Birmingham Teachers To Protest Pending State Cuts

Members of the Birmingham Education Association (BEA) will participate Tuesday in a statewide Day of Action, involving informational picketing outside schools to protest pending state budget cuts and changes to tenure and collective bargaining for teachers.

The Michigan Education Association (MEA) organized the demonstations in response to efforts by the state to trim spending on K-12 education.

"The end of the school year is here and Lansing politicians plan to spend the next few weeks working on legislation that will impact your students and your job," reads a notice on the MEA website. "The Legislature and Gov. Rick Snyder are counting on your silence over the next few weeks so they can vote on unpopular measures, including bills to dismantle tenure and collective bargaining. We need to let our elected leaders know that we will hold them accountable."

Action on those bills could come as early as today in the state House.

Teachers and other schools staff are expected to be outside schools today asking for parents' support.

According to BEA Crisis Committee member Jim Peters, the goal is to target parents as they pick up their kids from school. Signs with pro-education and anti-cut messages have already been sent to the schools. All educators, he said, from principals to PTSA members, are invited to join.

, and according to Birmingham superintendent David Larson, reduced Birmingham's projected 2011-12 deficit from $7.7 million to $4 million. The new per-pupil cut was set around $100.

, the district expects to collect $106.1 million in revenue and spend $107.3 million. Expenses will be covered by funds transfered from the district's fund balance. No teachers from Birmingham were laid off due to budget cuts this year. The .

Picketing will begin at and middle schools at 2:55 p.m. today, after high school teachers are bused over at the end of their day. Middle school teachers will join them when their day ends at 3:08 p.m. Picketing at the begins at 3:15 p.m., and elementary school picketing begins at 3:50 p.m.

Peters said picketing is expected to last 20 minutes at each school. When finished at the middle schools, teachers will move to the nearest elementary school to add to numbers there.