MASA eLeader

	Jul 24, 2009

Featured sponsors:

hot topics:

Speaking of Leading:
“Dillon’s foray into [the nexus between adequacy of financial support for educating students and the appropriate level of salary and benefits for our school employees] is one of many discussions that should and must take place if K-12 education is to survive and provide a great education for our precious children in this challenged state. The key question should be, “How many dollars can and should we take away from the classroom to pay for health insurance and retirement benefits? …In the interest of local control, I charge our local boards of education to steel themselves to do what is right, honestly ask that question and act accordingly.”

William Coale, recently retired superintendent from Western School District, 7.21.09 in an News-Herald op-ed responding to Speaker Dillon’s health care benefits proposal.

Avoid/manage labor and financial distress in your district

Districts in Distress August 14
Lansing Center

The upcoming Districts in Distress workshop on August 14 contains information that is critical to the survival of all school districts in the state. Your district does NOT need to be in distress in order to benefit from this workshop!

This workshop was developed for leaders who want to:

Avoid labor and financial distress, and
Manage it should it occur.

This is the type of content our members have been asking for, which is why we hope you seriously consider having at least one board member and one administrator from your district attend. We’ll present very useful information on vital issues and are confident it will be worth your time. Challenging times are before us and your district needs to be prepared for what may come its way.

To register for this workshop, or see a full agenda, visit http://emerge.masb.org/source/Events/Event.cfm?Event=LCONF_09

Why Attend?

New Board Members and Administrators–
This is a valuable opportunity to learn the basics of labor relations BEFORE a problem occurs in your district. You’ll have an opportunity to learn about the law that governs collective bargaining, and the practices and tactics involved with negotiations. Superintendents, if you want new board members who understand the collective bargaining process before the start of the school year, you should recommend they attend this session!

Districts Facing Financial Issues –
If your district is facing financial difficulties, come to the clinic session on dealing with deficits. You’ll get both legal and practical advice. Given the financial crisis facing Michigan, many districts – through no fault of their own – are on the financial edge. You need to be prepared with facts and information if your district may face a deficit this year or next.

Districts that Need Information on Handling Difficult Labor Situations –
You may or may not be facing tough negotiations with your unions; however, it’s wise to be prepared. You’ll get that preparation in two ways: 1) by learning from the experiences of a district that went through an illegal strike; and 2) by learning communication strategies and tactics from seasoned negotiators, media representatives and communications experts. This is a rare opportunity to gain insight and understanding to avoid a, “worst case scenario” or manage such a situation if it should occur.

Districts that May Open School Without A Contract and/or Need Background on Impasse Procedures:
Many districts (if not a majority) will be opening school without a contract. Learn the important legal nuances regarding your obligations and rights in this situation. Also learn about impasse procedures – there is new and important case law in this area that you MUST understand when going through the process. You’ll also have an opportunity to hear about preparing for factfinding, an integral part of the impasse procedure.

Districts that Wish to Sharpen Their Public Relations/ Communications Skills:
The keynote address at this workshop is about communication; communications will be a theme throughout the day. Unions are increasingly aggressive and disciplined in communicating with your community and media – you need to prepare to communicate just as strategically as they do.

Because we felt this workshop was of such value, we sought and received a a generous sponsorship from MILAF+/PFM in order to offer this workshop at a reduced price of $95 per person. The value of the knowledge you receive will far exceed the cost. You’ll be prepared better to manage and/or to avoid the pitfalls of the difficult situations your district may encounter in the coming years.

To register for this workshop, or see a full agenda, visit http://emerge.masb.org/source/Events/Event.cfm?Event=LCONF_09

Contact Tom White or Brad Banasik at MASB for more information at 517.327.5900.

Michigan chosen to host statewide mayoral afterschool summit

The Michigan After-School Partnership was chosen as one of five statewide afterschool networks to host a Statewide Mayoral Summit on Afterschool/Expanded Learning as part of technical and financial assistance from the National League of Cities’ (NLC) Institute for Youth, Education, and Families (YEF Institute), with support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

The summit will offer municipal officials an opportunity to connect with state leaders in order to address critical afterschool challenges in communities, showcase promising practices, and jointly determine next steps for making afterschool a priority. In addition, mayors will be able to share information regarding their afterschool needs and priorities with state-level decision makers and explore ways that cities and towns can utilize federal resources made available through the states under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The summit, to be held in the spring of 2010, will help highlight the importance of after-school/Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELOs) as a vital strategy for workforce development, entrepreneurial skill-building for youth, and as supports for working families. It will help promote the role of ELOs to help all children succeed and link these efforts with the state’s economic and workforce development priorities. The summit will bring state legislators, business leaders, policy makers, the foundation community, advocates, and after-school providers together to develop and create an agenda that supports quality ELOs, particularly for middle and high school youth.

