Michigan: Less Than 0.001 Percent of Tenured Teachers Fired Over Past Five Years
8th September 2011
Harbor Beach Community Schools paid one teacher tens of thousands of dollars to leave, despite the teacher getting caught kissing some students and head-locking one after being confronted for his behavior. Dearborn Public Schools paid four teachers a total of $197,353 to get rid of them after charges of sexual misconduct and possession of illegal substances on school grounds. Gladwin Community Schools has dished out about $40,000 thus far in a legal case against a kindergarten teacher arraigned on charges of furnishing alcohol for minors.
These are a few of at least 156 tenure cases brought by Michigan public school districts over the past five years. These 156 cases cost school districts and taxpayers at least $7.7 million to cover the costs of removing, or attempting to remove, tenured teachers.
Must be something in the water.
September 8th, 2011 at 12:55
No doubt about it, we have an education problem in Michigan, and the teacher unions are part of it.
Gov. Snyder’s addressing it (somewhat) with the recently-passed Emergency Manager bill, which allows state-appointed interim managers to abbrogate and/or re-negotiate union contracts. Sort of a “bankruptcy court” for financially failing schools and municipalities, many of which are in the metro-Detroit area.
I have to say that it’s a big step in the right direction, and–even though he’s a Republican–Snyder seems to be on the right track…so far.