Letter to Members
MEA committed to defeating privatization
Education support personnel work in
every institution of public education
in Michigan, taking care of our children
and making sure they have the tools
they need to succeed in our schools and
classrooms.
Yet, too often, they don’t receive the respect they deserve from politicians, school board members, parents, or even their teacher colleagues.
And when school boards face difficult budget decisions, cutting funding that pays for vital support services such as transportation, cleaning and food services may seem like the “easier” cuts to make.
Unprecedented trend
We’ve witnessed in Michigan an unprecedented trend toward privatization in our public schools. School boards are firing dedicated school support employees and then hiring private, for-profit companies to provide essential support services, or threatening to do so.
And though millions of public dollars are at stake in this privatization game, there’s little public scrutiny after districts decide to outsource some of their operations.
Do promised savings materialize? Do private contractors provide the same level of service? Do students suffer when employee turnover rates double, or when workers don’t care about the tasks they’ve been assigned to do?
Other jobs at risk
And if you think that privatization threatens school support personnel only, think again. In the past few years, school boards have voted to subcontract building principals and other administrators. In some districts, substitute teachers are now leased from for-profit companies, as are school counselors and psychologists.
And don’t forget about public charter schools, where management companies have received millions of dollars over the years to supply classroom teachers.
MEA is committed to helping members save their jobs because it’s in the best interest of students, parents and communities. We’re putting more resources into fighting privatization than ever. We are committed to partnering with you to beat privatization.
Funding needed
Part of that commitment involves lobbying lawmakers and the governor for adequate funding for public education. We support Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s proposed 2-cent sales tax on services as a way to invest in students—and our state’s future.
Please join us in supporting this important investment in education.