Mary Sutton, Executive Director of the Michigan After-School Partnership, “Michigan has a tremendous opportunity to showcase the strength of cities across the state working in tandem with state legislators to strengthen the foundation upon which youth will be supported in their efforts to succeed academically and grow the skilled and talented workforce necessary to revitalize and diversify our economy. We are excited to be able to help raise the collective voice in support of these vital programs.”

The other state networks selected to receive this technical and financial assistance include the Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence, Georgia Afterschool Investment Council, Iowa Afterschool Alliance, and the South Carolina Afterschool Alliance.

The five selected statewide afterschool networks are supported in part through grants from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. Nationally, a total of 38 statewide afterschool networks are funded to shape state policies, build partnerships and assist the development and sustainability of quality afterschool programs.To learn more about these statewide afterschool networks, visit www.statewideafterschoolnetworks.net/

NEW at the ARRA Resource Center —ARRA Timeline Summary

Are you afraid you might miss a deadline or opportunity when it comes to ARRA funding due to the volume and complexity of ARRA information that’s out there?

The new ARRA Timeline Summary is a helpful “bird’s eye view” of ARRA activity/requirements. This document was designed as a quick, one-page reference and has had input and review from MDE and the state recovery office.

For more information about ARRA at any time, contact Jann Jencka at JenckaJ@michigan.gov.

High school writing and math scores improve on Michigan Merit Exam

High school writing and math scores have shown an increase, according to results for the Michigan Merit Exam (MME) released recently by the Michigan Department of Education. High school juniors were tested this past spring on the MME, which includes the college entrance exam, the ACT Plus Writing®.

Over the past three years, the percentage of Michigan public school 11th graders who scored at the proficient or advanced levels in writing improved from 40 percent in 2007, to 41 percent in 2008, to 44 percent in 2009.

Math scores increased from 46 percent last year to 49 percent this year. Scores for other subjects over the past three years were virtually unchanged.

“This is good news for writing and math scores,” said state Superintendent of Public Instruction Mike Flanagan, “but we still are not where we need to be overall, in getting all students to be college-ready.”

In the other subject areas, 11th grade students achieving proficient or advanced performance levels compared to 11th graders from the previous year were as follows: Reading 60 percent, down from 62 percent; English language arts 52 percent in both years; science 56 percent, down from 57 percent; and social studies 81 percent, up from 80 percent.

Included in the MME is the ACT college entrance exam. Michigan students who earned college reportable ACT scores as part of the state test had an average composite score of 19.0, which was up slightly from the 18.8 composite score for students taking the test in the previous two years.

MASB-SEG Property/Casualty Pool coverage, service exceeds members' expectations

The MASB-SEG Property/Casualty Pool continues to offer the best coverage in the marketplace at affordable and stable rates. The Pool recently sent members a Coverage Forms & Claim Kit binder containing updated copies of its coverages. Since its founding in 1986, the member-owned and -operated Pool has remained committed to providing comprehensive coverage that ensures school districts’ needs are properly met. Coverage distinctions include:

No annual aggregate for general liability;
Student injuries (non-sports);
Blanket liability;
Athletic liability;
Innocent party defense;
Law enforcement liability;
Special Education Due-Process Hearing;
Violent acts; and
Excess liability up to $10 million.

Risk-management tools
The Pool’s professional staff of loss control experts work one-on-one with members to reduce incidents, injuries and accidents, which results in fewer property/casualty claims. As a benefit of Pool membership, educational organizations can also access SafeSchools online employee safety and compliance training, endorsed by MASB, MASA and MSBO.

