss in revenue that Proposal 5 could create," said MSBO Executive Director David Martell. "Across the state, there are more than 40 districts already in deficit or under the control of an emergency financial manager."