Ypsilanti, Willow Run teachers and staff receive layoff notices
Teachers and support staff within the Ypsilanti and Willow Run school districts received layoff notices Friday, officials confirmed. The layoffs become effective June 30.
Nearly 350 teachers and support staff from the Ypsilanti Public Schools district received pink slips, according to Ypsilanti Human Resources Director Sharon Irvine.
Teachers and support staff within the Ypsilanti and Willow Run school districts have received layoff notices.
AnnArbor.com file photo
Irvine said the notices stem from a board action that was taken on Feb. 4. Irvine said the timing of the notices was developed by consolidation staff to make sure all of collective bargaining agreements were met.
Ivine said the support staff who received notices were positions such as custodians, bus drivers and maintenance workers.
Irvine said current teachers should know by the end of April whether they will be rehired. Irvine wasn't sure what the timeline is for the non-instructional staff. The rehiring process is being handled by two separate consultants, Irvine said.
Willow Run teachers union president Kathleen Miller said 93 Willow Run teachers received notices Friday. Miller said she's been told about 80 percent of current teachers from both districts could be rehired, but she said that number may change.
"It truly evolves around the student population," Miller said. "I have kids in my class that are saying, "I'm going here or there." A lot of good teachers may not be brought back because the parents just aren't trusting the process... The community has to get involved and support this (new district) or there will be a lot of teachers without jobs."
Katrease Stafford covers Ypsilanti for AnnArbor.com.Reach her at katreasestafford@annarbor.com or 734-623-2548 and follow her on twitter.
Comments
jns131
Sun, Apr 14, 2013 : 2:22 p.m.
Here is what everyone is missing. The boat. Lets go back 3 years to June 26 when AAPS eliminated the school bus drivers and monitors. Fast forward to August 1. No one had a job and WISD was rifling thru our employee files trying to determine who they wanted back and who they did not want back. 30 drivers and monitors were not asked back by September 1. Who cares, we got 26 weeks of unemployment. This is where the unfairness comes into play. Everyone single person who works for Ypsilanti and WR will get a pink slip. WR hi school was slated to close in June any how. So no big surprise there. Fast forward to now. The bus drivers and monitors are safe from being pink slipped. Why? Because when this fiasco called privatize transportation came into being in September of 2010. Ypsilanti realized they did not have enough drivers. So you know what they did? They called in Trinity Transportation from Detroit to help out. They are still using them today. Guess what folks? They are now inside Ann Arbor. Shock. So it will be Trinity that will go away before they lay off the drivers and monitors again. Why? Because the ones under WISD have a contract with them. So, no, everyone else will loose but not transportation. You folks just keep missing the point. Everyone is going to have their files rifled thru and yes, not everyone is coming back and yes, there will be new teachers in September. So guess what? Get use to it. Transportation had to and the children will be fine. Evidently not the parents. But I am hearing from the grape vine that there are a lot of teachers buying out tenure and not coming back in September. Expect a huge change at the high school and middle school levels. As for the elementary? Can't wait to see what the outcome is on that one. All I know is this. The children will stay in their own district schools and end up at WR building and the hi school? Ypsilanti. Glad we have 9 weeks left of school and the summer to get ready for September.
A Voice of Reason
Sat, Apr 13, 2013 : 4:54 p.m.
Well, hopefully the new district will benefit students by allowing highly effective teachers to remain and that tenure will not be honored. Someday, the people in Washtenaw County and Ann Arbor will realize how the union runs our districts and gets fed-up paying salaries of people who do not care about all students learning. We are finally consolidating districts so we as a county do not need to run another MILLAGE CAMPAIGN IN NOV. VOTE NO!
jns131
Sun, Apr 14, 2013 : 2:26 p.m.
What you are saying has nothing to do with it. Everyone will be chosen as to the validity of whether or not they can teach or not. Tenure or not? Don't expect your remark to hold water. It did not with transportation in Ann Arbor.
Comment
Sat, Apr 13, 2013 : 2:35 p.m.
What a morale killer.
walker101
Sat, Apr 13, 2013 : 12:21 p.m.
