Sunday, February 28, 2010

Holland Teachers Deliver Excellent Instruction

Teachers at Holland High provide excellent instruction through;

1) Accelerated and advanced instruction through honors and AP classes.

2) Teachers regularly use their duty-free lunch to tutor students or help students make-up work.

3) Teachers stay late every afternoon to work with struggling students.

4) Teachers come in early to meet with students or run test/exam prep sessions.

5) Teachers have donated band instruments, clothing, even money to needy students and their families.

6) Teachers who coach volunteer weekend time to come in and supervise "open gym" for pre season or off season student athletes.

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Here we go again...

Retirement Benefits Attacked

The state budget director, Bob Emerson, has outlined proposed changes to the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System.

The proposed changes:

Public school employees who are members of the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS) will be subject to the following changes effective October 1, 2010:

* To ensure MPSERS is financially sound, employee contributions to the plan will increase by 3 percent for all employees except those in the MIP Plus program whose contribution was increased in 2008. MIP Plus members' contribution will increase by 0.9 percent.

* Elimination of subsidized retiree vision and dental coverage for school employees retiring with an effective date after October 1, 2010. Retirees will be able to purchase this coverage for a monthly fee through the plan.

* The retirement multiplier will be increased from 1.5 percent to 1.6 percent for employees who retire with an effective date between July 1 and September 1, 2010, which will be paid by the applicable school districts.

* A new, more cost-effective hybrid retirement plan for new employees hired on or after October 1, 2010, will be created. New employees will participate in both a base defined benefit plan and a defined contribution plan.

* Phased retirement option for retiring employees age 60 or older. Phased-in retirement will be allowed for up to three years, enabling employees to collect their DB plan retirement with a workload of no more than 20 hours per week for a previously full-time employee. This option is available to the employees at the discretion of the school districts.