Saturday, December 30, 2006

End the Summer Breaks for School Boards!

It amazes me that school boards -- at least the Rochester School Board -- do not have more agressive and ambitious plans and agendas.

What I find particularly annoying is that it gets even slower in the summer, when you'd think that would be the best time to really try to get some work done. The administrators -- who work year-round -- should have time to participate in goal-setting and analysis, and collaborate with the board.

Instead, the board has light agendas, and even cancels meeting due to a supposed lack of topics.

How is that possible?

I wrote the following article to address this concern:

Oakland Press: Let's find ways to help kids make the grade (07/26/05)

School boards need to be working harder.

==> Mike.

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Pass Rigorous High School Grad Requirements

At the time these two articles were written, there was a concern that state lawmakers would loose their resolve, and fail to pass more rigorous graduation requirements.

Many in the education community were -- and still are -- fighting the effort to raise the bar.

I wrote both of these articles in support of the increased requirements:

Oakland Press: Minimum graduation requirements needed (12/28/05)

Detroit News: Pass rigorous requirements for state diploma (03/01/06)

Fortunately the new graduation requirements passed in spring of 2006.

I still believe that a two-tier diploma makes sense. The first would be a meaningful and rigorous diploma that meets basics college prep guidelines. The other would be an "honors diploma" that would be earned by various criteria, such as AP (or IB) classes, cummunity service, etc.

==> Mike.

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Friday, December 29, 2006

Several Michigan Districts Move to November Elections

The Detroit News did a story that covered the move by some districts from May elections to November elections.

Detroit News: Schools opt for November Elections (12/23/06)

It really bothered me that schools are suddenly getting credit for "saving money" by moving to November elections... they are really stopping the waste! They knew full well that May would cost money, whereas November would cost little -- or nothing.

The Detroit News then ran an editorial that further urged schools:

Detroit News: School districts should make voting easier (12/27/06)

The editors gently reminded me that I shouldn't be so blunt!

==> Mike.

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Let's Move School Elections - HB4755

Chris Ward, R-Brighton, introduced house bill 4755, which would move elections to November for all schools.

I wrote the following article to support that bill:

Lansing State Journal - Mike Reno: Let's move school elections (05/19/06)

I'm all for local control, but school districts are "out of control"!

==> Mike.

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Wednesday, December 27, 2006

2 Long Years lead to November Elections in Rochester

Opinions vary on what ultimately led to November elections, but the Rochester School board finally moved there the day before the November elections in 2006.

I wrote this article just before the final board vote:

Oakland Press: Save school dollars with November Elections (11/03/06)

A move to November represents a giant step in the effort to reform school practices, and I'm looking forward to seeing this spread throughout Oakland County, and throughout Michigan.

==> Mike.

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Dr. Gaynor of Bloomfield Hills attacks Ruth Johnson

In June 2006 Dr. Steve Gaynor, Superintendent of Bloomfield Hills Schools, penned a shocking attack on Oakland County Clerk Ruth Johnson.

Oakland Press: County clerk's decision cost Bloomfield taxpayers (06/24/06)

I'm sure Dr. Gaynor was frustrated. After all, schools had been able to pretty much do as they please, regardless of whether it was cost effective or in the voters best interests.

Not only was his logic faulty, but I felt his attack on Ruth Johnson was not justified. I wrote the following opinion piece in response:

Oakland Press: School leaders refuse to accept responsibility for May elections (07/09/06)

Schools knew full well what they were getting into by choosing May elections, and to suggest otherwise is misleading.

==> Mike.

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Oakland Superintendents Defend May Elections

In May, 2006, Clarkston Superintendent Dr. Albert Roberts, writing as President of the Oakland County Superintendents Association, authored an article defending May elections.

Oakland Press: May school election dates make sense (5/28/06)

It basically repeats the point that being on a school board is so hard, and the May timing gives them a chance to get up to speed. I've never been convinced it's all that hard for most school board members to learn to use their rubber-stamp and say "Aye", but perhaps some need more time.

It also furthers the arguement that May elections allow voters to be more informed on school issues. Informed by whom?

And finally, it helps to explain that a long November ballot might be a bit too confusing for voters, and schools don't want to be at the end of that ballot.

I sure hope I wasn't one of the voters considered incapable of making an informed decision in November, or too dumb to make it through a whole ballot.

==> Mike.

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Ruth Johnson and November Elections

As a Lansing legislator, Ruth Johnson worked tirelessly to help pass the election consolidations laws. Their purpose was to elections consistent and convenient for voters, with the goal of increasing participation. It was also assumed that schools would choose the most cost effective date: November.

Of course, it didn't happen that way once the law was passed.

As Oakland County Clerk, Ruth Johnson wrote three great editorials over a several year period advocating for November elections in order to make things easier for voters, and to return money to the classroom.

Oakland Press: School election laws improve our Democracy (2/13/05)

Oakland Press: Schools should save money with fall elections (4/16/06)

Oakland Press: Combined school-municipal election simply make sense (7/10/06)

We are very fortunate to have a dedicated and bright leader like Ruth Johnson in our county, and in our state!

==> Mike.

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Rochester School Board Should Be Ashamed!

The Rochester School Board voted 5-2 to hold May Elections. Trustee Steve Kovacs and I voted for November.

The Oakland Press issued the following editorial:

Oakland Press: School board should be ashamed (11/13/04)

I was quite surprised to read a rebuttal from then Board President Tim Greimel:

Oakland Press: Election decision made in best interests of district, students (11/16/06)

==> Mike.

