Vote yes on Washtenaw County school millage
We are writing to encourage the voters of Washtenaw County to support the school millage on Nov. 3. The news from Lansing on school funding gets worse every day.
Our superintendent has made it clear that we can no longer count on the beleaguered state of Michigan to support our schools adequately.
There is no doubt that one of the major components for bringing the state of Michigan out of the recession is the education of its children.Â
Michigan has relied for too long on the auto industry for high-paying, low-skilled jobs. We can no longer do this as the jobs of the future will require more education and skills.
Good schools are necessary to attract businesses, jobs and people to our state. Good schools support the value of our homes. It would be very short sighted not to pass this millage. Wayne and Melinda Colquitt Ann Arbor
Comments
Tom Bower
Fri, Oct 30, 2009 : 8:36 p.m.
Why are 3,500 public school academy students in Washtenaw County not going to see one penny of the regional enhancement millage? When will these students stop being treated as second class citizens? Michigan Charter Schools Do More with Less Source: Michigan Association of Public School Academies http://www.charterschools.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=79&Itemid=44 Charters are doing more with less. 62% of the state's charter students are minorities, one of the highest ratios in the country and significantly above the state average of 26 percent. About 58% of Michigan charter students qualify for free- or reduced-price lunch. Charter schools receive a per-pupil funding of about $7,888. This is $1,198 less per student than all traditional schools statewide, and $2,576 less per student than the traditional district where the charter school is located. Charter total student funding is never more than what the local district gets. Charters are not allowed to levy millages or sell public bonds. In fact, many charters pay property taxes back to traditional districts. Michigan charters put their dollars in the classroom. Latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows 63% of all charter staff are in the classroom, directly helping children to learn. In contrast, the state average for all schools is 48% -- among the worst in the nation. According to the Michigan Dept of Education (MDE), charter school students in grades K-8 outperform students in similar traditional public school districts in 25 of 27 MEAP tests. Charter high school students have achieved an 86% graduation rate, 12% above similar traditional districts. According to the MDE, students in charter schools receive, on average, $1,778 less per year in combined state and local financial resources than students in host districts.
A Voice of Reason
Thu, Oct 29, 2009 : 3:55 p.m.
Teachers still get an automatice step raise every year and most families have experienced cuts in their paychecks. Teacher's union make $1600 per teacher per year on selling us insurance--why not let us bid it out directly to BCBSM. Would save Ann Arbor $5Million plus. Companies will not want to come to Ann Arbor because we already are paying 16 mills. Think what another 11% will do?