When $120 million just isn't enough...

If public schools can't run a classroom of 28 on $300,000 a year, perhaps we need to wonder if they have the competence to do the job. From The Detroit Free Press on June 30:

Teachers told: You plug in, you pay up

Got a desk clock in your office? How about a small fan, a little extra light, or even a mini-fridge?

Plugging in those personal amenities at work will cost teachers and employees money in a small, but growing, number of school districts. By making employees who bring in fans, space heaters, and other small devices pay a fee to offset the electricity those appliances use, district administrators think they have a promising new way to help control costs after years of budget cuts. Grosse Point Public Schools initiated a "pay to plug" measure last spring, and Chippewa Valley Public Schools is considering doing the same for this fall.

"We don't want to cut services for kids or families," said Chippwea Valley spokeswoman Diane Blain. "Pay to plug is just asking employees to step up and help us. Whether or not it will be implemented still remains to be seen."