Center Analyst's Research, Commentary Attract Attention
Analysis and commentary by Education Policy Director Michael Van Beek figured prominently into media coverage of teacher salaries and health care recently.
His work on the Michigan School District Health Insurance database was cited in The Bay City Times in a story about Bay City Public Schools administrators agreeing to contribute to the cost of their own health insurance premiums. Teachers in the district contribute nothing toward that cost. The same is true for teachers in the East Lansing schools, according to a commentary in the Lansing State Journal. Teachers in both districts are in contract negotiations. Current contracts for those and every other district in Michigan can be found here.
Van Beek's commentary on average teacher salaries in Michigan was reprinted by the Michigan Examiner.
UPDATE: Van Beek also wrote about the issue in an Op-Ed today in the Midland Daily News.
Permission to reprint this blog post in whole or in part is hereby granted, provided that the author (or authors) and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy are properly cited. Permission to reprint any comments below is granted only for those comments written by Mackinac Center policy staff.
THE TRUTH BEHING UNDERFUNDED SCHOOL MYTH
REGARDING THE UNDERFUNDED SCHOOLS MYTH
Mr. Michael Van Beek,
Your article is entirely wrong regarding schoolteachers being lavishly paid!
I know two Michigan schoolteachers in Oakland County, Michigan with Master degrees that make less than $60,000 per year based on a 20 year tenure.
How is a person projected to subsist and pay bills on this declared lavish pay?
Most educated Michigan schoolteachers with master degrees in there 10th year earn less than $60,000 per year: (Is this what you consider Lavish pay)
Also, the privatizing of Janitors in the public schools is just another instance of more lost jobs and benefits. If Michigan continues on this destructive path we will have the unhealthiest and poorest generation of old people the state has ever seen.
Since the schools have replaced $20.00 per hour janitors with illegal immigrant type pay how is the outsourced help supposed to raise a family and own a home at $10.00 and $12.00 per hour or have health care or retirement benefits?
As a licensed builder I can install a shingled roof on a 12,000 square foot home in two days and profit $5,000.00 dollars: (I have no college education)
I can install a hot water heater in one hour and profit $500.00: (I have no college education)
I can install a sump pump in a crawl space in less than 6 hours and profit $4,000.00. (I have no college education)
I can build a garage in 5 days and profit $5,000.00. (I have no college education) I can install roof vents on a home in less than 6 hours and profit $1,000.00.
(I have no college education)
Independent Counselors with Master Degrees for "court mandated DUI counseling" earn between $150,000 and $300,000 per year: (Client pays $200.00 for a 15 minute evaluation session)
Do you actually believe that a college graduate with a Masters in education who’s spent $200,000 college dollars or greater with untold hours attending classes are lavishly paid?
Is your true goal to thwart future teachers from earning degrees with dreams that one day they will become highly trained professional teacher in our public schools based on lavish pay of $35,000 to $67,000 dollars?
Just how much do you think an educated schoolteacher with a Masters Degree in education should be paid?
However, paying a highly educated schoolteacher between $35,000 to $67,000 dollars at the top end in my opinion is an absolute and utter atrocity.
Have you ever spoken with any public school teacher? Have you ever investigated how little money is actually funded for Science, Nutrition & foods, Health or any of the elective classes? There is virtually no money provided for elective classes. The teachers have been forced to do simple “Show & Tell” slide show presentations in the modern school classroom with no hands on capability or training for the student because there is no money for frogs, jars or formaldehyde: For baking dough, sugar or pots & pans: For mechanical baby dolls to properly teach young girls about pregnancy and babies. There are no paper or pencils provided to any student in any Michigan school today: The ignorant public and people like you have a terrible sickness by allowing this to continue in our school system and to our children.
Lastly, in the 1970’s the education for the handicap act (P.L. 94-142) was enacted that mandated public schools shall allow special education students (The Retarded) The average funding per year for a normal Michigan student is $8,000.00: However, the handicap student’s expenditure can easily reach upwards of $50,000 per year: For wheel chairs, medications, personal nurses, etcetera. (Also, another situation-underpaid schoolteachers contend with)
It should also be acknowledged that school funded programs are in fact severely reduced based on the handicap act which utilizes the majority of school funding for students with special needs. (Accurate school funding is shameful)
If you find any of these truths shocking please open your mind by contacting any schoolteacher, counselor or principle to determine the true facts as to how the Michigan public schools have so appallingly and slowly been allowed to decay.
PLEASE REWRITE YOUR STORY REGARDING THE TRUTH BEHIND THE UNDERFUNDED SCHOOL MYTH