Property Valuation Program
Through the Pool’s new Property Valuation Program, members will receive a free appraisal of their buildings and contents and a copy of the comprehensive valuation data containing up-to-date information. This information will:

Provide you with the true value of your buildings and contents;
Help you with facility upgrade planning and verifying your insured values;
Allow the Pool to provide detailed information to its reinsurers, and help us reduce our reinsurance costs; and
Help the Pool maintain premium stability.

SET SEG is Michigan school districts’ preferred source for all school insurance needs.

800.292.5421

Inside the First Amendment
In public schools, which holy days are holidays?

By Charles C. Haynes
First Amendment Center

The latest wrangle over religion and schools is in New York City, where the City Council recently voted to add two Muslim holy days to the schools’ holiday calendar.

It may not happen, because Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who gets the last word, opposes the idea. “If you close the schools for every single holiday,” the mayor told The New York Times, “there won’t be any school.”

Whatever the outcome, the New York calendar debate is noteworthy as a harbinger of challenges ahead as schools grapple with America’s rapidly expanding religious diversity. Recent conflicts, from Hindus objecting to how they’re treated in textbooks, to Native American students seeking accommodation to wear unshorn hair, to Muslim students asking to be released for Friday prayer, members of minority faiths are speaking up as if to say, “We are here too.”

In and of itself, adding two Muslim holy days – Id al-Fitr and Id al-Adha – to the holiday list wouldn’t have a major impact on the New York school calendar, as these holidays often fall on weekends or during the summer because their timing is determined by the lunar calendar.

But advocates see the change as a symbolic recognition of the city’s growing Muslim population (now estimated at 600,000). Some Christian and Jewish holy days, they argue, are already holidays – so it’s a matter of equal treatment. “If they want to close the schools for other groups,” said a Methodist minister who supports the proposal, “then the Muslims should have the same right as well.”

Under the First Amendment, however, New York City officials shouldn’t decide the issue based on “equal treatment” or “rights.” Even if the City Council wants to take on the unwieldy task of attempting to treat all religions equally, the First Amendment’s establishment clause prohibits government from favoring religion over non-religion. Moreover, no religious group has a constitutional right to have its holy day made into a holiday for all public school children.

True, the school calendar already accommodates Protestants, who founded public schools. Schools are closed on Sundays and Christmas (which has morphed into a secular national holiday). Spring break, in New York at least, just happens to coincide with Easter.

It’s also true that New York City public schools close for the Jewish holy days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The practice dates to the 1950s.

But the Christian and Jewish holiday closings can probably be justified under the First Amendment because there are legitimate secular grounds for the policy. In New York City, Christians remain the majority faith and Jews make up approximately 12 percent of the population.

If New York schools are unable to function well due to high absenteeism among students and faculty on certain holy days, then school officials may close for educational reasons without violating the establishment clause.

In considering whether to add Muslim holy days, officials should only look at what’s best for the school system – and for the education of all students. If there’s strong evidence that the academic program suffers on the two Ids because so many students and teachers are absent, then that may justify closing school. But the government’s reasons for adding these or any holy days to the calendar must be civic or secular, with no intent to favor or promote any religion.

The numbers may be there – Muslim students are estimated to be 10-12 percent of the student body. But that’s a question for city officials to investigate and decide. In published accounts of the debate, at least, City Council has yet to advance a well-documented educational rationale for the calendar change.

Meanwhile, there are other First-Amendment-friendly ways to accommodate the religious holiday needs of Muslim students. Give students of all faiths a reasonable number of excused absences for religious holidays, with no penalty and appropriate opportunities to make up missed work. And, if possible, avoid scheduling major exams (such as the New York Regents exam) on any major religious holy day.

Nothing in the First Amendment prohibits public schools from making these and other reasonable accommodations to allow for the free exercise of religion. But any change that affects the education of all students – including one that shortens the school year – should only be made if necessary to help the schools do their job.

On whether to close or not to close, government officials must be careful to ask the right constitutional question.

Charles C. Haynes was a keynote presenter at MASA 2008 Fall Conference. He is senior scholar at the First Amendment Center, 555 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001. Web: firstamendmentcenter.org. E-mail: chaynes@freedomforum.org.

Frederickson joins MVU as Marketing, Sales & Communications Manager

Michigan Virtual University (MVU)® announces the recent addition of Linda Frederickson as their Marketing, Sales & Communications Manager. Ms. Frederickson will direct MVU’s marketing, sales and communication strategies across all divisions of the organization to ensure that marketing, outreach, sales and branding activities align with the corporate mission and vision.

