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Bill Allows Schools
to Hire Subs From Temp Agencies
by Judy Putnam, Booth
Newspapers, December 11, 2002
For more articles visit
www.bridges4kids.org.
Michigan school districts
struggling to find enough substitute teachers would be able to
hire them through Kelly Services or other employment agencies,
under a bill approved by House lawmakers.
Just two days before the scheduled end of the legislative
session, the House voted 56-49 Tuesday to approve the measure.
It has already passed the Senate.
"It's a typical lame-duck bill,'' said Linda Myers, a lobbyist
for the Michigan Education Association teachers union, which
opposed the measure. "It's privatizing school employees. They
got their foot in the door with substitutes, who's next?''
The bill allows districts to contract with temporary agencies
to find substitute teachers. The subs work for the agencies
rather than the districts.
That doesn't change what's required for the job: Substitute
teachers hired through temporary employment services must
still undergo background checks and have 90 college credits to
get a substitute license, for example.
But by using a temp service for substitutes, districts will be
able to avoid paying into the state teacher retirement system
for those substitutes.
"It's going to give local districts another option,'' said Don
Wotruba, of the Michigan Association of School Boards. "It's
completely in the hands of the districts.''
Wotruba's group, along with the Michigan Association of School
Administrators, backed the bill.
School officials said they didn't expect any change in pay for
substitutes, which varies around the state from about $60 to
$120 a day.
Nancy Stanley of the administrators association said marketing
by the temp agencies might expand the number of available
subs.
"We thought this could create a new pool of people who
wouldn't ordinarily think about substitute teaching,'' she
said.
Opponents said the bill allows districts to skirt laws that
require subs to be paid like regular teachers if they are used
in the same position for 60 days. In addition, a sub who works
150 days out of a school year must be given the first chance
should a full-time job open.
The bill sponsor, Sen. Shirley Johnson, R-Royal Oak, testified
last year that Michigan is the only state blocking school
districts from hiring Kelly Services or other such agencies.
The bill now returns to the Senate to concur in technical
changes before heading to Gov. John Engler, who is expected to
sign it.
Contact Judy Putnam at (517) 487-8888 or e-mail her at
jputnam@boothnewspapers.com.
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