Michigan Votes Forum

 This bill is a win win situation.  Young teachers coming out of universities will find jobs in Michigan.  School distircts will have a larger much need cash flow because younger teachers are hired at the bottom of the pay scale.  A lot of older teachers that can retire may due to the incentive being offered--just as many older GM people who could retire decided to take the recent incentive.  School distircts could save over $30,000 per teacher for each older teacher that retires and a new first year teacher is hired.  If Michigan wants some of the older teachers to retire they will need to offer them an incentive or many of the teachers will continue to work due to the unstable economy.  Offer older teachers a decent incentive as offered in this bill and I think quite a few will retire.  This is an education stimulus plan to help school districts and to help balance Michigan's budget till we can get through this economic slump.

 how does taking older, experienced teachers out of the school system, and replacing them with young, inexperienced teachers make our students any smarter?

 Apologies to users, this bill was originally posted under the wrong bill number. Apologies to timbertom322, who commented on this bill when it was mis-posted on March 5, 2009. Here's what he wrote:

timbertom322:  Come on folks, I know of some retired teachers that are making more then $40,000 a year pension. Everyone else is tightening their belts and they want a 33% raise, unbelievable. How many people do you know that ever got a 33% raise without changing jobs? Did those of us on social security ever get any where near that kind of raise? I don't think so. Michigan teachers are among the highest paid in the nation and yet our kids education testing level was 28th last I read.

 one has to wonder exactly how much union payola went into this bill? how much lobbying effort by the teachers union resulted in this bill? is the union that callous as to allow older teachers (longer term union members) to be booted out to make room for younger teachers (shorter term union members)?