A sign of the times? How is this good public policy? oops, forgot that no one cares whether it is or not. I'd love to see Mr. Bobb's contract, to see what the responsibilities are for "emergency financial planner".
Betsy Combier
Detroit Schools Closing: Michigan Officials Order Robert Bobb To Shut Half The City's Schools
Huffington Post
LINK
DETROIT (AP) -- State education officials have ordered the emergency financial manager for Detroit Public Schools to immediately implement a plan that balances the district's books by closing half its schools.
The Detroit News says the financial restructuring plan will increase high school class sizes to 60 students and consolidate operations.
State superintendent of public instruction Mike Flanagan says in a Feb. 8 letter that the state plans to install another financial manager who must continue to implement Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb's plan after he leaves June 30. Flanagan's said approval of Bobb's plan means the district can't declare bankruptcy.
Bobb filed his deficit elimination plan with the state in January, saying it would wipe out the district's $327 million deficit by 2014
Bobb was hired in March 2009 by then-Gov. Jennifer Granholm.
Robert Bobb lobbies For 4400M To Bail Out Detroit Public Schools
Huffington Post 11/16/10
LINK
Since taking the position as Detroit Public Schools' emergency financial planner, Robert Bobb has pushed for extensive reforms to cut the huge budget deficit hanging over the Michigan school system.
With his latest proposal, Bobb is hoping to convince state legislators to redirect $400 million in tobacco revenue to help dig schools out of their current financial state.
According to The Detroit News,
Without the financial assistance, Bobb said DPS -- steeped in a $327 million deficit -- would have to implement more "draconian cuts" such as reducing the number of schools by half, increasing class sizes to 62 in high schools and boosting fees to play sports, according to documents submitted to the state.
The school districts receiving money would be required to submit plans detailing the changes they would make to prevent falling into deficits in the future.
Bobb would need a political leader to back his plan. So far, no representative has stepped forward to introduce a bill to the state legislature.
Bobb's plan remains controversial for several reasons. According to the Detroit Free Press, some have lost confidence in Bobb's leadership and his ability to reduce the deficit.
Another reason for the stall: Bobb's plan includes reforms to the education system that the teachers unions vehemently oppose.
The Detroit Free Press reports,
The plan has raised the ire of teachers unions because in order to get the assistance, districts would make major changes including eliminating teacher seniority, changing tenure requirements, implementing merit pay and working a longer school year.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Andrew Reed: Rochester Teachers Must Give Up Some Benefits
Rochester Teachers Association Must Agree To Concessions
Andrew Reed, Examiner.com,
February 20th, 2011 11:21 am ET
LINK
Much is being made of the events playing out in Wisonsin the past several days, with protesters swarming the capitol building in Madison to rail against the governor's intentions to cut funding for state workers' pensions and other long-standing benefits for public employees. Such demonstrations are not isolated to Wisconsin, with showdowns between public workers and state governments ready to erupt in states like Tennessee and Ohio.
With revenue having rapidly vaporized the past few years, it's been expected - and often asserted - that drastic measures were necessary in order to stave off, in many instances, aggressive and pervasive municipal liquidation. Public administrations throughout the country had taken dumb, and at times, desperate measures to plug yawning budget gaps wrought by retirement payouts, or as a means to simply cash in on whatever pie in the sky venture some private investment firm was marketing at the time. I believe it is safe to say that we all are only witnessing the tip of the iceberg here; additional sustained demonstrations supporting either the elimination or preservation of publicly-subsidized benefits for civic employees are sure to follow.
Here in New York State, the collective budget issues are as bad as, if not worse than, what most other states are currently experiencing. Because New York City is home to scores of major banks and private investments firms that heavily influence activities on Wall Street - which in turn amply supplies our state coffers - the recent economic collapse has essentially stripped state government of funds necessary to fulfill myriad obligations. The results of the meltdown have paralyzed Albany, with the ripple effects being profoundly felt throughout the state, including in Rochester. It's not like our state was flush with cash before 2008; the Wall Street breakdown, massive government bailout and resultant Great Recession merely served to exacerbate our shared financial predicament.
Being a former teacher and observing how hard fellow teachers in the Rochester City Schools and local suburban districts work, it disturbs me to read and hear the continuous barrage of criticism levied - mostly unwarranted - against them. Nonetheless, I do adamantly believe it is past time that all teachers and other public employees begin to contribute toward their own pension and retirement portfolios. Regardless of whether Jean-Claude Brizard or other RCSD administrators are willing to sacrifice pay or other benefits for the sake of the district, RTA and BENTE - Board of Education Non-Teaching Employees - leaders should strongly encourage their respective constituents to consider this course of action.
