Prohibition of Payroll Deduction of Dues SIGNED BY the GOVERNOR

Sent on behalf of Steven B. Cook, MEA President:

You may have heard that the Governor, despite heavy criticism from members, school boards and superintendents, signed HB 4929 last Friday afternoon – it is now known as PA 53. HB 4929 prohibits the collection of union dues by school districts, usually through payroll deduction. (Will be implemented when contracts expire.)

MEA and AFT-Michigan will be filing suit in federal court as soon as possible to block implementation of this legislation until a full hearing can be held.

It’s important to note that unlike some of the statements lawmakers used in the debate over this bill, the issue here is not whether dues will necessarily be paid, but how they will be paid. This legislation does not affect agency shop contractual language, but it does remove payroll deduction by school employers as a means of collecting dues.

We continue to develop the forms and processes necessary for alternative methods to collect membership dues.

Passage of the Protect Our Jobs constitutional amendment will help put the issue of payroll deduction back at the bargaining table, where it’s been for decades.

The petition for the amendment was approved as to form by the state board of canvassers this morning and petitions are being sent to the field as quickly as they are being printed. Thank you to the countless members, leaders and staff who are already engaged in developing and implementing plans to get the necessary signatures.

Finally, for your information, we keep reading about Governor Snyder “reaching out” to the petition organizers to get us to withdraw the amendment. But the fact is, he hasn’t spoken to MEA, and the other groups in the coalition have said they haven't heard from him either.

Steve

Bill 4929 is passed in Senate - WRITE the Governor

LANSING POLITICIANS RETALIATE AGAINST US FOR TAKING ACTION TO PROTECT COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS

From the AFT, but true for all unionized school employees!


This morning extreme Lansing politicians are retaliating against an effort launched by teachers, nurses, school suppport staff, and construction workers yesterday to amend the state constitution to protect collective bargaining rights and strengthen Michigan’s middle class.

Today the Michigan Senate retaliated by passing HB 4929, which would punish public school teachers, bus drivers, parapros, secretaries, and cafeteria workers by placing burdensome new restrictions on the collection of dues that protect employees through collective bargaining agreements. The bill would prohibit the use of payroll deduction for the collection of dues. According to the nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency, HB 4929, “would have no significant fiscal impact on school districts.” An amendment was put on the bill in committee that would allow payroll deduction if the union local reimbursed the cost to the school district; that reasonable amendment was taken out of the bill on the Senate floor.

The bill now moves to the House where it has already been passed once, but now needs to be voted on again because of a few changes.

PLEASE WRITE GOVERNOR SNYDER!!!!!!

Tell him to not sign this legislation into law!

1) The legislature should not be allowed to use
this type of "behavior" to control public employees.

2) The legislature is only piece-mealing together “right to work” legislation that will cause great strife through out our state. Our state can not afford to be involved in this kind of bi-partisan antics with such serious issues before us.

3) The legislature should not be allowed to by-pass democratic values to institute “pay backs”.

Governor Snyder’s contact site: https://somgovweb.state.mi.us/GovRelations/ShareOpinion.aspx

Governor Snyder’s phone in Lansing: 517-335-7858

ANTI UNION Legislation

The Michigan Senate is at it and they are moving fast! Please call your legislator and/or send an email ASAP.

USE THIS LINK TO CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE IN THE MICHIGAN HOUSE!

Click this link! http://capwiz.com/nea/mi/directory/statedir.tt?state=MI&lvl=state

The Senate Reforms, Restructuring and Reinventing Committee reported out this morning to the full Senate HOUSE BILL 4929 which was sponsored by Rep. Joe Haveman.

This bill would BAN public school districts from collecting UNION Dues for their unionized employees!

In a substitute bill a PROVISION WAS ADDED that requires audits of public school unions and that public school unions file the audits with the state. Unions already file tax statements with the Internal Revenue EVERY January, including the WLEA. Our finances are already a part of the public record. The state does not need to have additional information regarding our financial information.

In addition, the substitute appropriate $100,000 to cover the cost of data collection. THIS IS A TACTIC that prevents House Bill 4929 from being subject to a public referendum, i.e., a public vote to disallow it. In other words, they are adding a technicality to prevent your right to have a say on this legislation!

Tell your senator:

1)This is a clear attack on public school unions and their members.
2)It is harrasment.
3)Your union already files statements with the IRS every year.
4)The addition of a minimal expenditure is only meant to deny you your democratic right to a voice in government! They must not block democracy!
5)Tell them to vote NO on HB 4929

USE THIS LINK TO CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE IN THE MICHIGAN SENATE!

