Substitute teaching goes private
Source: By Dave Murray, The Grand Rapids Press (MI), Tuesday, May 02, 2006
GRAND RAPIDS -- A divided Board of Education voted to privatize substitute teachers over the objections that the selected company has no experience in the field and was hired in a no-bid process. But others said the potential $300,000 in savings was enough to overlook Monday's admittedly "muddied" process to hire the Caledonia-based Professional Educational Services Group to oversee the hiring and scheduling of about 2,600 substitute teachers countywide. ...... Under the deal, substitute teachers will be paid at the same $85-a-day rate, but will become PESG employees. The company will not have to pay into the state retirement system, saving money for the school districts.