“Linda joins MVU during a time of explosive growth in online learning. Her experience and expertise in marketing and sales is extensive and I know she will make a significant impact leading our outreach activities to Michigan’s K-12 community,” said MVU’s President Jamey Fitzpatrick.

Prior to joining MVU, Linda was the Vice President, Sales & Marketing for Lansing Entertainment & Public Facilities Authority. In that role she managed the sales department for the Lansing Center while directing both marketing and sponsorship for all facilities and events, including the Lansing Center, Oldsmobile Park, the Lansing City Market, the Common Ground Music Festival, the Entertainment Express and numerous annual events produced by the authority. She played a significant role in developing the marketing and sponsorship components of the Common Ground Music Festival.

MVU is a private, nonprofit Michigan corporation established in 1998 to deliver online education and training opportunities to the citizens of Michigan. It is the parent organization of the Michigan Virtual School™ and Michigan LearnPort®, an online learning portal that delivers professional development opportunities and more to the Michigan education community. To learn more, visit www.mivu.org.

MASA news:

MASA Fall Conference preparations coming together

Many of our members and staff spent part of last week at the Grand Traverse Resort for the MAISA Summer Conference. The conference was extremely productive and, as always, the Grand Traverse Resort staff was very accommodating.

In fact, it gave us an opportunity to touch base and remind them of our major MASA Fall Conference that is taking place September 23-25, 2009. They will be ready for us as will your conference planning committee.

At present, we are confirming Exhibitors as well as our presenters for break-out sessions at the New Superintendents preconference (September 22-23) and the full conference.

Working with our year-long theme of Expanding Our Circle of Influence, some of our clinics topics include:

Crucial Conversations
Contentious Negotiations
MASB’s Superintendents Search Department: A new direction
Lead Forward
Getting a Grip on Retirement
High Performance Schools
Courageous Journey Orientation
Need to Know from MSBO
Redesigning High Schools
More on ARRA
Renewable Energy Products
Grassroots in a Tech World
Hot Legal Issues
And much more.

You also will be able to stay in touch due to the generous offering of Sehi Computer Products as they once again provide the SEHI Business Center.

Getting valuable information, taking advantage of great opportunities to network and learn from each other all in the beautiful setting of Traverse City makes the 2009 MASA Fall Conference the place to be to expand your circle of influence.

Fall Exhibit Show kicks off with evening gathering

This year’s Fall Conference Exhibit Show will kick off Wednesday, September 23, with an end-of-the-day social networking time. Visit your favorite vendors; meet some new friends; discover some new services available to today’s school leaders. While you’re at it, you can re-connect with colleagues and enjoy some light food and fun.
The event runs from 4:30-6:30 p.m. in the Governor’s Hall of the Grand Traverse Resort, leaving you plenty of time for dinner afterwards with vendors or colleagues.

Note: There will be no lunchtime exhibit on Wednesday. Lunch will be on your own before conference begins at 1 p.m.

New Superintendents -
Get the right start at MASA's New Supt conference just for you

September 22-23, 2009
Grand Traverse Resort

If you're new to the position of superintendent in the past three years, you won't want to miss this conference. MASA's New Supt Conference brings together the best there is to offer on topics, resources, and people to help you survive and thrive in the demanding role as a school leader.

Issues to be addressed include:

• Negotiations
• School laws
• Dealing with the media
• Working with boards
• Take-home resources
• Understanding ARRA
• Networking with peers
• Insights from veteran superintendents
• and more....

For details and registration, visit www.gomasa.org.

