What kinds of services have been sent out for bids? What were those bids? How much did this save?

How about those awesome benefits that we keep hearing about? What are they and what has been changed? What do the copays and premiums look like?

Let's see facts and figures. How much of a school's budget goes to various categories, such as: Pay, Heath Benefits, Retirement/Pension. What about Supplies, Building Maintenance, Books, Technology etc?

Maybe this information is available publicly but I haven't been able to find it. If all of this information was in a easily accessable, easily searchable, public database, I would have a lot more confidence voting Yes. But until the entire Washtenaw School System has their financials available to the public, my vote is No.

TEACHER PAY AND BENEFITS

~52 weeks = 1 year
2-4 weeks paid time off for typical full-time workers
40 hours x 48 weeks = 1920 hours
40 hours x 50 weeks = 2000 hours

Assuming teachers complete all 1098 hours of contact time (no sick or vacation days), they are logging less than 60% of a typical worker's hours. In fact, they would need to work in excess of 10 hours per day to accomodate the difference.

Here's some data from Census Bureau on full time workers based upon education level:

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/cpstables/032009/perinc/new04_001.htm

Teaching is a tough job. I couldn't do it. But I think it's clear that Michigan's teachers are being at least fairly, if not overly, compensated

LOOK TO LANSING

This millage is essentially a local response to a state wide problem. We need to fix the funding system in Lansing first.

BAND-AID MENTALITY

This millage is a band-aid that will prolong the wait for true solutions to our education system's problems: Structural reform, institutional reform, state tax reform (the list goes on...!)

You can find more information at http://a2crss.org

Additional commentary at my blog: