Brighton pink-slips 32 teachers, some could be recalled (Millage tax scare tactic)

AP ^ | 4-26-05

[Dan from Michigan]

Brighton pink-slips 32 teachers, some could be recalled
4/26/2005, 10:08 p.m. ET
The Associated Press

BRIGHTON, Mich. (AP) — The Brighton Board of Education has voted to issue layoff notices to 32 first-year teachers, some of whom could be recalled if positions open up.

District voters decide the fate of a 3-mill tax proposal May 3. It would cost owners of a $150,000 home about $225 a year.

"If the millage passes, we won't have to lay off anybody," Brighton Education Association President Barry Goode told the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus of Howell after Monday's vote. "If there was something from the state that was solid, or the millage, we wouldn't have to do this."

The state's budget crisis has hurt the level of aid to the district.

Under its contract with the union, the district must give teachers layoff notice for the fall by April 30. The district is facing an estimated $2.5 million budget deficit.

"I feel for every single one of these teachers. It's an awful thing to do," said board President Cindy Cvengros.

[Dan from Michigan]

I am very disapointed that my old district is using these tactics in an attempt to scare county voters into voting for the millage.

This would not happen if there was good budgeting by the school board. This would not happen if the board members (with one major exception) negotiate an insurance policy from MESSA to Blue Cross. This would not happen if the board did not spend its way into debt. MESSA alone will reduce the costs by 20%. This DOES happen since the board is attempting to pass the buck to Lansing instead of serving their constitutants who voted for them.

While these teachers have my sympathy, I am still voting no on the millage so, these board members are forced to have to take care of the MESSA problem. If this passes, we'll be in debt again in 3 years and have to deal with this all over again unless Lansing bails us all out.

We all need to tough it out now, to prepare for the future.

[Ron in Acreage]

They could lay off 10 janitors and save the same amount of money.

[TXBSAFH]

Same old scare tactics. I once heard it called firemen first. You see if a government get resistance to a tax increase, a bond issue or runs into a effort to row back taxes. They threaten to of do lay off firemen,cops or teachers first. This is an effort to scare you and hurt you so you will cough up more of your hard earned money to the bureaucrats.

[TXBSAFH]

Same old scare tactics. I once heard it called firemen first. You see if a government get resistance to a tax increase, a bond issue or runs into a effort to row back taxes. They threaten to of do lay off firemen,cops or teachers first. This is an effort to scare you and hurt you so you will cough up more of your hard earned money to the bureaucrats.

[KC_for_Freedom]

This is how things go in public school systems. But my real question is did they cancel music and sports already? Do the administrators do the janitorial work. Are there no longer art programs, assemblies for diversity?

Now the next step is to lay off teachers by senority so that many of the younger new teachers are let go. Anything to screw the public into voting for what they want.

[Dan from Michigan]

I'm waiting for threats of football to be cancelled. If that happens, they'll probably be a riot. We had 8000 at some of our games. Hockey's a big draw too.

[TXBSAFH]

If they think they will lose bad enough they will threaten anything they have to. Yes they probably could cut here and there and tighten the belt with out laying off anyone. But by threating to fire people who are up front in service to the community they hope to scare you into giving them your money.

[quantim]

Brighton Education Association President 

It's union scare tactic and the lefties on the school board are sleeping in the same bed.  Brighton is experiencing huge growth, increasing enrollment, and an influx of additional new tax dollars from the home building boom going on there.

32 teachers is A LOT.  Why were they hired in the first place last year?  I realize school boards aren't as smart as they think they are but they aren't so dumb as not to count classrooms and students.

[henderson field]

Pink-slipping the teachers? That's a new one. They usually just close the library.

[Dan from Michigan]

32 teachers is A LOT.

It is alot, even in a large school district like Brighton which covers all or part of five municipalities.

Why were they hired in the first place last year?

There were a lot of early retirements.(which IMO was insane). Many teachers who were hired in the early 70's boom had the remaining year or two on their contract bought off so "cheaper"(In the short term) younger teachers were hired.

This will come back and bite us all later since the younger teachers' salaries will go up with a Master's degree and 5 years, not to mention the pensions and medicals of the retirees. It's an early savings now, at a large cost down the road.

[quantim]

This will come back and bite us all later

Ah yes, the protectionism of civil service, unions.  Never mind if the students can READ.  It is not unique to Livingston County, but embedded nationwide.

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It's an early savings now, at a large cost down the road.

You mean like Jenny's tax hike on small trailers 'permanent' status that went from $14 a year to $75 forever?  I feel sorry in advance for our next republican guv who will have to deal with this.