Annual Rose Memorial Service to be included in General Session

For more than three decades, MASA has honored those members who have passed with an annual memorial service. This dedication memorial service will be held during the General Session on Thursday, September 24, 2009 in Traverse City, Michigan. The presentation of roses to honor our deceased members will be included in the service, and the roses will be displayed throughout the rest of the conference.
Deceased MASA members who will be remembered at the memorial ceremony include:

Janet Allen, Willow Run School District
Geoffrey Balkam, Climax-Scotts Community Schools
Priscilla Canning, MASA Executive Assistant
Mario Conflitti, Alanson Public Schools
Charles Goulding, Flat Rock Community Schools
John Hauck, Detroit Public Schools
Robert Irvin, Berrien Springs Public Schools
William Keith, House Education Chair
Pete Lazaroff, Jr., Van Buren Public Schools
David McKenzie, Jenison Public Schools
Herbert Moyer, Bedford Public Schools
Stuart Openlander, Dearborn Public Schools
John Sanders, Delton-Kellogg Schools

Please contact us if you know of any individuals who should be added, or if you identify an error in our listing. WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO HEAR FROM ANY MASA MEMBER WHO WOULD BE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CEREMONY BY CARRYING A MEMORIAL ROSE. Please contact Kristy Warner at the MASA office at 517.327.9262 no later than September 11, 2009.

RETIREES - Mark your calendars!
MASEL Luncheon: September 15, 2009

The 44th annual luncheon of the Michigan Association of Senior Education Leaders (MASEL) will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2009, at the Kellogg Center, MSU, East Lansing.

Reservation information will be mailed to all retired members on the MASA mailing list in August. For additional information, please contact Kristy Warner at 517.327.9262 or kwarner@gomasa.org.

Highlighted Benefit
Mentoring

Each year, MASA facilitates mentor relationships through each region’s Membership Services Committee representative. Superintendents who are new to the profession are paired up with experienced volunteer mentors who remain available to meet regularly, answer questions, and offer advice when difficult decisions arise. MASA’s Mentor Toolkit warehouses documents, resources, and links to articles and information that can help ease the transition during a superintendent’s first year on the job. The toolkit also contains helpful advice for mentors on how to make the most of this unique relationship.

If you are a new superintendent and need a mentor, or if you would like to volunteer to be a mentor for a new superintendent in your region, contact lwacyk@gomasa.org; 517.327.9268.

legislative news:

Statewide Insurance benefit reform gains traction

The bold initiative to reform insurance benefits for public sector employees—including school employees—is picking up support in Lansing.

NOW is the time for MASA members to take action in support of a broad initiative that would spell significant savings for school districts, while protecting our ability to provide high quality benefits to employees.

By consolidating state employee health care can save around $900 million a year and keep essential services that matter to children, families and communities. If you have not yet taken action, do so today through one of the following easy steps:

Health Care Savings and Reform Proposal
Write your local media

Speaker Dillon calls for a statewide health insurance plan.
Act now in support!!!

leader resources:

Asthma Educator’s “Toolkit” available

Limited number of free kits available from AASA

When it comes to teaching school staff how to handle the care of students with asthma, hands-on demonstrations are a best practice to teach proper technique and help ensure correct usage of medications.

Lorene Alba with AASA is pleased to offer complimentary demonstration toolkits to you or school districts you serve (they are valued at approximately $100) on a first come, first served basis.

This comprehensive kit includes placebo inhalers to provide hands-on demonstrations to children with asthma, their parents and guardians, school faculty and staff. The kits will help school nurses and asthma educators explain the correct usage, priming and cleaning of asthma devices. Placebo devices include the new HFA rescue inhalers (Albuterol), a controller diskus (Advair), a turbuhaler (Pulmicort), a spacer and peak flow meter; perfect for school nurses to use during health fairs and in-services.

Supplies are limited, so please contact Lorene Alba at lalba@aasa.org to request one.

WWC releases new practice guide:
Structuring Out-of-School Time to Improve Academic Achievement

The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) invites you to look at its newest practice guide, Structuring Out-of-School Time to Improve Academic Achievement.

Out-of-school time programs can enhance academic achievement by helping students learn outside the classroom. The five recommendations in this guide are intended to help district and school administrators, out-of-school program providers, and educators design out-of-school time programs that will increase learning for students.

The guide also describes the research supporting each recommendation, how to carry out each recommendation, and how to address roadblocks that might arise in implementing them.

A project of the U.S. Department of Education, the WWC is a central and trusted source of scientific evidence for what works in education. The WWC develops and implements standards for reviewing education research, assesses the rigor of research evidence on the effectiveness of interventions (programs, products, practices, and policies), and produces user-friendly practice guides for educators.

U.S. Communities releases news you can use

MASA Partner U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance offers member districts significant savings by pooling the purchasing power of over 87,000 public agencies, including K-12 school districts.