This is unequivocally not an attack on the teaching profession, city or suburb. We simply can no longer afford to pay the billions of dollars - trillions, over time - that have been required to support their retirement packages. The money just isn't there; it hasn't been for quite some time. Furthermore, most of us in the private sector are having a difficult enough time planning for our own retirements. The longer this crucial undertaking is delayed, the greater the likelihood that these challenges are going to compound exponentially.
Instead of continually pointing fingers, we should all take a reality pill and reassess our priorities. Any pay and benefits cut should really start at the top of the RCSD, which would mean Jean-Claude Brizard foregoing his guaranteed pay raise and other princely benefits. The same could be said of the dozens of the upper echelon lieutenants in the district, who have been enjoying six-figure salaries on top of other handsome inducements. RTA President, Adam Urbanski is drawing two, maybe three different paychecks, therefore he is not excused from this particular conversation either. It's not so much a question of whether or not these people - all public employees - are deserving of their pay. What it basically comes down to is that we can no longer come up with the money to furnish their retirements.
Continue reading on Examiner.com: Rochester Teachers Association Must Agree To Concessions - Rochester Urban Education
Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/urban-education-in-rochester/rochester-teachers-association-has-to-agree-to-concessions#ixzz1EZT0SDMt
Andrew Reed, Examiner.com,
February 20th, 2011 11:21 am ET
LINK
Much is being made of the events playing out in Wisonsin the past several days, with protesters swarming the capitol building in Madison to rail against the governor's intentions to cut funding for state workers' pensions and other long-standing benefits for public employees. Such demonstrations are not isolated to Wisconsin, with showdowns between public workers and state governments ready to erupt in states like Tennessee and Ohio.
With revenue having rapidly vaporized the past few years, it's been expected - and often asserted - that drastic measures were necessary in order to stave off, in many instances, aggressive and pervasive municipal liquidation. Public administrations throughout the country had taken dumb, and at times, desperate measures to plug yawning budget gaps wrought by retirement payouts, or as a means to simply cash in on whatever pie in the sky venture some private investment firm was marketing at the time. I believe it is safe to say that we all are only witnessing the tip of the iceberg here; additional sustained demonstrations supporting either the elimination or preservation of publicly-subsidized benefits for civic employees are sure to follow.
Here in New York State, the collective budget issues are as bad as, if not worse than, what most other states are currently experiencing. Because New York City is home to scores of major banks and private investments firms that heavily influence activities on Wall Street - which in turn amply supplies our state coffers - the recent economic collapse has essentially stripped state government of funds necessary to fulfill myriad obligations. The results of the meltdown have paralyzed Albany, with the ripple effects being profoundly felt throughout the state, including in Rochester. It's not like our state was flush with cash before 2008; the Wall Street breakdown, massive government bailout and resultant Great Recession merely served to exacerbate our shared financial predicament.
Being a former teacher and observing how hard fellow teachers in the Rochester City Schools and local suburban districts work, it disturbs me to read and hear the continuous barrage of criticism levied - mostly unwarranted - against them. Nonetheless, I do adamantly believe it is past time that all teachers and other public employees begin to contribute toward their own pension and retirement portfolios. Regardless of whether Jean-Claude Brizard or other RCSD administrators are willing to sacrifice pay or other benefits for the sake of the district, RTA and BENTE - Board of Education Non-Teaching Employees - leaders should strongly encourage their respective constituents to consider this course of action.
This is unequivocally not an attack on the teaching profession, city or suburb. We simply can no longer afford to pay the billions of dollars - trillions, over time - that have been required to support their retirement packages. The money just isn't there; it hasn't been for quite some time. Furthermore, most of us in the private sector are having a difficult enough time planning for our own retirements. The longer this crucial undertaking is delayed, the greater the likelihood that these challenges are going to compound exponentially.
Instead of continually pointing fingers, we should all take a reality pill and reassess our priorities. Any pay and benefits cut should really start at the top of the RCSD, which would mean Jean-Claude Brizard foregoing his guaranteed pay raise and other princely benefits. The same could be said of the dozens of the upper echelon lieutenants in the district, who have been enjoying six-figure salaries on top of other handsome inducements. RTA President, Adam Urbanski is drawing two, maybe three different paychecks, therefore he is not excused from this particular conversation either. It's not so much a question of whether or not these people - all public employees - are deserving of their pay. What it basically comes down to is that we can no longer come up with the money to furnish their retirements.
Continue reading on Examiner.com: Rochester Teachers Association Must Agree To Concessions - Rochester Urban Education
Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/urban-education-in-rochester/rochester-teachers-association-has-to-agree-to-concessions#ixzz1EZT0SDMt
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