Why is GRPS so poor?

I just heard East Grand Rapids gave their teachers a new contract with a 2.5% raise and no cost for health insurance. Why does GRPS pay their teachers the lowest amount in Kent County and wants to take more away from them? Per student funding is the same. Might it be waste at the Lyman Park's administraion building? Just food for thought.

They are too big for the pants

freddie wrote:

I just heard East Grand Rapids gave their teachers a new contract with a 2.5% raise and no cost for health insurance. Why does GRPS pay their teachers the lowest amount in Kent County and wants to take more away from them? Per student funding is the same. Might it be waste at the Lyman Park's administraion building? Just food for thought.

Per student funding is not the same. EGR, Forest HIlls,Detroit schools all get more. this was in the news last year

http://www.nwmcog.org/data/schools/Foundation...

Towards the bottom of page 7 you will find the foundation allowances of the school districts and charter schools in Kent County. Kent County schools are the ones that start with 41___.

Not being a big shot know-it-all but just using common sense I would say management is responsible since they are steering the ship.

When I see Northview, a Blue Ribbon school, gets less money than GRPS then I would say money as well as all the other resources are better managed at Northview than at GRPS.
Same logic applies to many of the listed schools.

MEL wrote:

<quoted text>
Per student funding is not the same. EGR, Forest HIlls,Detroit schools all get more. this was in the news last year

I understand that but GRPS gets more than some... ie.... Rockford Lowell ect..
Why are the teachers the lowest paid? How does Dr. Taylor's contract compare to other superintendents in the area?

turdface wrote:

Not being a big shot know-it-all but just using common sense I would say management is responsible since they are steering the ship.
When I see Northview, a Blue Ribbon school, gets less money than GRPS then I would say money as well as all the other resources are better managed at Northview than at GRPS.
Same logic applies to many of the listed schools.

Common Sense and Logic. Two resources that a far too underutilized in today's society.

And I have to say that I agree with your common sense and logic.

Its because there is a big boisterous imbecile (Taylor) leading a bunch of little imbeciles (students), who have imbeciles for parents. Its not a recipe for success.

They need a big pay cut, like 1/3rd.all they need to do is run schools with an iron fist.
If the parent complains they get fined.

If you partake in "free" education, they have the right to do whatever they damn please.

For instance, work at a retail store, or how about a ditch digger.
They say, you must wear this uniform, you don"t , you are fired.
ditch digger boss says wear steel toe boots, you don't? fired.

Oh but oh, kids are allowed to beat up teachers, cussing, and the rest, sickening.
But OMG you yelled at little johnny, when little Johnny NEEDS a whipping, right along with the parent.

All they need to do is supply school uniforms, and have a whipping post.Then our tax dollars would be put to good use allowing the teacher to teach and earn that money.
Rather than babysitting a bunch of unruly kids.

And a complete moratorium on all sports, talk about a power soak of cash all going down the drain.

Red_Fist wrote:

They need a big pay cut, like 1/3rd.all they need to do is run schools with an iron fist.
If the parent complains they get fined.
If you partake in "free" education, they have the right to do whatever they damn please.
For instance, work at a retail store, or how about a ditch digger.
They say, you must wear this uniform, you don"t , you are fired.
ditch digger boss says wear steel toe boots, you don't? fired.
Oh but oh, kids are allowed to beat up teachers, cussing, and the rest, sickening.
But OMG you yelled at little johnny, when little Johnny NEEDS a whipping, right along with the parent.
All they need to do is supply school uniforms, and have a whipping post.Then our tax dollars would be put to good use allowing the teacher to teach and earn that money.
Rather than babysitting a bunch of unruly kids.

Interesting ideas?!?! Like I said in another thread where you denigrated me as a teacher, I pray that you do not have children of your own.

turdface wrote:

Not being a big shot know-it-all but just using common sense I would say management is responsible since they are steering the ship.
When I see Northview, a Blue Ribbon school, gets less money than GRPS then I would say money as well as all the other resources are better managed at Northview than at GRPS.
Same logic applies to many of the listed schools.

You are so right.