A recent U.S. Communities E-News update delivers the latest U.S. Communities program news. Topics include announcement of new contract awards, program promotions and general program updates.

Go to U.S. Communities E-News web page to view the most current issue www.uscommunities.org/ENews/q22009.asp.

Included in this issue:

Greater Discounts Announced by AutoZone
GSV/Astro Turf offer 10% off U.S. Communities Prices
Best Value Purchasing by Office Depot
Contract Updates

New Awards
Contract Separation
Re- Solicitations

ARRA Resources

Webinars on Recovery
Website Recovery Enhancements

ARRA resources on US Communities website

U.S. Communities and its supplier partners are working together to provide our participants with tools to maximize their recovery dollars. Each supplier partner has provided information on how they can assist agencies with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

This information is posted to the U.S. Communities Recovery Tools. In addition, U.S. Communities has provided additional resources to assist agencies with tracking Recovery funds.

AASA news:

Measure your resilience

In Fall 2009, AASA will release Resilient Leadership for Turbulent Times, by Jerry Patterson, Diane Reed and George Goens. The book will draw on the research and best practices to answer the question, “How can leaders move ahead in the face of adversity?”

Readers of the book will be invited to complete the Leader Resilience Profile, a confidential survey instrument designed to measure your own leader resilience strengths. However, you don't have to wait until the release of the book to complete the profile! Take the confidential profile today at www.ed.uab.edu/tri/lrp.asp.

Learn more in two articles from the December 2008 issue of The School Administrator: "Joy & Resilience: Strange Bedfellows" http://www.aasa.org/publications/saarticledetail.cfm?ItemNumber=10866 and

“Measuring Your Resilience."
http://www.aasa.org/publications/content.cfm?ItemNumber=10881

AASA launches "The Leading Edge" blog!

AASA is pleased to present a new blog called "The Leading Edge." Check out the latest post today, “USED to Release Draft Application For Race-to-the-Top Funds,” on the new AASA website at www.aasa.org/aasaBlog.aspx.

Registration for AASA members/Michigan block opened JULY 1st

AASA has provided our state association with a block of rooms at the “Hyatt” during the 2010 National Conference on Education, which will be hosted in Phoenix, AZ, from February 11-13th. We encourage you to book your hotel reservations as soon as possible to guarantee that you can be accommodated within our state block. An important point to note is that you must be registered for the conference before you can make any hotel reservation.

To register and book your hotel reservations follow the instructions below:

Registration Instructions

Go to www.aasa.org/nce and select the “REGISTER” button on the right side of the page under the header “Register Today!”
Select the Online State Association Registration and Housing Link at the bottom of the page
Select our state from the drop down menu
Enter the following user name and password:
Username: Mayes
Password: Gold10
If you are an AASA member enter your AASA member number and your last name in the space provided.
NOTE TO NON-MEMBERS: If you are a non member then click the “click here” button under the header “Are you on a non-member? Did you forget your membership ID.” Be sure to note that non-member registration will be available on July 15, 2009.
Complete the registration process by filling in each page as you are prompted. Be sure to pay close attention and select any special events or tours that you’d like to attend.

Housing Instructions

After registering you will be on Page 13 of the registration and housing process. Click on “Search for Hotels” to view the hotel in our State Block. Only our designated hotel will appear in the pull down menu.
Page 14 – Be sure you click the button next to “search state sub block.” In the drop down boxes choose your arrival and departure dates along with the number of rooms you would like and click on “Check Availability.”
Page 15 – select the Hyatt and click reserve rooms
Page 16 – choose any options you’d like or add other occupants who may be staying in the room with you
Page 17 – carefully review all of your registration and housing information one more time. If changes are necessary be sure to make them now
Page 18 – follow the onscreen instructions to make your payment.

NOTE: you will only be charged for your registration. Your one night’s hotel deposit will be charged directly by the hotel approximately 4 weeks prior to the begin date of the conference.

Plan to Attend the National Conference on Education!

