Michigan Votes Forum

Introduced in the House on February 23, 2011, the House version of the Fiscal Year 2011-2012 school aid, community college and university budgets. A separate House budget authorizes the rest of state government spending (House Bill 4526). This bill would appropriate $12.26 billion for K-12 public schools, compared to $12.17 billion recommended by Gov. Rick Snyder and $13.13 billion the previous year (which was inflated by $420 million in “stimulus” and other federal money, including required state matching funds). Per-pupil grants would be reduced by around $270 (exact amount varies by district), vs. a $300 reduction proposed by the Governor, and a $170 cut passed by the Senate.

The bill also appropriates $1.36 billion for state universities, the amount recommended by the Governor, compared to $1.58 billion the previous year. Community colleges would get $251.9 million, vs. $295.8 million last year, which was also the amount recommended by Gov. Snyder. $795 million of the college and university budgets would come from tax revenue earmarked to the School Aid Fund, which in the past has mostly been used just for K-12 funding. The House concurs with the Governor’s proposal to cut more from universities that raise tuition by more than 7.1 percent. In contrast, the Senate-passed budget uses less School Aid Fund money for colleges and universities, and does not have the university tuition restraint penalties.The House also penalizes universities that provide domestic partner benefits to unmarried employees

The vote was 57 in favor, 53 opposed and 0 not voting

(House Roll Call 102 at House Journal 0)

Click here to view bill details.

Once again I find myself horribly disappointed in the elected officials of this state. I only wish that someone could explain to me the backward thinking that allowed this bill to be passed. Who in their right mind thinks that cuts to education would benefit the state. All I can figure is this was a purely selfish vote and that not one of the 57 who voted for it bothered to considered the kids and their needs. Does anyone of the 57 have a plan for all the kids who will be leaving the K-12 system with an education that will be inferior? My guess is that their children enjoy the privilege of attending private school....GLAD MY TAX DOLLARS CAN PROVIDE THEIR CHILDREN WITH AN EDUCATION because it sure as HELL won't be providing mine with one.

julie73:

Who in their right mind thinks that cuts to education would benefit the state.

The fact is, when there is no money you have to spend less.  "Cuts in education" are actually cuts in the education budget.  I have children in the public school system and I support these cuts.  Our school systems have become centered on the employees rather than the students and no matter how much we spend, the actual education does not seem to improve.  Teacher pay and benefits continue to rise while we are asked to do fund raisers to provide supplies and other support items.  Typical health care insurance for teachers in Michigan cost about $15,000 per teacher, regardless of whether it is for a family, a couple or single individual.  Health care in my company costs about $8,000 per year for a family and about $4,000 for an individual.  No, the coverage does not provide 35 massages a year but it is BCBS and is excellent insurance.  Education employee benefits must be adjusted to be comparable to the private sector.

 

BTW, I'm pretty sure most of the legislators don't have their children in private schools, but they probably wish they were (much like me).

I am glad you have kids in the public school system, but I don't think you know what the teachers experience on a day to day basis in rural areas and definitely in other areas of the nation.  Maybe visit a classroom for a week or two and try to teach a group of 28-34 students of varied socio-economic status, all spectrums of educational levels, different languages, discipline issues up the you know what including weapons, drugs, bullying, assault, etc..., parents that provide little to no support let alone morals or ethics, homeless students, children coming with major baggage such as abuse, lack of food, or where they are going to sleep that night, and the paperwork that never ends because the state mandates everything under the sun and really hasn't a clue. Teachers are no longer just educators!

In responding to our insurance, I don't know where you get your facts, but as an educator I do not get 35 massages a year. I don't get any! We, my husband and I, pay co-pays for office visits, co-pays for Rx's (and they are not just $2, $4 as some think, they are much, much higher), co-pays for ER visits, deductibles based on family size, and for your knowledge they have increased almost every year for the last 10 years. Why don't you go after the doctors and hospitals that keep jacking everything up which makes insurance costs go up? Good example is I took my son to the doctor after him being sick for a couple of days. The doctor said it was a virus and it would run its course.  The doctor spent 5 minutes with us and charged $80 which we had to pay completely because we hadn't met our deductible. Think how long it takes for you to earn $80. Plus imagine that is this is over $900 an hour for a doctor’s earnings and you comment on the public school benefits increasing. This is why!

