Michigan Bill To Privatize Public School Teaching Sparks Concerns

Michigan state Republicans said this week they are preparing a package of bills to privatize public school teaching -- eliciting concerns about working conditions and trading academic quality for cost effectiveness.

The legislation prepared by state Republican Sen. Phil Pavlov, who chairs the state Senate's education committee, would allow private, for-profit companies to compete for teaching jobs in public schools and would limit the power of teachers unions in seeking compensation packages.

But few specifics are known about the bill package, which has yet to be officially introduced. And Pavlov isn't divulging much more -- for now.

"I don't mean to be vague about this," Pavlov told The Huffington Post. "I can tell you everything on Wednesday."

Pavlov did provide a general outline of the plan, but with minimal details. "This package of bills will increase choice in many facets in Michigan in a way that has been necessary for long," Pavlov said. "We want a large comprehensive choice package that includes the expansion of charter schools and dual enrollment, to really put more opportunities in front of parents and students in Michigan."

Michigan has seen major school reform this year, passing a law with bipartisan support that limited teachers' collective bargaining and made it easier to fire teachers based on performance.

In Pavlov's eyes, this newest package is the next step in Michigan's cost-cutting track. This year, Michigant cut about $500 million in public education from its budget. "We've had the conversation in Michigan for a long time about bidding for non-instructional services, food services and custodial work," Pavlov said. "People are looking at this as a front for privatization, but it's giving school districts the opportunity to exercise flexibility."

Pavlov noted that Michigan already supplies its substitute teachers through private organizations. Non-traditional teachers from sources like Teach for America and The New Teacher Project have long been serving school districts nationwide. But this measure would be the first of its kind in the country, allowing for-profit companies to compete against unions to have its teachers placed in public schools.

"I don't think it's a privatization as much as it is competitive bidding," Pavlov said.

Union leaders worry that the measure could drive down teacher pay and eliminate collective bargaining altogether. "What Sen. Pavlov seems to be talking about is handing the education of our children over to the lowest bidder and letting for-profit companies take over our classrooms," said Doug Pratt, spokesman for the Michigan Education Association, according to the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals. Pratt could not be reached by HuffPost for comment on Friday.

"In Michigan, we're taking it piece by piece," Pratt previously told HuffPost about the state's education reform strategy. "It's a dangerous strategy, because it doesn’t get everyone excited at the same time. That's the genius of how they're doing things here."

Eric Hanushek, a Stanford University teacher evaluation expert, said he doesn’t think the bill -- which is not expected to go far -- has been thoroughly vetted. "You can't just legislate better schools," he said. "I think it would be more interesting if they allowed these outside companies to hold teachers responsible for their performance."

Comments

[SupportPublicEd]

07:16 PM on 09/15/2011

We need not even go so far as to ask if a private sector business model will work for public education. All we need to ask is how well the model works for the private sector.

How many start-up businesses succeed?
What sector brought us the recession in the first place?

[been2there]

01:20 AM on 09/09/2011

Privitazation will not trade worse conditions for better teaching, it will degrade both! If CEOs need good pay and conditions to do their best, why should teachers and students thrive in the worst?

[oldfatman]

01:36 AM on 09/08/2011

Another way for wealth from the middle class to be funneled up to the elite class who will own these private companies.They will be the politically connected,that contribute to the campaigns of the proper polititicians that will get these contracts.To maximize profits the cheapest labor will get the positions,or mabey they will get visas for teachers from overseas when no qualified teachers can be found to work cheaply enough.More downward pressure on wages,now moving to professionals after decimating blue collar workers,they have been waiting to unleash the Shock Doctrine on us when the time was right and the financial crisis is the opportunity.Welcome to third world america

[vwstevorino]

03:34 PM on 09/07/2011

Looks like the American Monopoly board is about to be COMPLETELY monopolized -by corporations. I wonder what would happen to a teacher that showed the movie "The Corporation" which shows the verifiably psychopathic nature of many of the world's largest companies when dealing with people, animals, the environment, and even other companies that they deem expendable?

[dbrett480]

01:42 PM on 09/07/2011

What amazes me is that the same legislators that received money from these companies have the gall to attack Democrats for "being in the pocket of public employee unions."

[Chefs pasta]

01:35 PM on 09/07/2011

The for profit companies pay 80 dollars a day for subs. What decent teacher will work for that kind of money? They will hire the cheapest available person, with the least acceptable qualifications. Anyone who can afford it will pull their kids the heck out and send them to private school, or home school. The kids that remain will be the new underclass.

[DrKatePhD]

05:39 PM on 09/06/2011

Education is not a business; the art and science of teaching and learning are not products that can be bought or sold at the demands of the marketplace. It is the GOP that continually compares our educational system to other counties' educational systems to support their argument against US schools. Yet, those same educational systems that are succeeding internationally are in countries that have strong public education systems and educate everyone (Finland, Korea, Singapore). If the GOP had their way, we wouldn't strive to educate everyone, just the ones that they deem worthy and who can afford private schools.

