LANSING – The Great Lakes Education Project strongly opposes legislation in the House Labor Committee today that would give public school teachers and all public employees the option of defined benefit retirement plans, a move that could bring public school districts – and the rest of the state – to the brink of bankruptcy.
House Bills 6060 and 6061 would take massive investment out of local public schools, punishing students, teachers, and families. These bills, along with Senate Bills 165-167, will have a catastrophic effect on Michigan’s fiscal soundness, costing taxpayers as much as $25 billion.
“Parents expect public school investment to go into the classroom, not into a retirement benefit scheme that could bankrupt their local districts,” said Beth DeShone, Executive Director of GLEP. “Our kids deserve a quality education. Our teachers deserve jobs. Our communities deserve open schools. House Bills 6060 and 6061 threaten all three.”
The Great Lakes Education Project is a bi-partisan, non-profit advocacy organization supporting quality choices in public education for all Michigan students. GLEP strongly supports efforts to improve academic achievement, increase accountability and empower parental choice in our schools.
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