I think they need to hire more principals, instead of the 8 new ones maybe 300 of them so they can all stand around and tell the 20 teachers what to do.
ypsi to go
Sat, Apr 13, 2013 : 4:45 a.m.
I can say with certainty that all of the collective bargaining agreements have not been met.
jns131
Sun, Apr 14, 2013 : 2:27 p.m.
I just fell off my chair at that remark. Their unions are no longer viable. They have to merge all unions and each of all the unions they have? Are gone. Poof!! They have to vote in a new contract and a new union. I know happened 3 years ago folks. Time to wake up and smell strong coffee.
ypsi to go
Sat, Apr 13, 2013 : 4:51 p.m.
Bob, Sharon Irvine is quoted in the story as saying the date for the layoff notices was chosen by the consolidation committee "to make sure" all of the collective bargaining agreements were met. After reading Sharon's comment you may be left with the impression that all of th CB agreements were met yesterday. All of them have not been met. You're right, the new district and new CB agreements, if there are any, will start in the summer. But if YPSD refuses to meet its obligations under the old CB before it terminates in the summer, somebody is going to the NLRB.
ypsi to go
Sat, Apr 13, 2013 : 4:30 p.m.
I think you meant to put that a little higher Kay. Look for picasso. He'll be the one wearing an idiot cap.
Basic Bob
Sat, Apr 13, 2013 : 2:34 p.m.
Collective bargaining expires when the school districts terminate. Case law is clear on that. Collective bargaining begins again with the new school district.
kay
Sat, Apr 13, 2013 : 5:18 a.m.
You really have no idea what you are talking about-----First you say all the "senior" teachers are making the big salary----they have sacrificed any experience, tenure,salary, and trained professional knowledge they have attained only to have to reapply for a job they have been successful in for many years. Yet the first thing out of your mouth is ----experienced teachers get out and bring in the young" teachers who who have "new ideas. So only a certain age group can have ideas, expertise, and the ability to teach our youth. I hope you never age as you will just have to be replaced for a younger model!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Derrick Amison
Sat, Apr 13, 2013 : 2:36 a.m.
As I have stated before, this new leadership team is moving to fast with this merger and isn't clearly thinking this through. I am not against the merger, it is a great idea because this encompasses the majority of eastern Washtenaw County. A move such as this needs a strategic plan which should have been in the works for numerous years to ensure that a merger such as this is done successfully. What I am concerned about is how will this district maintain fiscal stability while ensuring that students are given all the necessary tools to succeed.
Basic Bob
Sat, Apr 13, 2013 : 2:32 p.m.
"not having a way to ax(e) the two superintendents" They asked. The lawyers guaranteed them they would lose. But then again, Willow Run has a decade of experience with this already.
beardown
Sat, Apr 13, 2013 : 3:25 a.m.
They are learning this on the fly and it has been pretty obvious. From the groups creating the small learning communities stating that they need to study the concept more (in February, right before they started the teacher search) to the backwards debacle of not having a way to ax the two superintendents, it has been pure amateur hour. Which is all the more saddening because the two former board presidents are running the confused ship. We just need to hope they don't screw this up too bad and vote em all out when we get the chance in 2014.
picasso46
Sat, Apr 13, 2013 : 1:34 a.m.
Ypsilanti is clearly trying to co-opt the process==there are a lot of good teachers in Willow Run that are more about The Kids than Ypsi who have always feathered their own nest to retain jobs and take care of their own==I'm still amazed that the debt for YPS has never been questioned or investigated. Wow. I just hope security with a lot of hallway staff will be hired for the opening in the fall. The real shame is that this is the time to enable younger teachers to breathe some fresh ideas into the district while taking advantage of EMU being on our doorstep with some new blood! Hire some new teacher! But, NO== many of the same tired Old Timers will show up in the fall with their inflated salaries to match. These two districts are only going to get ONE initial chance to get it right folks and it's not looking good! Once again the kids will be the losers.
jns131
Sun, Apr 14, 2013 : 2:29 p.m.
There is? The teachers at WR high school are thrilled to buy out and run. WR high school is not the greatest school on earth. In fact the teachers I have talked to? Are praying for the Ypsilanti High School not to cringe when they get a load of what is coming down the pike in September. Can't wait to see the fall out on this one.