[Bassplayer54]

10:21 PM on 09/06/2011

Just remember what COUNTRY, and educational system:
1. Built and used the first atomic weapon to save American casualties from occuring any further and end WW2
2. Put the first people on the moon
3. Spawned the worlds foremost technology megacorporations: Microsoft, Apple, Oracle, Google, IBM, etc.
I don't see these other educational systems (Finland, Korea, Singapore) EVER coming close to what America has accomplished. Absolutely no comparison. Strong educational systems....you've got to be kidding !!! HA! American education has no equal to our students anywhere in the world. By the way, I am proud to be a public school teacher. The GOP will rue the day, and so will its supporters, for the havoc they will wreak on our educational system....good bye to OUR students being the best taught in the world. Parents.....beware, you have been warned! Great comment DrKatePhD, I agree with you!

[gDogMan]

11:57 AM on 09/06/2011

Soon your kids will all be able to stay home and get educated on the internet in their jammies. When you need to contact the school, be sure to dial the international code for the third world laboratory that had the winning (cheapest) bid for managing your children's education. English speaking representatives are available for a small additional fee.

Thank you for calling Global Education Incorporated, can you hold please?

[prettyd72]

08:04 AM on 09/06/2011

So we're headed to Education for profit, wow? And we thought the mortgage crisis was bad, just wait!

[Michael Townzen]

09:19 PM on 09/05/2011

Yep...let's privatize education. I want to be the superintendent that doesn't have to answer to the public, but just the board members (friends) that hire me. Think of it, no open meetings or financial disclosure of public funds required. Then I can hire my friends and family members and give them huge salaries and bonuses, based of course on them letting me win at golf. Too bad for those employees that disagree with my draconian ways...they can be replaced. "Enron Elementary," yep...that's the ticket. :)

[Puro Purepechas]

08:12 PM on 09/05/2011

The Republicans won't quit till they turn every good career into a crumy job! There is an all out attack on the great working class and we don't even see ourselves as a class and the creators of all wealth.

[gr8bsn]

06:42 PM on 09/05/2011

What if it actually worked? I'm not saying this is the answer, but the public system isn't exactly doing a bang-up job. The entire system pretty much needs to be re-booted at this point.

[murfiani39]

06:51 PM on 09/05/2011

this failure is driven by greed and for profit .. you have governors, congressmen and even mayors who think they can do a better job because they have business smarts. Educators are being left out of the management part in education . Business people are not the smartest bunch just look at wall street, the congress and senate. The money is currently in education and business wants its plain and simple .. Instead of going for it honestly, they try to bad mouth public ed at the same time chant the high praises of charters and for profit schools. Guess what the playing field is not the same and the rules are being bent to favor the charters. We are competing against the world with all of our data. Take out the poor and special ed and we are right up there with finland, sweden, and japan. Statistics are being bent and fixed in favor of the study.. What happened to well educated teachers who give up alot in pay for security, healthcare. Take it all away and watch the salaries soar then . Teachers teach because they love it and not to get rich. This is a strategy ALEC that is going on all over this country targeting the middle class. wake up before it is too late

[Cpl Punishment]

02:38 PM on 09/06/2011

Next we could privatize raising children.

It is a corporations legal duty to maximize profits for its shareholders. It didn't work in the banking industry, the oil industry and so many others. Why should we trust profit to do the right thing? Why should we trust CEOs to teach all students no matter what their background is?

I foresee this increasing the "haves" and the "have nots" when corporate schools will only teach profitable students.

[Maria Scarfone]

05:55 PM on 09/05/2011

"...drive down teacher wages..." that's hilarious. down to what, exactly?
how many workers with masters degrees start at $43,000 in new york city?

[lynnewrites]

05:38 PM on 09/05/2011

Terrifying for children, teachers and our entire nation. The privatized thing is beyond creepy--

[debtfree9]

03:38 PM on 09/05/2011

I am going to be interested in the teaching salaries and benefits for a privatized system. Since teachers did not take a vow of poverty, how many are going to be excited about teaching if they don't earn more than a check out person at Safeway, especially if they earned a Masters Degree or higher. The comparison of salaries, especially, will be fascinating. Of course, no one should go into teaching thinking they will earn big bucks because it is not going to happen. And what happens to kids in special education? It takes more money to serve those kids, can't get around it. Will private schools kick out kids who do not conform or will they be able to screen who they accept? Lots of questions for Michigan.

[murfiani39]

06:27 PM on 09/05/2011

and how many will pay out of their pockets for food and supplies that their students need and can not get by the schoool or by their parents