Click the link below!http://capwiz.com/nea/mi/directory/statedir.tt?state=MI&lvl=state

The Walled Lake area Senator is Mike Kowall:

Phone: 517-373-1758

Email: Senmkowall@senate.michigan.gov

Livingston County area senator is Joe Hune:

Phone: 517-373-2420

Email: senjhune@senate.michigan.gov

CYBER school bills coming to a vote!

Subject: ALERT - Cyber Expansion Vote THIS WEEK

The Michigan House of Representatives will be voting this week on SB 619 to lift the cap for-profit cyber charter schools.

Currently, there are two cyber schools operating under existing law in the state. The law establishing the two existing cybers also requires a report be completed after two years of operation to determine their effectiveness - that report has not been completed as the cybers are only in their second year of operation.

However, data available indicates the two schools have not been achieving a level to justify further or unlimited expansion of such schools.

Please act TODAY.

USE THIS LINK TO CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE IN THE MICHIGAN HOUSE! Click the link below!

http://capwiz.com/nea/mi/directory/statedir.tt?state=MI&lvl=state

Talking Points:

1. · SB 619 allows for-profit cyber school corporations to use public taxpayer dollars - thus, reducing the already limited PUBLIC State School Aid Fund dollars.
2. · According to the state's website, MI School Data, the two existing cyber charter schools currently operating, fall far below the state average on almost all reported student outcomes.
3. · Only 9% of 3rd graders at one of the cybers (MI Virtual Charter Academy) were proficient on the Michigan Merit Exam last year.
4. · AYP - the two Michigan cyber schools did NOT make AYP and nationally, only 27 percent of for-profit charter schools made AYP last year.
5. · Wall Street traded corporations continue to make millions of dollars delivering poor quality education to students. This is big business. Connections Academy - involved with one of the two existing cybers in Michigan - recently sold for $400 million to a British firm

Is the future of Michigan's children something to be traded and sold to benefit international shareholders?

Please CONTACT your representative TODAY and urge them to oppose SB 619.

A Message from the MEA President regarding CYBER Schools

A MESSAGE FROM the MEA President, Steve Cook, regarding CYBER SCHOOLS!
(To take action, go to the bottom of this blog posting)

The pro cyber schools people recently launched a website that targets several legislators who are opposed or leaning opposed to SB 619. This website includes very moving stories of local kids from each legislator’s district who would benefit by cyber schools according to their parents.


Here is the release:
LANSING—Today, the Michigan Chapter of the National Coalition for Public School Options unveiled a series of websites demonstrating the impact that public cyber schools have made on Michigan students. Each of the websites appeals to a family’s State Representative to vote for Senate Bill 619.

SB 619 is a bill pending before the Michigan House of Representatives that would remove the limit on the number of students that can attend online public schools. Right now thousands of Michigan students are seeking but being denied that opportunity. Their reasons range from a desire for customized curriculum or personal access to a Michigan-certified teacher, to safety from bullying and the flexibility to speed ahead or slow down to ensure comprehension.


In one such website, Deanne T. of Macomb, writes to Representative Ken Goike: “My daughter Majestic suffers from a medical condition that is not being accommodated by her current public school. Due to her disorder, she is nearly failing, despite the fact that she was a former honor student, and suffers daily from the taunting and teasing of her fellow classmates. To receive the flexibility needed to complete her studies while receiving the care she needs, she is on the waitlist to attend an online public school.”

Majestic’s story can be found on the website http://www.repgoikemeetmajestic.com/.
More information can be found at www.PublicSchoolOptions.org/Michigan.


We are very close to having enough votes to stop this bill, but the other side is very effective at distorting the truth and playing on emotions.


We need your help. Please ask your members to call, email or write their state representative about this bill and ask them to vote no. Also, please ask parents, family, friends, neighbors, etc. to do the same. Please talk from a personal point of view.

I’ve attached my (Steve Cook's) written testimony to the House Education committee to help with talking points. Also, the MEA Voice has extensive information on this issue and is available online at http://www.mea.org/voice/2012February/2012_feb_voice/index.html.


To write your legislator in the Michigan HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES, please use your home email accounts! Click on the link below to access an easy-to-use format for emailing your representative!


CLICK HERE!


1) Tell your representative to vote "no"
2) Cyber schools are not proving to be effective education
3) Cyber schools are just a way for corporations to take public money meant for public schools
4) While computer instruction is a great tool of education, it needs to be utilized as an addendum of a live teacher’s instruction;

Cyber School Bill and Dual Enrollment Bills move to the House Floor

FROM MEA "Capitol Comments" -

This morning, the House Education Committee reported out SB 619-623 and 709-710 with amendments that differ from the original Senate-approved bills. Despite evidence and testimony that full-time virtual schools are not an effective replacement for a traditional public school education, all of these bills on cyber schools and dual enrollment were sent to the full House on a largely party line vote.

