In brief
10 fast reads
1. K-12 school districts received small funding increases for this school year, ranging from $56 to $112 more per student, depending on the school district. The base foundation grant this year is $8,489, an increase of 0.6 percent. Lawmakers agreed to add some additional $15 million for grants to districts with high dropout rates. The money can be used to pay for new schools or to reorganize existing schools. Schools that graduate less than 70 percent of students in four years can apply for competitive grants.
2. 
With the new school year
under way, educators are
reminded to save receipts
for classroom supplies purchased with
their own money. At press deadline,
legislation was pending in the U.S.
House of Representatives to extend the
educator expense deduction through
the 2008 tax year. The deduction allows
those who work at least 900 hours
during a school year as a teacher, instructor,
counselor, principal or aide to
deduct up to $250 of the cost of books,
supplies, equipment and software used
in the classroom. Janice and John
Denzer (left), who work in the Brighton
and Hartland school districts, respectively,
purchased supplies for their
students over the summer at Staples in
Brighton. The average teacher spends
$443 per year on classroom supplies,
so saving receipts for tax purposes can
offset part of the personal expense.
3. Michigan students will benefit from a renewed focus on arts and creativity in the state’s schools. The National Endowment for the Arts named Michigan one of five multidisciplinary “dream teams” and sent state education and arts leaders to a summer conference to learn how to infuse arts education into the Michigan Merit Curriculum. The Michigan team will consider how cultural institutions might help local school districts in arts/ creativity curriculum development, student services and professional development. The Michigan Merit Curriculum includes a onecredit minimum graduation requirement for all students in the visual, performing and applied arts. “The arts open minds of young people to creativity and imagination,” said Bob Harris, a Professional Development and Human Rights consultant at MEA who is on the state team.
4. Rising food prices are
pinching school nutrition
programs, prompting
districts to hike school lunch prices
for students. Many food items critical
to providing balanced, nutritious
school meals saw double-digit price
increases last year, according to
the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Double-digit increases on staples
such as milk, rice and pasta, cheese
and bread contributed to the pricing
dilemma. Whole grain items, fresh
fruits and vegetables and low-fat
snacks also have contributed to
higher costs, according to the School
Nutrition Association. The estimated
average cost to prepare a school
lunch? About $2.70 to $3.10, up
about 9 percent.
5. “Raccoon Tune” by Nancy Shaw,
a whimsical tale about raccoons
rifling through neighborhood
trash in search of a delicious dinner, is
the selection for the Library of Michigan’s
2008 Michigan Reads! The program highlights
the importance of early childhood
literacy by encouraging parents, caregivers,
teachers and librarians to read to
young children. Check your school or public
library for a copy of the book, a resource
guide, bookmarks and other goodies from
the state. For more information, go to
www.michigan.gov/michiganreads.
6. Hudsonville teacher Jennifer Haberling,
right, is the 2008-09 Michigan Teacher
of the Year. Haberling, an MEA member
who works at Baldwin Middle School, is pictured
with Hudsonville Education Association president
Becky Schipper. Nominations for the 2009-10
Michigan Teacher of the Year are due Nov. 3. Go to
www.michigan.gov/mtoy for details.
7. Hourly wages for school bus drivers, secretaries and other educational support personnel remained lower than many private sector workers in 2006, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Average hourly wage rate, 2006
8. The Great Lakes Center for Education Research & Practice funds the Think Twice project. It monitors and responds to education research and reports released by right-wing think tanks such as the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. The goal of Think Twice is to ensure that decisions made about education are based on sound, credible academic research and NOT on opinion disguised as research. To learn more about Think Twice or to sign up to receive Think Twice Weekly Reports, go to www.greatlakescenter.org.
9. MEA Scholarship Fund Trustees chair Mary Christian (left) and MEA President
Iris K. Salters congratulate the Utica team of Terry LaJeunesse (from left), Tom
Hellebuyck, Dave Kenewell and Brian Cecil for winning the men’s division in the
MEA Scholarship Fund Golf Outing. The fund provides scholarships for college students.
10. MEA won three awards of merit at the annual conference of the State Education Editors, a professional group of communications experts from NEA’s state affiliates. MEA’s awards included Best Editorial, Best Web Site, and Best Design-Marketing Materials for the MEA Advantage Toolkit, a collection of materials to help current and prospective members understand what they get for their dues.