Also, have you ever factored in that teachers often spend out their own pockets a large part of their salaries. I don't see private employees doing this. Teachers buy food, snacks, pencils, pens, paper, books, caps and gowns, and often clothes for those kids in their classes because if not the kids would go without. We are not reimbursed to any extent for these as they are part of the job in my mind.  Yes, we get some classroom supplies monies, but they don't equate to what it costs to run a class in today's economy. Also, teachers have to keep taking classes even after our degree is earned and professional development seminars which often come out of our pockets, too.

Think and gather accurate information before you speak or write. Do not group all teachers as equal because there are always those who abuse the system in any area of employment, but there are more that are actually great at their jobs than are given credit.

 

The fact is there is plenty of money in the Education Fund to adequately fund K-12 education, but it was hijacked by Republicans that are more interested in politics than your childrens' education.  And if you haven't noticed fuel and utility costs are up, food in the cafeteria costs are up, buildings need repair, school supply costs are up (have you noticed in share increase in the cost of paper) and budgets have been cut, cut, cut.  Schools are not teacher centered; they are student centered.  And most teachers I know spend more than a thousand dollars a year on classroom supplies and snacks for children who come to school without breakfast.   Education outcomes are a process that starts in the home. And benefits are not one size fits all and school employees do pay for part of their benefits, have deductables co-pays, don't get massages and cost vary by area of the state.  It is obvious you have drank the Republican cool-aid and know very little about teaching and learning. 

 Children come to school with many problems that make learning difficult including parents that work long hours and have less time to spend with their children, overbooked after school activities, jobs to support a car, ADHD, etc., autism, divorce, parents in jail or on drugs and the list goes on.  All of these children are groups together in classrooms that can have 30 or more children in them and one teacher.  There are many parents who do not support children learning; electronics take too much of their time, believe their children when they say the teacher hates me, believe they turned in their homework when they did not, and that list goes on.  Many parents do not believe their children should do homework and either don't support doing it or have a living enviornment that is difficult to work in.  These are social problems that are out of the control of the school but children expected to achieve and teachers are expected to move children along one class in one year. Also the attitude that my child deserves a high grade even though their performance is not high.

If you want to make schools more successful start by supporting teachers, insisting of discipline of children, make sure your children do their homework (you wouldn't think of  having your child play successfully in sports without practice and home work is practice) and start talking to your children and reading to them at a very early age.

If our schools had between $17,000 and $18,000 per student per year like the governor's child's school, then there would be 15 to a classroom and each child could get all of the attention they wanted or needed.

 

You're right, so many costs are up these funds get reduced. Politics is supposed to make our lives better but frankly with these new measures I can't see where we're going. Cutting funds from education translates directly into cutting chances in our future as a nation. My daughter will graduate from college this year and every year for her was more and more difficult financially. She want to continue her education but the current situation worries her. She actually considers an online masters of public health since this option would allow her to keep a job and support herself during study. Of course she has our full support but despite it's just not enough. Thousands of students today go through the same struggle...

Today, most governments recognize the importance of public health programs or special education degrees in reducing the incidence disease, disability, and the effects of aging and other physical and mental health conditions, although public health generally receives significantly less government funding compared with medicine. In recent years, public health programs providing vaccinations have made incredible strides in promoting health, including the eradication of smallpox, a disease that plagued humanity for thousands of years.

Michigan also has more than 60 independent colleges, universities and an online college that enrolled nearly 88,000 students last year, but these institutions do not receive state funds. The Michigan Constitution grants to the public university boards of control autonomy in all decisions regarding the institutions’ operations and policies.

Public schools across the country, struggling with cuts in state funding, rising personnel costs and lower tax revenues, are shifting costs to busy students and their parents by imposing or boosting fees for everything from enrolling in honors English to riding the bus. At high schools in several states, it can cost more than $200 just to walk in the door, thanks to registration fees, technology fees and unspecified "instructional fees."