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 $175
Per Student School Aid Boost
MIRS, February 9, 2005
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The state
subsidy for every high school student in Michigan would go from
$6,700 to $6,925 if lawmakers endorse the recommendation
contained in the governor's new budget due out tomorrow.
Apparently for non-high school students, the foundation grant
boost would be $175.
Taking up on the Cherry Commission recommendations, Granholm's
extra $50 boost will be for high school students who complete a
full college prep curriculum. Currently many high school
students go to college but don't complete four years of math,
science, foreign language and related courses.
The details of what courses should be taken are yet to be worked
out. While educators appreciate the first basic grant increase
in three years, they believe it is not enough. Tom WHITE from
the School Business Officers Association said it will help but
most of the increase will be "eaten up" by health care and
teacher retirement costs which have risen dramatically over that
three year time frame.
MIRS has also learned that a blue back has been circulating
among lawmakers for over a week that seeks to "guarantee"
education funding every year. Instead of standing in line with
other special interest groups, this plan calls for an automatic
annual increase not only for the K-12 budget but higher
education as well.
One senator who has seen the plan said the boost would be either
5 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is less. In
addition it would be retroactive for the last two years helping
education to recoup some of their earlier financial losses. The
governor gave her first take on the proposal about a month ago
and she was not enthusiastic saying the MEA has to find a
funding mechanism for the plan. The teachers' union and others,
part of the so-called K-16 coalition, said that is the job for
her and lawmakers. If the measure is rejected, the coalition
said it will launch a statewide petition drive to place the
guaranteed funding plan in front of Michigan voters.
FY 2005 Executive Order Details
MIRS, February 10, 2005
Gov. Jennifer GRANHOLM is proposing in a Fiscal Year 2005
executive order (E.O.) a budget reduction to slice $233.1
million in state spending, but the chair of the Senate
Appropriations Committee predicts the order will be rejected.
State Sen. Shirley JOHNSON (R-Royal Oak) told MIRS the rejection
is not because the content of the E.O. is necessarily wrong, but
Johnson said more than 10 days are needed to review the
document.
"The freshmen on the House Appropriations Committee, especially
need more time," Johnson said, adding that the new chair of
House Appropriations, Rep. Scott HUMMEL (R-DeWitt) agrees with
the plan to reject the E.O.
Apparently, the E. O. is only a partial solution. Granholm is
also seeking a negative supplemental that would force the
Legislature to pass legislation making the cuts, she would then
sign that legislation. According to Sen. Mike GOSCHKA (R-Brant),
that won't fly as Republicans will reject the negative
supplemental approach and force Granholm to take responsibility
for the cuts via the E.O. route.
Highlights of the E. O., obtained by MIRS include:
- A total General Fund cut of $218.9 million;
- A cut to the Department of Human Services of $33 million ($2
million from Child Welfare and Daycare Licensure, $10 million
out of day care services);
- Department of Education $215,000 out of early childhood
education;
- Department of Enviromental Quality - the biggest bite,
$336,000 out of environmental investigations;
- History and Libraries, $281,000 out of the Library of
Michigan;
- Labor and Economic Growth, $250,000 out of economic
development and training grants;
- Department of State, $412,000 from branch operations;
- State Police, $1.4 million out of criminal investigations;
- A $5 million cut to the community colleges (hardest hit,
Macomb Community College at $536,000 followed by Lansing
Community College at $502,000);
- Corrections, $1.6 million from Hospital Care Services;
- Higher Education $27 million (U of M $5.6 million, MSU $5.1
million, Wayne State $3.8 million);
- Community Health a total cut of $18 million, $677,000 of that
is from local public health operations, and $409,000 from mental
health substance abuse program administration; and,
- Department of Management and Budget, $9 million.
Based on the higher education cut, Dr. Mike BOULUS, executive
director of the Presidents' Council of State Universities, said
the administration has broken its promise not to cut higher
education in this executive order.
"Ironically, having broken it's promise the administration in
the new budget is renewing its pledge for tuition restraint,"
said Boulus.
