By Rosemary K. Otzman
Independent Editor
The Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education unanimously approved two more employee contracts at Monday’s regular board meeting.
A two-year contract for the 21 members of the VB Association of Educational Secretaries had several concessions. It was ratified by the union on April 23.
In the past, the 10-month secretaries received 10 vacation days that they couldn’t take and then got paid for the two weeks at the end of the year in one lump sum. That has been discontinued, but could be reinstated for the 2014-15 school year, should the district’s financial condition improve. This saved about $32,000.
The contract also used to allow for $160 per secretary who works 30 hours or more to be set aside in a flexible spending account for secretary needs. That also has been discontinued. This was a savings of $3,200.
The total savings to the district was about $35,200 with the two concessions.
The second year of the July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2015 agreement calls for an economic reopener.
Tuition reimbursement for classes to improve competency and skills on the job has been discontinued and there are changes to sick leave for family illness.
VB Administrators, Supervisors
The other contract approved by the board was a one-year agreement with the 16 members of the VB Administrators & Supervisors Association. It runs July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014 and was ratified by the union on April 24.
The contract agrees to add six additional work days to their 2013-14 contract without additional pay. That was the only change.
Shonta Langford-Green, the district’s Director of Human Resources, said it will save the district an estimated $54,000 for them working extra days, expected to be split between the beginning and end of the school year, without extra compensation.
Board Treasurer Sherry Frazier questioned this being the only change in the contract, and no 5% pay cut.
Trustee Scott Russell admonished Frazier for asking about something that was discussed during private negotiations.
“They were not asked to give up any steps,” Frazier said, comparing them to the teachers’ agreement. She said they will be in the buildings for those six extra days without anyone to supervise.
In other business at the May 13 meeting, the board:
• Approved this summer’s Sinking Fund glass and glazing replacement projects for $590,333 by lone bidder Peterson Glass and the extension of parking lots at Edgemont and Rawsonville schools for $50,165 by Asphalt Specialist, Inc. (about $10,000 less than expected). Gino Del Pup of Plante Moran filled in for Paul Wills for the presentation on the projects;
• Approved terminating the following teachers as of June 30: Linda Clayton, 35 years, Owen, retirement; Lori Spangler, 34 years, Rawsonville, retirement; Stacy Tubbs, 11 years, BHS, resignation; Michael Komaromi, 10 years, BHS, resignation; John Raul Buison, 1 year, BHS, resignation; Cherita Hill, 1 year, Edgemont, resignation; Kimberly Henry, 1 year, Rawsonville, relocation; and Shannon Kelley, 1 year, BHS, resignation;
• Approved terminating the following support staff: Patty Burrell, secretary in Plant Operations, after 21 years of service as of June 30 because her position was eliminated; and Paula Young, after 31 years of service as a bus driver, as of June 14 for retirement;
• Approved a June 8 field trip to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, for about 120 of the McBride Middle School eighth grade band and choir members;
• Approved a Schools of Choice Declaration for the 2013-14 school year noting the district will offer a limited number of openings in all grades;
• Approved the Wayne RESA budget resolution and appointed School Board Secretary Kevin English to vote on behalf of the school board in the June 3 Wayne RESA Biennial Election; and
• Heard School Board President Brent Mikulski announce that the scheduled May 20 workshop is cancelled and the next workshop will be June 21 (which Frazier said was her birthday). The next board meeting will be June 3 at 7 p.m. at the BHS Auditorium for Employee Retirement Recognition. A disciplinary hearing, expected to be in closed-door session, was set for May 14.
- Previous story Davenport introduces plans for strip mall at Amerman property
- Next story VBT Board changes Meeting Conduct Policy
40 Comments
Weather
Wow. No pay cut and they want 12% percent from the teachers who worked 14 days last year without pay? I realize that the principals earn every penny they make for dealing with the pressure from all sides: parents, students, board office, and teachers, but this is another slap in the face to the teachers. 6 resignations listed above and more to come.
Hey Rex Mundi, you must think pretty highly of yourself for using that online alias. Rex Mundi is Latin for “King of the World”.
BTW, it is 5 resignations (not 6), 1 relocation, and 2 retirements for a total 8 teachers leaving. That is an attrition rate of roughly 3% which is lower than the average attrition rate of 4%.
Impressive. Someone figured out how to use Google and numbers. Those numbers are only for this meeting, not for the year. Keep your calculator handy as the number grows. Thanks for helping me make my point.
The “king” is an idiot. Best to ignore, kindly wipe away drool from face, and give sweets. Sorry “king” there is no goblin in the closet. Employee attrition is a normal part of doing business. VBPS attrition is no larger than any other business that employs that many people. Have a cookie and go watch tv. You are making a fool of yourself.
The word is out on you, and you are not helping teachers or support staff. Take your vendetta elsewhere. We don’t appreciate or want your help.