SB 619, which lifts the two-year, two-school cap on cyber schools, passed with a substitute that impacts cyber schools of excellence. Through Dec. 31, 2013, only 15 contracts for a school of excellence that is a cyber school can be issued by a public university or community college. After that date, the number is raised to 30.

Nine Democratic amendments failed. The amendments—the majority proposed by Rep. Lisa Brown (D-West Bloomfield)—addressed transparency and accountability issues. One of her amendments would have prevented cyber school expansion until a required two-year report was released this year; another would have required all cyber school exams to be proctored to prevent cheating.

Even though the bill passed along party lines with 10 yeas, 8 nays and one pass, Republicans Rep. Tom Hooker voted no and Republican Rep. Kurt Heise passed.
SB 621, also reported out with a substitute, allows any district or charter school located in an ISD—or in a contiguous ISD-- to receive state aid if they provide classes to private and home-schooled students.

Democrats were successful in amending SB 622 before it was reported out. SB 622 expands dual enrollment and Rep. Rudy Hobbs (D-Lathrup Village) inserted language that requires at least one parent to be a Michigan resident in order for an out-of-state student to take advantage of state aid funds for college classes. Other changes to the bill dealt with course restrictions. The remaining dual enrollment bills—SB 623 and 709-10—were also reported out.

Our priority, as MEA/WLEA members should be to contact state representatives and urging them to vote NO on SB 619. Tell them: Cyber schools are a risky for-profit adventure that will only benefit corporations and CEOs. There’s no evidence that students, public education or this state will see any benefits.

Please use your home email accounts: Click on the following link that will take you to the MEA legislative action site. You can find your representative and email from that service! QUICK AND EASY!

CLICK HERE!

CYBER Schools! Please email or write your legislator!

Tonight I would like to speak regarding Senate Bill 619, the proposed legislation that lifts the cap on online cyber schools providing for an unlimited number of full time, for profit cyber schools. This bill, as written, provides no controls on cyber school performance. This bill has already passed in the Senate and is currently awaiting hearings in the House Education Committee.



Cyber school research around the country is providing a dismal picture of student performance in cyber schools.



The Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University has done studies that show that students who receive their education solely from cyber schools, perform significantly worse on the given assessments than students who attend classic brick and mortar schools.
At the University of Colorado in Boulder a December, 2010 study revealed that only 30% of virtual schools run by for profit organizations, met minimum progress standard, as compared to 55% of tradition public schools.



Michigan’s State Board of Education has passed a resolution opposing SB 619 siting a lack of performance review requirements. The MEA, the Michigan Association of School Boards, Michigan Association of Administrators, and the AFT have all taken stands against this legislation.



As a teacher, I was a part of the 7th grade “Laptop Teams” when laptops were first brought to the district and I was also part of the Walled Lake teacher teams that traveled to other school districts to help them implement the use of laptops in their classrooms. I have always used technology as a part of my instruction and would not be happy to return to a time when those resources were not available. However, I am also keenly aware of the role of the teacher in a classroom with technology and the importance of having a blend of teacher instruction and guidance using technology.



Senate Bill 619 provides for none of these important aspects of a student’s educational needs. It also appears to allow a siphoning of public dollars by for profit corporations whose primary goals are probably not the education of children. I am urging all of the WLEA members to write their legislators in opposition of this bill, and hope that others will follow suit.

WRITE or CALL the House Education Committee TODAY and tell them to vote NO on SB 619 that lifts the cap on Cyber Schools.

Tell them that:
1) Cyber schools are not proving to be effective education
2) Cyber schools are just a way for corporations to take public money meant for public schools 3) While computer instruction is a great tool of education, it needs to be utilized as an addendum of a live teacher’s instruction;

WRITE OR CALL NOW! Please use your own phone and home email!

Tim McMillon – R - House Education Chair
Email: TomMcMillin@house.mi.gov
Phone: (517) 373-1773 Toll Free: (866) 969-0450

Thomas B. Hooker – R – Majority Vice Chair
Email: ThomasHooker@house.mi.gov
: (517) 373-2277 Toll Free: (855) 866-4077

Kurt Heise – R – Plymouth
Email: KurtHeise@house.mi.gov
Phone: (517) 373-3816 Toll Free: (855) 737-5878 [855-REP-KURT]

Lisa Brown (D) is this area’s representative on the House Education Committee.