Union Leader's Claim of School Kids Sitting on Floors Draws More Denials

A second Warren Consolidated School district official came forward to dispute a union leader's claim that the district had students sitting on the floor without desks due to budget cuts.

School Board Member Brendan Wagner said in an email: "I am certainly not aware of students sitting on floors because they have no desks. At least that is to the best of my knowledge in WCS.  I have parents contacting me on a regular basis on a myriad of issues and would think that that would be one if it were the case."

Jennifer Miller, Warren Education Association Executive Director, said the district had "kids on the floor without any desks" at a Michigan Education Association rally at Sterling Heights' Dodge Park on May 24, according to www.candgnews.com.

Last week, Brian Walmsley, the district's chief economic officer, said he wasn't aware of any instances where students sat on the floor without a desk

Wagner was the only one of the seven board members who responded to an e-mail requesting comment on Miller's quote. Miller didn't respond to requests for comment from e-mails and phone messages left at her office.

Miller's comment raised eyebrows about the district's finances since the average salary of a Warren teacher is about $73,421 a year and the teachers don't pay anything towards health care costs, according to the school's 2008-09 data.

The school district's web site also states they won't consider privatization which saved Troy Public School District $4 million, according to Michael Van Beek, director of education policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.