Indeed Mundi is a king, self appointed!
I don’t know who this Rex Mundi character is, but I do know this: you don’t represent me or most of my fellow Van Buren School employees. Sure there are some that are unhappy, but don’t let the door hit you in the butt. Most of us like our jobs and want to retire from this district. You fully admit you don’t work here. You clearly represent a few, disgruntled ex employees who I am GLAD are gone, as they only dragged the district into the mud (and still do!). The Voight and Mida types are not who we want leading our schools. It is a free country Rexie, and you can spread your filth anywhere you chose. Remember this, you are old guard, and are not helping public schools come out of the mire, you are pushing us further in. You disgust me, but it is your right to speak your piece, as misguided and stupid as it is!
Rex and Sherry sitting in a tree, can you spell ‘CONSPIRACY?’
Mundi and Frazier: what a pair!
Laughing!
It’s always about the teachers, isn’t it?? Rex, you are so misguided and transparent. It is time that students come first. Poor teachers…always being slapped around. You are ridiculous.
I won’t apologize for supporting the teachers. They taught me that 12% is not equal to 0%.
Then support the teachers, and stop undermining us with your snarky and innapropriate comments. We don’t need the likes of you to defend us.
You do realize the teachers bargained those contracts right? Right? Apparently not Rex Mundi. As a community we are blessed with a board and administration that is determined to keep the district intact. Look at Albion. Look at Ypsilanti and Willow Run. Look at Buena Vista. It is a new world in education, and like it or not, all your whining and moaning really is, just as Mipo said, “ridiculous.” And worse, uninformed.
You are uniformed as to what bargaining is. The teachers keep giving up things or have things taken away by Lansing. They have agreed to cuts in the past because they know what the reality is for the district and the state. The teachers saved the district by taking those cuts last year and now they are asked for more without equal cuts by admin. I have watched all of those districts and all of the others in the news. In almost all of the districts and cities also, pay cuts are across the board including Governor Snyder.
Come on Mipo, give Rex Mundi a break. She is a voice for the downtrodden, abused and neglected. Oh wait, we are talking about teachers. And she says administrators earn every penny they make..so what is the problem here? GEESH! No wonder charter schools are thriving when you have the teacher entitlement attitude in the public schools!
By administrators, I meant the principals. I guess you don’t think teachers deserve to make a living. The teachers earn every penny they make. I am starting to think I am not responding to real parents. Real parents appreciate their children’s teachers and support them, not bash them at every chance they get. Even the Superintendent has realized that the teachers have some valid concerns.
Who are “they?” “They” are not a group of individuals who will benefit from a pay cut, “they” are people who are working hard to keep the district afloat and moving ahead. “They” are people who believe in public education, and put in countless hours, many of them volunteer, to work to make schools better for our kids. “They” are folks who work at for the Ed Foundation, the PTOs and the Band Boosters. “They” are your school board members and parents. Thanks for your comments Mipo, you hit it dead on. I am a proud member of the “they,” and while I don’t like cuts, I am willing to take them and make sacrifices to keep our school system afloat. Rex Mundi lives in some sort of alternate reality, always ready to blame “them,” and never willing to be accountable or willing to step up to the plate.
Sounds like you are describing the teachers because they do all the things you listed. I saw them at the Ed Foundation and the PTO. I see them at the science and math nights. I see them grading papers and answering parent emails at midnight. All the teachers are asking for is a shared sacrifice. They took a pay cut last year and I guarantee they will again this year. How are they not stepping up to the plate?
It isn’t them who isn’t stepping up to the plate, It is you. Eva Harris said it best. Flyspecking. I didn’t get it then, but now I do. I know what a flyspeck actually is! You are flyspecking with the best of them!
I am glad Scott Russell told Sherry Frazier to button her lip. it is about time someone held her accountable. Good for Russell. Not sure why Board President Brent Mikulski isn’t doing his job though. Frazier, yet again, aligned herself with the teachers’ union, and really doesn’t care if the district survives. Her only goal is to protect the union, who endorsed her and paid for her campaign. It should be illegal to accept union contributions, as there is always a payback, and that payback is votes for union interests, rather than the best interests of the entire school district. Shame shame shame shame on Sherry Frazier, for yet again showing that she doesn’t care about this school district or its students. It is time to expose her for who she really is.
Alamo, this isn’t the People’s Republic of Texas. Individuals can donate to and support any candidate they choose. Teachers are citizens and have rights whether you hate them or not. Maybe you should have paid attention in Government class. How is not a district interest for everyone to share in the wage cuts? I am curious as to why the vote was unanimous. If Frazier didn’t agree, why vote yes? Maybe the teachers didn’t “pay” her enough.
Why don’t you ask Frazer that question, Rex Mundi?