Look for more news on the budget situation in tonight's version
of MIRS' Capitol Capsule.
Education Board Begins Superintendent Search
Gongwer News Service, February 8, 2005
How long Jeremy Hughes will be acting superintendent of public
instruction is unclear, but it appears the State Board of
Education would like to have a replacement in place by summer.
Board members rejected a schedule proposed by President Kathleen
Straus (D-Bloomfield Hills) that would have completed the search
for a successor to Tom Watkins, whose resignation effective
March 9 was officially accepted Tuesday, by April. But they said
they did not want to see the process drag on much longer than
that.
The board has called a special meeting for February 23 to
complete work on the criteria for prospective candidates and
expects to begin work on questions to be put to finalists for
the post at that meeting. In the meantime, a subcommittee of the
board will be revising the criteria used for the search that
generated Mr. Watkins as well as compiling suggestions from
various interest groups.
Advertisements that the post is open would begin running as
quickly after the special meeting as possible.
Board members already had some idea what they wanted in a new
superintendent. "We want to be sure that the person is
accessible to parents, teachers, students, the business
community, the whole state," Ms. Straus said. "We want to make
sure the person is committed to our belief that all children can
learn."
Board members also indicated a desire to include Governor
Jennifer Granholm, whose statements to the media that she had
lost confidence in Mr. Watkins led to his eventual resignation,
in the decision process. "Anybody who comes into this job has to
be able to work not only with and for this board, but with and
for the governor," Ms. Straus said.
Board member Nancy Danhof (R-East Lansing) said the new
superintendent must be acceptable to and work with the entire
board. "One of the things we must accomplish in this search is
we must give the person the opportunity to be successful and
have full faith of the board," she said.
Board member Reginald Turner (D-Detroit) said the vote on the
final candidate should ideally be unanimous.
Member Eileen Weiser (R-Ann Arbor) said the new superintendent
also must be able to work with Congress. "When things aren't
working, have this be a person who can go to Washington and say,
'We're a state you want to listen to,'" she said.
And board Vice President John Austin (D-Ann Arbor) said the
superintendent should have practical experience in working with
struggling districts, "a commitment to and experience in closing
achievement gaps."
"We talk a lot about thoughts and philosophy and feelings, but
not about action," Ms. Danhof said of the criteria the board
used in the last search. "In the world we live in we need to
talk about action."
Much of the board's discussion on the issue Tuesday centered on
the role of a subcommittee of the board to narrow down some of
the options to be presented to the full board. Members rejected
the idea of hiring a search firm to assist with the process as
too expensive. The last superintendent search cost something shy
of $100,000 and some members argued the final candidates would
likely have responded to the simple advertising being proposed
for this search.
Ms. Straus had proposed the four-member subcommittee to set up
the criteria and screen out some of the initial applicants,
tasks done by the search firm. But Marianne McGuire (D-Detroit)
argued, partially successfully, that as much as possible should
be done by the board as a whole.
"I want to be getting that," Ms. McGuire said of the criteria.
"I don't want it synthesized through a committee."
Ms. Straus said the full board could receive all of the details
via email while still allowing the subcommittee to develop the
draft criteria. "There are ways of doing this that even I'm
catching onto," she joked.
The subcommittee - Ms. Straus, Vice President John Austin (D-Ann
Arbor), Secretary Carolyn Curtin (R-Evart) and Mr. Turner - will
develop the draft criteria, but all the information it uses will
also be provided to all board members to allow more educated
changes to the draft at the special board meeting.
Any further role of the subcommittee will be determined at the
next regular board meeting.
The special meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. on February 28 in
the boardroom, 608 West Allegan, Lansing.
WATKINS' RESIGNATION: Though the board accepted Mr. Watkins'
resignation to put an end to controversy over his tenure, his
supporters on the board still praised his work.
"He did what we wanted him to do at the time," Ms. Straus said.
"He lifted up schools; he lifted up teachers; he listened to
people; he listened to parents."
"I was sorry this whole episode had to occur," Ms. McGuire
added. "I thought personally Tom was doing a very fine job."
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