Berkley Teachers To Protest Pending State Cuts

Members of the Berkley Education Association will participate Tuesday in a statewide Day of Action that involves informal picketing outside schools to protest pending state budget cuts and changes to tenure and collective bargaining for teachers.

The Day of Action has been organized by the Michigan Education Association in response to efforts by Gov. Rick Snyder to trim spending on K-12 education.

"The end of the school year is here and Lansing politicians plan to spend the next few weeks working on legislation that will impact your students and your job," reads a notice on the MEA website. "The Legislature and Gov. Rick Snyder are counting on your silence over the next few weeks so they can vote on unpopular measures, including bills to dismantle tenure and collective bargaining. We need to let our elected leaders know that we will hold them accountable."

BEA President Mary Lou Gleason said she has asked members in Berkley to distribute information to parents and community members outside their schools after classes have been dismissed for the day.

"It is important to note that this is not a protest against our district or schools, but in support of maintaining our wonderful Berkley Schools," Gleason wrote in an e-mail to Berkley Patch.

Later Tuesday at the , the Berkley Board of Education will conduct a public budget hearing and receive an update on budget negotiations from Deputy Superintendent of Finance, Facilities and Operations Larry Gallagher. The budget hearing will begin prior to a scheduled study session at 6:30 p.m.

A tentative deal struck last month by the governor and legislative leaders that would lessen planned cuts to schools and put aside money in the state's rainy day funds could mean fewer layoffs and less drastic cuts at the elementary level in the , but it does little to allay concerns about a perceived loss of local control over education.

Because the Berkley School District is required by law to complete its budget by the end of June, it already had started the budgeting process under the assumption that Snyder's proposed $470-per-student cut would pass. With that in mind, the Board of Education approved the layoffs of 45 teachers, as well as laying off three administrators, reducing paraeducators and eliminating teacher assistants. The budget being considered also would shift lunch aides to a third party, tap $500,000 from the general fund balance and seek utility savings.

Administrators and school officials also are considering the following:

• Block schedule elimination: could switch from a block schedule to a six- or seven-period day.
• Split classes: Elementary students in multiple grades could be grouped in classes together with one teacher.
• Reduction of some special classes at the elementary level: Affected subjects would include music, physical education, art and media.
• Larger class sizes
• Separation incentive plan: Eligible teachers have until June 16 to decide whether they will take a buyout and leave the district.

The budget is scheduled to be adopted during the board's next regular meeting June 20.