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Republicans Strip Detroit
Education Funding
MIRS, March 29, 2006
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The Senate's Detroit Democrats got absolutely irate when Senate
Republicans stripped $100,000 from its proposed Fiscal Year (FY)
School Aid Budget today for a Detroit-based education program in
an act of political retaliation.
Sen. Tom George (R-Texas Twp.) added the amendment that nixed
the $100,000 for the Mercy Education program, which helps women
get GEDs and instead, expanded the Grand Rapids and Detroit
pre-college engineering program to Kalamazoo.
When George explained the amendment, he said Kalamazoo needed
the program because the Kalamazoo promise will encourage more
students to go to college so they need more preparatory classes.
"This is absolutely ridiculous," exclaimed Sen. Hansen CLARKE
(D-Detroit) immediately after George finished speaking. "This
will eliminate all funding for this program in Detroit."
Clarke was outraged and shook his fist at Republicans for a
while.
"I'm sick and tired of you always taking money from Detroit,"
Clarke said.
Eventually, Sen. Shirley JOHNSON (R-Troy) told the Democrats
that the Republicans shifted the funding in retaliation for a
committee vote.
Apparently, Republicans were upset that Sen. Martha G. SCOTT
(D-Highland Park) got the $100,000 amendment passed in committee
and then voted against the bill.
Clarke said he already went to the nuns in the program and told
them they would get $100,000 because an agreement had been made
in committee.
Clarke, Scott and Sen. Irma CLARK-COLEMAN (D-Detroit) said they
would be sure to publicize the Republicans' politicking.
"It's amazing to me you can smile as you're turning the screws
in our back," Clark-Coleman said.
Republicans saved this amendment for the end of Wednesday's long
session. Until this point, discussion on the School Aid budget
was fairly tame. Most of the amendments that were introduced and
not withdrawn, were adopted.
The School Aid budget the Senate passed increases base per pupil
spending from the governor's recommended $200 per student to
$225 per student. This would raise per pupil allotments to
$7,100 per student.
Sen. Mickey SWITALSKI (D-Roseville) tried to add $25 more to per
pupil spending, which would increase base spending by $250
rather than the $225 allotted in the committee substitute.
Switalski wanted the increase to be paid for with $45 million
that has been designated to increase funding in lower-funded
districts. The $45 million would give $60 more a child for
districts that, for whatever reason, come out on the short end
of the Proposal A education distribution formula.
"Let's take the $45 million and give it to every district,"
Switalski said. "It's the fairest way to go."
Sen. Ron JELINEK (R-Three Oaks) argued that the $60 per student
increase would at least start to close the gap between rich and
poor schools. Senate Minority Leader Bob EMERSON (D-Flint) said
he would support the $60 increase only if he thought the money
would be put into additional programs at those schools.
This amendment was defeated on a party-line roll call vote.
The Senate's School Aid budget also included a 10 percent
increase to the school readiness program, a $2 million increase
to school health centers and a $1.78 million increase for kids
whose parents are in jail.
Scott tried to get the funding the governor recommended for the
School Readiness Program restored, but her amendment was
defeated.
The Senate approved a version of what the governor had requested
to try to even out what some school districts received because
of Proposal A.
Other amendments included:
- A Switalski amendment that would put a $100 placeholder into
Merit Technology Curriculum
- A Clarke amendment that would put a placeholder in place for
school districts that have declining enrollment
- A Garcia amendment that would put a $100 placeholder in place
for competitive grants for online programs that kids can get at
a virtual university. This was added in light of the pending
curriculum changes.
- A Jelinek amendment that would put in a placeholder for 0-3
programs that haven't been funded in previous budgets but will
hopefully be funded in the future.
- A Scott amendment that would give an additional $250,000 to
child abuse and neglect programs. This money does not affect
other programs because the money is gathered by rounding numbers
up in other places in the budget, Scott said.
- A Cassis amendment that would put $500,000 into a fund for
at-risk kids in K-3. Johnson said this money would not do enough
to help at-risk kids because those kids are fighting poverty and
constantly being moved from school to school, two problems the
mere $500,000 couldn't solve. Johnson and Emerson voted against
the amendment.
The Senate also passed a series of bills that would more clearly
define how to clean up methamphetamine labs, tighten laws on
children exposed to meth and prohibit instructions on how to
cook meth from being published on the Internet.
A bill that would prohibit local governments from determining
which seeds can be planted in their jurisdiction also moved in
the Senate.
Foreign Language, Algebra II Included in
Compromise Over Michigan High School Requirements
MIRS, March 29, 2006
All graduating high school seniors, starting with the class of
2011, must have at least 16 credits to graduate, including four
each in math and English, three each in science and social
studies and one each in physical education and the arts,
according to the conference report signed by the House Speaker
and the Senate Majority Leader. The report also calls for a
minimum of 18 credits starting with the class of 2016, the two
new credits being a pair of foreign language classes, which
could be taken at any time in a student’s K-12 experience.
Gov. Jennifer GRANHOLM is in support of the plan embodied in SB
1124 and HB 5606 and is expected to sign both bills once both
chambers of the Legislature approve the conference reports. The
House took the first step by approving the conference report for
HB 5606, 97-9.
"This agreement will mean great things for Michigan students and
Michigan's economy," Granholm said in a statement. "Michigan
needs the best educated workforce in the country to succeed
economically and these changes are a giant leap in that
direction."