Red_Fist wrote:

They need a big pay cut, like 1/3rd.all they need to do is run schools with an iron fist.
If the parent complains they get fined.
If you partake in "free" education, they have the right to do whatever they damn please.
For instance, work at a retail store, or how about a ditch digger.
They say, you must wear this uniform, you don"t , you are fired.
ditch digger boss says wear steel toe boots, you don't? fired.
Oh but oh, kids are allowed to beat up teachers, cussing, and the rest, sickening.
But OMG you yelled at little johnny, when little Johnny NEEDS a whipping, right along with the parent.
All they need to do is supply school uniforms, and have a whipping post.Then our tax dollars would be put to good use allowing the teacher to teach and earn that money.
Rather than babysitting a bunch of unruly kids.

Amen, you hit the nail on the head!

I have grandkids in the Charter Schools. My own daughter attended GRPS through all her grades until we moved to Kentwood so she could attend EKHS. When she was in elementary school, there were several teacher strikes, one went on for about 10 days. She missed that much school. There are fights all the time, kids cussing out the teachers, parents attacking the security guards, etc, etc.

Supposedly the Michigan Lottery pays out billions(?) to Michigan schools? Very funny....where is it and which schools is it going to? It seems like about every 3 to 5 years, GRPS gets a new superintendant.

I don't know for sure what the answer is, but I am sure that any of the GRPS schools would love it if parents as well as aunts, uncles, grandparents of those students, or even people in the neighborhood of those schools, baked cookies or brought in donuts for the Teachers Lounges on any given day. They would love it if others went in to the elementary schools and read stories to the kids. Volunteer your time at the schools, you can make a big difference. I do at my grandkids Charter school and I love it. Become a lunch monitor or recess monitor.

The teachers go through a lot these days with the rowdy and behavioral problem kids. They have their hands full, and should not worry whether or not "Jonny brings a gun or a knife to school". We can help the GRPS or any other public schools by just doing some of these things. You feel good if someone compliments you? Compliment a teacher, thank a teacher, bless a teacher with home baked goodies or volunteering in your kids, or your neighborhood's schools. It begins to make a difference.

Unless things have changed GRPS has been among the most conservative of local districts with salaries and wages. Administrative pay was considerably lower than most surrounding districts and among the lowest in the state for many years. Teacher pay was not much better until they organized. I left the private sector to teach. My first contract was 3380.00. I left a job paying around 10,000.00 for the same number of days worked per year. I have retired. Through all of those years I heard people say that because some teachers collect their pay for the 180 days of work spread over the entire year that they get paid year round for 9 mo work. It is a concept that some people find beyond their comprehension.
The schools are supported by funds from local and state taxes. More affluent districts get more money from local taxes and then there is some reduction in the amount they get from the state. This arrangement was intended to balance things out between richer and poorer districts. It did not work that way. When your elected state legislator tells you how much of the lottery revenue goes to education he or she is not lying. However they are not telling the truth either. As the lottery portion of educational revenues increased the legislature reduced the amount of the money coming from the general fund. This has been going on since the inception of the lottery.
Sadly if someone offered to take the time to explain how educational funding works the complainers would not have the time to listen.

GR Teacher wrote:

<quoted text>Interesting ideas?!?! Like I said in another thread where you denigrated me as a teacher, I pray that you do not have children of your own.

Would you really want to know what I would tell my kids if I couldn't afford private school?

I would tell them, public schools are for street smarts and a private school is for intellectual smarts.

I would tell them to be a leader in a classroom, ask many questions, get out in front and force the teacher to teach at a higher level.
Don't let the rest of the class degrade your education all because they are slow or stupid.

They would know to show respect, and you will get respect back in return.They would know about both creationism and Darwinism.

I would not let the status que, nor pier pressure, nor brainwashing opinions slip through without being questioned.

But if public schools did that, you would all go on strike or get sued by some ACLU creep.

But you definitely don't need MORE money, no way, no how, at all, zero.!

Why are GRPS public schools so poor? Probably because they waste the taxpayers money. Most public schools are a complete taxpayer ripoff. They are rotten. There is no discipline, they are unsafe, and the administrators are corrupt. Send your kids to private school.

Public schools have plenty of money - they just waste it or steal it.