DonBee
Sat, Apr 13, 2013 : 11:09 a.m.
Picasso46 & Ypsi to go - I have met and talked with teachers from both districts, they both have some great teachers who are trying their best for the students they have. I hope the great ones are all invited back and that the parents will get behind them and support them. Infighting over who has the best or worst teachers will only bring the district down further. That defeats the whole process.
ypsi to go
Sat, Apr 13, 2013 : 4:44 a.m.
You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. Your analysis of Ypsilanti teachers is untrue and defamatory. It is coming from someone who is clearly ignorant of the situation, who has probably never been into an Ypsilanti school, and whose ultimate goal is to inflame. Your ideas on hiring are as sound as a Republican in office, which is to say they are short sighted, not likely to succeed, and will ultimately cost more over the long term. Please stop posting about these matters because you are disgracing the good name of your chosen handle.
Dan r OBryan
Fri, Apr 12, 2013 : 11:12 p.m.
Ypsilanti schools takes over willow run .that's what happening here . i told voters it was nt for higher education . Ypsilanti schools was in financial hard ship with over 10 million in debt .willow run was only 2 million and had shown they were reducing their debt . .so to all the teachers and community voters ,you have been misled since the beginning. sorry for the realty .willow run bails out Ypsilanti public schools and will be gone forever now
jns131
Sun, Apr 14, 2013 : 2:30 p.m.
It was mutually voted on. It happened, the voters said yes and guess what? Going to be another nuclear nightmare in September. Just wait and see.
beardown
Sat, Apr 13, 2013 : 3:28 a.m.
Um, isn't Ypsilanti Public Schools also gone too?
Basic Bob
Sat, Apr 13, 2013 : 12:15 a.m.
willow run had doris hope jackson and doug benit
tom swift jr.
Fri, Apr 12, 2013 : 10:53 p.m.
My heart goes out to the staff who have dealt with this chaos and mismanagement for so long. Nobody deserves to be kicked around like these people have been. My best to all of them, I hope they can all find good jobs at a district that actually respects what they do.
JRW
Fri, Apr 12, 2013 : 8:24 p.m.
Laying off 350 staff is a big deal. This creates a lot of chaos for staff and their families, not to mention the districts involved.
jns131
Sun, Apr 14, 2013 : 2:31 p.m.
No it is not, chicken little, there are other teachers out there with resume in hand just waiting for a job vacancy to fill while those who retire and run? Are gone. No big deal. Just another school year to do.
DonBee
Sat, Apr 13, 2013 : 11:05 a.m.
JRW and Basic Bob - Between state and federal law and union rules, there is no choice. The districts have to give notice and in order to have the mix of teachers they need by grade and subject, they have to lay everyone off. Seniority rules are so inflexible in most union contracts, that this is the only way to not have a First grade teacher end up teaching Math in the High School because they got a certification for Math 15 years ago and they have seniority. I understand why this all exists, but it does create chaos, some of it self inflicted by the contracts the employees asked for. The other side of this of course is that no one knows for sure how many students will return. That is (and should be) up to the parents.
Basic Bob
Fri, Apr 12, 2013 : 8:57 p.m.
it is a big deal so it is required by law that everyone receive adequate notice. of course this should be no shock since they have already reapplied for their old jobs.
pseudo
Fri, Apr 12, 2013 : 8:16 p.m.
I am not enrolling my kid so someone can have a job. I am thinking about enrolling my kid - and I am thinking about it based on what the outcome of this nasty mess is going to be: will it be a place to hold kids until they are 18 or will it be a place that will provide a solid education and learning environment - better than one I can find elsewhere. THAT is the question that this Ypsi High parent is mulling over.
jns131
Sun, Apr 14, 2013 : 2:42 p.m.
There is something called school choice and charters. Might want to look into that until the fall out occurs and over and done with in 2 years.
beardown
Sat, Apr 13, 2013 : 3:29 a.m.
Like a new model of a car, it might be a good idea to wait a couple years to let them work out the kinks. I have a feeling this is going to be a popular mindset, but a lot of families might not ever come back.