One who refers to oneself as Rex Mundi, or King of the World, has serious emotional issues which mere mortal man cannot heal. Benjamin Franklin said, quite aptly, “He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.”
Rex the Mundificent makes lots of excuses, but cannot base his accusations on fact. I suppose the King of the World can make up his own facts….but we can only chuckle at the nefarious intentions, behind which the magnificent king cowers. While hurtful to the community in the short run, Rex is a paper tiger, and matters naught in the scheme of life. Onward and upward VBPS!
Actually I am the only one besides “JJ” that has been using facts and numbers to make my points. Everyone else has been bashing teachers for not being happy with their hostile work environment and myself for speaking up in support of them. I fail to see how I am hurting the community by telling the truth. All that my detractors can do is call me names, guess about my identity, and blindly sing the praises of Lord VanTassel. Excuses? I have nothing to apologize for or be absolved from.
Rex Mundy, find another imaginary issue to champion. and take your meds.
Thanks to Thel for the email alerting me about the antics of the our king.
Rex Mundi why not find another cause to champion? As king of the universe, you have a responsibility to use your powers for good.
When will we put children first, and put our friends, politics, unions and alliances to the side? I guess children are not the first priority of the King of the world. What a shock.
I have not seen a single word in any of these comments about Van Tassell except from the King’s mighty pen. Not a single word. Funny, isn’t it?
Sorry, I won’t be bullied by your name calling and conspiracy accusations. You can’t refute what I say so you make fun of my screen name. The players in the educational system are symbiotically related. Treating everyone with respect benefits both the students and the teachers. Van Tassel’s offer to take a pay cut and the stipends were huge gestures towards the teachers. Hopefully a mutually beneficial contract will follow.
Yes, your online moniker is very funny, and you really shouldn’t complain when you call yourself something that can be ridiculed as someone who is either an extreme narcissist or a comic book character. However, it isn’t relevant who you really are. What we do care about is your misguided motivation. You say you are being bullied, but in fact, it is you who is bullying our school superintendent, administration, and even the staff. You’ve obviously got an old resentment or loyalty that you are defending, but the time for that is long gone. You may truly believe you are helping in some way, but you are doing nothing but sully the reputation of people who are working very hard to keep the district afloat in a state mandated situation that is untenable. School administrators work twelve months a year, and most often 12-18 hours per day. While union people work very hard, they do get time off. That means time when NO one can legally ask for their time or talent. School administrators don’t have that luxury. As a school principal I very much resent the implications of your posts, as you really don’t understand what we do. Your accusations are hurtful to very man and woman who is a school administrator. We are doing our best to work within a broken system, and we want what is best for students and learning. We wouldn’t do this if we cared about being millionaires, as we sure don’t get paid for the time we invest. You can change your online name, but until your eyes are opened and your motivation changes, you will be the same person who hates. May God bless you and open your eyes as to the damage you are doing. May God forgive you and change your heart. We are not here to judge, but it is difficult not to judge you when you have such mean-spirited, hateful and hurtful intentions.
You didn’t even read my first post: ” I realize that the principals earn every penny they make for dealing with the pressure from all sides” Every other district under financial problems has admin taking cuts also. Everything I post is the truth. You also ignore the recent compliments that I have given the superintendent. So now you waste your time posting here when you, above all, should know where the problems are coming from. How is it hurtful for me to complain about equal pay cuts or poor working conditions? Mean and hurtful are the people who are saying they are glad to see teachers leaving. Some of them are now under doctor’s care and medications, including many still working. These same teachers would be posting on here if it were not for social media policies and discipline. Yes, some people are happy but others are suffering greatly and you should care if you really want to be ProudPrin.
May God forgive you.
Nice, using religion in an attempt to make yourself seem more righteous. Don’t forget: Thou shall not bear false evaluations against thy teachers.
I seriously hope none of the disturbed and medicated teachers are in my kid’s classroom. Seriously. That is extremely disturbing.
Who said anything about disturbed? People take medication all of the time for ulcers and high blood pressure caused by stress including doctors.
See that is the bigger problem. Our schools have been filled with people who cannot work in regular jobs. They’ve been coddled and babied, and when the real world hits they can’t take it. When Rex Mundi, do you ever think or talk about what is right for students? Oh right. Never. You have given me enough evidencee, these people should NOT be teaching our students. End of story.
I just read the board president Brent Mikulski doesn’t even know the school district mission statement. That is right everyone, he and Van Tassel make us follow a mission statement that the board president can’t even be bothered to memorize. He got it wrong at the VBTownship meeting and good old Van Tassel had to bail him out. Fine board president. No wonder we were forced to take cuts. Clueless.
Is this a surprise to you? Mikulski wanted to be board president. It was to satisfy his big fat ego. It doesn’t matter that he had/has no skills or knowledge about our school district. Still doesn’t.
He is not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he is a nice man. The school board could do worse for president, particularly if it were Frazier.