Detroit Teachers Make More Than Twice Average Household

But still less than most Michigan teachers

January 27, 2016

WXYZ-TV did a story about the salaries of the emergency manager and other top administrators for Detroit Public Schools. But rather than just report on the salaries and benefits of those individuals, the TV station also allowed Detroit teachers to comment about their pay. However, the TV station didn't report what the teachers themselves earn.

WXYZ reported, “For five years now, there's been a 10% wage cut for every employee.” Then it quoted an anonymous teacher who said, "I cry when I get my paycheck."

ForTheRecord says: The average teacher salary in Detroit Public Schools was $57,758 in 2013-14, the latest year salary data is available from the Michigan Department of Education. That is below the state average of $62,169.

The report by WXYZ could leave readers with the impression teachers have taken a much larger wage cut than just 10 percent. According to the district, there was a one-time 10 percent wage cut in 2010-11 and no futher cuts. In 2012, DPS teachers received a legal ruling that allowed them to move up one salary “step” in their contracts. Salaries have been frozen since then.

The median household income for the city of Detroit was $26,325 from 2009-2013.

Editor's note: This article had a typo and referred twice to WXYZ as WXYX. This was corrected.

Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.

It's Time to Expand Public Records Transparency

Reitz discusses Flint water crisis on Michigan Radio

January 26, 2016

Mackinac Center Executive Vice President Michael Reitz was featured in Monday’s edition of Stateside on Michigan Radio to discuss the need for more transparency in government in light of what is happening in Flint.

“The justification for FOIA unfortunately is very clear and very apparent in situations like the one we have now with the Flint water crisis where decisions were made that will affect people’s lives in horrific ways for years and years to come,” Reitz told host Cynthia Canty. “The people of Flint and the people of Michigan justifiably want to know who made these decisions and how were they made and why did we get it wrong.”

Reitz joined Melanie McElroy, executive director of Common Cause Michigan, who agreed that the governor’s office should be subject to the Freedom of Information Act. Michigan and Massachusetts are the only two states where the governor’s office and state legislature are exempt from this public records transparency law. Reitz explained it is time to change this standard:

We think generally it is a good idea to have the governor’s office treated the same way as other branches of government or other agencies under the Freedom of Information law. And really it comes down to the statement of public policy that FOIA includes in the statute. It says that, ‘All persons are entitled to full and complete information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts of those that represent them as public officials.’ If that’s true of a school board member or a local city council member, certainly it’s true of a person in the governor’s office or some other state agency.