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May Elections are best for Michigan schools?


The very first comment I made to a district official after being elected was, "Boy, I'm glad we don't have to do that in May anymore."

The response was, "Well Mike, May elections are really critical for the district."

I thought that perhaps that was an administrator's view, but surely other elected school board members wouldn't think that way. Boy, was I naive!

I wrote this article just before our board voted 5-2 to support May elections:

Oakland Press: School votes in November would boost turnout, cut costs (11/06/04)

==> Mike.

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Taxpayer Trust

The fundimental problem facing school districts is that stakeholders -- parents and taxpayers alike -- are skeptical that school boards are being prudent custodians of public funds. Schools will continue to struggle until they earn that trust.

I wrote the following article that expands on those thoughts:

Oakland Press: School officals must earn taxpayer trust (12/19/04)

==> Mike.

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It's a start...

I am an elected Trustee for Rochester Community Schools in Oakland County, Michigan.

I was elected in June, 2004.

I created a website during my campaign (www.rcs-reno.com), and have attempted to maintain it ever since. I've certainly got a lot to say, but I'm finding it difficult to find the time to keep the site updated. I'm hoping that this blog might make it a bit easier.

More to follow!

==> Mike.

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The Board and The Union must Collaborate

I wrote the following editorial to express my concern about the relationships in the district between the board and and the teachers.

Oakland Press: Board, union must collaborate to meet educational demands (12/12/06)

These types of negotiations have gotten ugly in other districts, and there is no need for that to happen here.

==> Mike.

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Unsettled contract is about economics, not performance

I wrote the following editorial for the Rochester Eccentric. It ran on December 7, 2006.

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Unsettled contract is about economics, not performance

Things have taken an interesting twist in the ongoing negotiations between Rochester Community Schools and the Rochester Education Association, the teacher's union.

Somehow teachers have been misled into believing their contract is tied directly to the level of satisfaction board members have with their teaching skills and dedication. Or, viewed from another angle, some teachers seem to feel the fact that a contract hasn't been reached implies that board members view them negatively.

Nothing could be further from the truth, at least from my perspective.

While I cannot speak for the board, I believe this is a most worrisome concern.

Recently, I received nearly 200 letters from RCS teachers outlining the many wonderful things they do for the district. This is an inspirational reminder of their commitment to their profession, and to our children. I enjoyed reading each of them, and have responded to every letter I've received.

While these letters share many interesting details, they didn't change my impression of our teachers. I continue to have the utmost respect and appreciation for the employees of Rochester Community Schools -- teachers and support staff alike.

Other district officials and administrators frequently echo this sentiment with sincerity -- both publicly and privately.

Obviously it was neither spontaneous nor coincidental that hundreds of teachers chose to send letters to my home, and to the homes of six other board members. This was clearly an organized effort. One cannot help but wonder if a divisive message was used to motivate this campaign.

Additionally, I am also concerned about the tone and content of teacher speeches at recent board meetings. The common theme is that teachers work hard, and feel unappreciated. It's true teachers work hard, but it's completely false they are not appreciated.

In the short-term, making teachers believe they are unappreciated may work as a rallying cry, but this ill-conceived and troublesome strategy has the potential of causing long-term damage to the relationships between the district, the teaching staff, and the community.

It's crystal clear that most Rochester teachers do a great job. They want -- and deserve -- the most this district can provide. But this is not a merit-pay system, and increases are not based on the level of board satisfaction with employee performance.

Many teachers have spectacular achievements. Fortunately, the really great teachers are driven by their own individual professionalism and their commitment to excellence.

And while they certainly deserve our praise, the existing "one-size-fits-all" contract that governs this system doesn't provide the flexibility to financially reward those teachers.
Sadly, these contracts are about economics, not results.


The simple reality here is that there are spending limits. These limits are not created by or based on performance. They are based on the available dollars.

This is all about financial balance, and it is entirely inaccurate -- and irresponsible -- to have some characterize present negotiations as some sort of performance evaluation.

Teachers, administrators, and support staffs alike all work hard for this district and are respected. Any suggestion to the contrary serves no useful purpose, and is insulting to the fine men and women that serve our community and our children.

Mike Reno is a member of the Rochester Community Schools Board of Education.

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What's wrong with negotiating in public?

The Oakland Press offered a great editorial on the concept of negotiating in public:

Oakland Press: Contracts involving tax dollars should be negotiated publicly (12/13/06)

There are certainly drawbacks to this concept, like the potential for negotiators to grandstand rather than negotiate. But, as it exists now, it is possible for one side or the other to hold out for rediculous demands that the public would never tolerate.

From my perspective, when in doubt, let the sun shine in!

==> Mike.

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Is this just about health benefits?

The headline was:

Oakland Press: District, Union at odds over health care (11/30/06)

One interesting point in the article:

"One board statement noted that other employee bargaining groups, both in the district and across the state, have agreed to similar provisions."

The union's reply:

"That might have made sense for (other bargaining units), but we're saying it doesn't make sense for us."

Still trying to figure out what that means...

==> Mike.

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Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Comments from the Union President

This article appeared after the Rochester Board of Education made a public statement at a board meeting in November:

Oakland Press: District should meet Rochester teachers halfway (11/30/06)

It certainly seemd a bit disingenuous to me, given that the first comments to appear in any of the local newspapers came from the REA and the MEA. Here is one of the earlier ones:

Oakland Press: District ,teachers at Odds over new contract (10/10/06)

Others appeared as early as September 2006, in the Rochester Eccentric.

==> Mike.

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