Follow Up To The Michigan Teacher Issue

Posted By Blackfive

Original Blackfive Post is "You Won't Believe This".

Received a forwarded message from Scott about the Michigan teacher that was performing Annual Training as a Naval Reservist. An article alleged that the school district of the teacher was making the teacher pay for a substitute to cover his absence AND making him turn over his military pay to the school district.

Gary Aten, Executive Director for the Michigan Committee for Employer Support Guard and Reserve (ESGR), wrote this synopsis of what actually happened (and it's a case of very, VERY bad journalism).

You all have probably heard or read about the teacher from Kenowa Hills Middle School who allegedly was forced to pay for his own substitute teacher and turn over his military pay while performing Annual Training with the Naval reserve. What you read was an example of a reporter failing to do proper research, taking comments out of context, turning a positive story into a negative, then putting the story on the AP news wire for the whole world to see. The teacher is not being forced to pay for his sub or turn over his Annual Training pay. In fact, the school district is providing a pay differential. Below is a synopsis, albeit lengthy, of the circumstances and facts. Please feel free to share the facts with anyone you may know who may be concerned with the teacher's plight.

On Wed, 3 Mar, CPT Dancer, the MI ARNG Public Affairs Officer, stopped by my office and related a phone call she had received from Rich Jones, a reporter for WOOD-AM, a radio station in Grand Rapids. At issue was a news report that Kenowa Hills School District was forcing a "National Guard Reservist" to pay for his substitute teacher and turn over his military pay to the school district while he was performing his Annual Training.

I contacted Rich Jones and got some sketchy information about the case. He had seen it on-line, but couldn't find the article from the Grand Rapids Press. The article was also put out on the Associated Press wire. He did confirm, however, that the service member was in the Naval Reserve and was performing his AT in Italy.

On Wednesday night, I was web surfing and came across the newspaper article posted on a "blog" - "www.Patriotsforbush.com". In the blog's comment section, I identified myself as the ESGR Exec Dir from Michigan and told the readers that I would research the case and let them know the details.

On Thursday morning, I called the Kenowa Hills School District and talked to Superintendent James Gillette. Mr Gillette stated that one of our ESGR representatives had already been by on Wednesday and the ESGR rep had confirmed that the school district's actions were legal. I explained that I was concerned with the way the newspaper article portrayed the case. The article stated that the school district was forcing the teacher to pay for the substitute and give up some of his military pay.

What I found out was the school district is providing a pay differential between the reservist's military pay and his teacher's pay, less the cost of the substitute. They were not requiring him to pay for the substitute
and were not requiring him to turn over his military pay to the school district as the article alleges. The teacher was also using two personal days and two comp days, as his option, and was receiving 100% pay from the school district without the offset for the sub for those days. The school district was, in fact, exceeding the requirements of the Uniform Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), which only requires the employer to give a unpaid leave of absence.

I then called WOOD-AM and talked to Rich Jones again. He had also talked to Mr Gillette and had cleared up the misunderstandings the Grand Rapids Press article created. He asked me if I was willing to talk to the hosts of the station's morning show on the air. I accepted his invitation. I was called back by the station and talked on-air for about five minutes clearing up the misunderstandings the newspaper article had created and assuring the hosts and their listeners that Kenowa Hills was in compliance with federal law. In fact, the school district should be commended for providing the pay differential, rather than being vilified in the press.

I then called the Grand Rapids Press and talked to the reporter. She had been present at the School Board Meeting when the issue came up and had written the article. I told her that the way the article was written it
was leading people to believe that the teacher was being discriminated against, which was not the case. Having gone on the AP wire, the article mutated and headlines appeared across the country declaring that the teacher must pay the school to perform military duty. I clarified some of the quotes she had used and suggested that she write a correction clearing up the misunderstandings. She stated that she would write a new article.

In the meantime, I had received several emails from outraged veterans and service members about the article. I responded to each explaining the facts and assuring the writers that the school district was in compliance with the law and was in fact exceeding their requirements.

I then contacted Barbara Leonard from the National Committee for ESGR Ombudsman's office, clarified the article, filled her in on my activities, and assured her that the provisions of USERRA were being followed.

I then called Kenowa Hills Schools and let them know that a corrected article was going to be written by the Grand Rapids Press. The superintendent's office indicated that the newspaper reporter had stopped by
for additional information for her clarifying article.

Although the article portrayed the school district, erroneously, in a negative light, it did highlight the support the members of that community had for our military members, especially those in the Guard and Reserve. The article should have been a positive one, highlighting what the school district was doing, rather than concentrating on the outrage of the community members at the perceived injustice by the school district.
But then it probably wouldn't have been newsworthy.

"A-10"

Gary Aten
Executive Director
MI Committee for ESGR

Rod also sends this article about the same issue from Military.com.

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Follow Up To The Michigan Teacher Issue

Original Blackfive Post is "You Won't Believe This".

Received a forwarded message from Scott about the Michigan teacher that was performing Annual Training as a Naval Reservist. An article alleged that the school district of the teacher was making the teacher pay for a substitute to cover his absence AND making him turn over his military pay to the school district.

Gary Aten, Executive Director for the Michigan Committee for Employer Support Guard and Reserve (ESGR), wrote this synopsis of what actually happened (and it's a case of very, VERY bad journalism).

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» Update to the Michigan Teacher/Reservist Story from The Patriette
Blackfive has the details. If you read about this story previously on my blog, be sure to check out the update on it.... [Read More]