Register today and earmark travel funds for the most comprehensive and affordable professional development conference for educators. Register early and save $100 at www.aasa.org/nce.

research reports:

CRC issues report on Michigan public pension systems

The Citizen’s Research Council of Michigan (CRC) has released its latest report, Michigan State and Local Government Retirement Systems, which:

describes Michigan’s 138 state and local pension systems in aggregate,
explores the financial and managerial state of Michigan's public retirement systems,
provides details for several of Michigan’s major state and local public pension systems,
compares key metrics to national averages, and
explores the possible ramifications of the current economic situation on public defined benefit plans and on state and local governments.

At the end of fiscal 2007, state and local retirement systems in Michigan had assets of $105 billion, but these assets were severely affected by steep losses in the stock market, real estate market, and other investments in 2008. While comparisons of pension plans are complicated by different reporting periods, assumptions, smoothing and amortization periods, pension portfolio losses of 20 percent to 25 percent translate into reductions in total state and local pension assets in the range of $21 billion to $26 billion.

The 1963 Michigan Constitution protects the pension benefits that have been earned by state and local government employees and requires that state and local governments fund retirement system benefits in the year those benefits are earned. Nonetheless, most defined benefit retirement systems had substantial unfunded accrued liabilities before the 2008 losses; a large number may now be expected to have fallen below the generally accepted 80 percent funding threshold.

The vast majority of the 742,000 members of 138 state and local government retirement systems in Michigan are participants in defined benefit retirement plans. Accrued liabilities in these plans are unchanged by the losses in plan assets. Public officials including pension plan trustees and managers will struggle to balance constitutional obligations to fund public employees' retirement systems with the need to maintain public services, especially as tax revenues reflect the weak economy.

Michigan State and Local Government Retirement Systems reports on the shift to defined contribution plans, which limit the public employer's liability by transferring risk to the employee. It also reports on the balance of investment earnings, employer contributions, and employee contributions in public retirement plans; pension payments and expenses; pension board composition; pension funding strategies; the relationship of pension and other postretirement benefits; adjustments to benefits earned in the future; and potential changes in investment rules and practices.

The report and a summary description can be accessed on the CRC website.

The Citizens Research Council of Michigan is a private, nonprofit public affairs research organization established in 1916 to analyze issues of significance to state and local government organization and finance in Michigan.

Data suggest The Promise raises aspirations keeps more kids in college

A new study by Western Michigan University and the latest enrollment data from The Kalamazoo Promise suggest the scholarship program is having a positive effect on student aspirations and Kalamazoo Public Schools' rate of college enrollment.

Almost 830 graduates of the district used Promise scholarships to attend college in 2008-09 — about 60 percent of the 1,386 eligible in the first three years of the program, according to data released last week by The Kalamazoo Promise office. That's about 2 percentage points higher than the national college-attendance rate for high school graduates younger than age 22, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

What's more, The Promise attendance numbers do not include the dozens of Kalamazoo graduates enrolled in private or out-of-state colleges, which means the actual college attendance is even more than Promise numbers indicate.

“This is a high-poverty district, which makes (the college attendance rates) even more positive,” said Michelle Miller-Adams, author of “The Power of a Promise,” a new book about the scholarship program and its effect on Kalamazoo.
Among other highlights from The Promise office's data:

About 80 percent of the Kalamazoo Public Schools' class of 2008 — 386 students — used The Promise in 2008-09. Nationally, about 67 percent of teenagers enter college immediately after high school graduation.
Almost 60 percent of Promise students are choosing to stay in Kalamazoo for college, attending either WMU or Kalamazoo Valley Community College. In the 2009 winter semester, those two schools also accounted for 60 percent of Promise enrollments.
After WMU and KVCC, the most popular institutions for Promise students were the University of Michigan and Michigan State University, which each enrolled almost 100 Promise students in 2008-09.

Retention has been high for students who entered universities out of high school. But the retention numbers are much lower for those who started at community colleges, which do not have admission requirements and tend to attract more students who struggle.

Miller-Adams points out the class of 2006 learned about The Promise only a few months before graduation. Those students with decent grades headed to universities. The remainder went to community colleges, including many who had no intention of attending college before The Promise was announced.

“It's nice that we're above the national average” in terms of college attendance, but “the national average is not satisfactory,” district Superintendent Michael Rice said. “We still have quite a bit of improving to do so that all children — all children — are wholly college-ready.”

Still, he said, the Kalamazoo Public Schools' test scores and AP enrollment have been improving for the past three years, indicators that the district is moving in the right direction.