In the House, Reps. Steve ADAMINI (D-Marquette), Bruce CASWELL
(R-Hillsdale), Bob GOSSELIN (R-Troy), Roger KAHN (R-Saginaw),
Kevin GREEN (R-Wyoming), John MOOLENAAR (R-Midland), Tom PEARCE
(R-Rockford), Morris HOOD III (D-Detroit) and Rick JONES
(R-Grand Ledge) voted no.
"This bill was obviously a blend and a compromise between the
House and the Senate," said Rep. Brian PALMER (R-Romeo), House
Education Committee chair. "I think when we look back some day,
I think we'll be able to say we did the right thing for
Michigan's children."
Once legislatively approved, the bills would represent a major
accomplishment for the Granholm administration, which first
called for a minimum curriculum for graduating high school
seniors when new state Superintendent Mike FLANAGAN came on the
scene last fall (See "Gov Calls for Mandatory Statewide
Curriculum," 9/16/05). Before these bills, the only statewide
graduation credit was one civics class.
The bills require everyone, starting with next year's eighth
grade class, to take Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Biology,
Physics or Chemistry, Government, Economics and U.S. History or
Geography. The credit would count if the subject is taken in
middle school.
Department of Education's Bob MORRIS said the department had no
problems putting the compromise in place for the Class of 2011
and that the department would allow some districts to use their
own core curriculum in the short term if there were
implementation problems.
"We can get it done," Morris said.
The basic framework of the curriculum that lawmakers are
expected to put on her desk will be very similar to what
Granholm, Flanagan and the Department of Education proposed. The
tough part that the Legislature worked out was including ways to
make sure all students can realistically meet the new standards.
Lawmakers walked the tight rope of creating standards that were
tough enough but not so tough that students would drop out of
school.
That's why today's legislation includes some ways students can
get out of some of the new requirements. First, students won't
be able to get out of any of the four English credits, three
science credits or the foreign language requirement, once that
piece is phased into the equation.
But, the bills allow students to go into a "Career Tech" track
after taking two math credits. Students would be allowed to take
only one semester of Algebra II or opt to stretch their Algebra
II class over two years and get two credits for it.
Sen. Wayne KUIPERS (R-Holland), Senate Education Committee
chair, said this has the effect of making sure everyone gets at
least a taste of Algebra II and that every student has at least
3 1/2 years of math before they graduate.
Students also can opt-out of their final year of social studies,
physical education or the arts, but would need to take an
English, science, math or foreign language class instead. A
student will need to take one online course or some specific
alternative as a part of this legislation.
"This plan makes our state a national leader in ensuring young
people graduate with the skills they need to succeed in today's
workforce," Kuipers said. "Michigan has for too long lagged
behind other states in what's expected of high school
graduates."
Also, in seventh grade, students must be given the opportunity
to develop an educational development plan with a counselor.
This can be done one-on-one or as part of a class. This piece
was put in instead of a Sen. Nancy CASSIS (R-Novi) idea that
school counselors should be involved in helping students find
independent alternatives to Algebra II.
Other details of the compromise curriculum bill include:
- A school district must let the parents of a student at risk of
being a drop-out know what tutoring or independent counseling
options the school offers.
- The state Superintendent can create up to 15 "Specialty"
schools that are heavy on math and science. Specialty schools
must weave reading and writing throughout the curriculum but the
only firm graduation standards would be the state's four-credit
math and three-credit science requirements. These schools must
graduate 85 percent of their kids and see 75 percent of their
kids onto college. Students in these schools also must average
ACT scores that are 10 percent better than the scores being put
up at the neighboring public school.
- The Department of Education can create a test that students
could take to get out of any of the state requirements.
- In three years, the Department of Education needs to create a
test students would need to take after completing the required
courses.
- School districts would be allowed to add more graduation
requirements, such as participation in the Michigan Merit Exam.
- The Department of Education must help any district that claims
it cannot hire enough "highly qualified teachers" to teach the
necessary classes.
Kuipers said he likes how the bill gives the Department of
Education the power to give districts some flexibility in how
students can earn the required credits. Some schools may offer
"alternative formats," such as career and technical formats,
humanities sequences, vocational education and industrial tech,
as long as the Department of Education says it’s OK.
Curriculum Bills Now on Way to Granholm
Gongwer News Service, March 30, 2006
Legislation making Michigan's high school curriculum some of the
most rigorous in the nation is now on its way to Governor
Jennifer Granholm. The House and Senate on Thursday finished
action on SB 1124 and HB 5606 that will require students to
complete multiple credits in English, mathematics, science,
social studies and foreign languages to receive a diploma.
In a press release, Ms. Granholm praised the Legislature, saying
the curriculum proposal will help create a "diverse economy that
will keep young people in the state."
The new curriculum "will help give Michigan the best educated
workforce in the nation and bring new jobs and new investment to
our state," Ms. Granholm said.
On the Senate floor, Sen. Wayne Kuipers (R-Holland) said the
final action on the bills marked the "end of a long journey."
It was also a journey that according to a source, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, ran into a late potential problem over
Algebra II that was finally resolved in discussions between the
legislative leadership and the Executive Office.
The two bills require that a student earn four credits of
English and mathematics, three credits of science and social
studies, two credits of foreign languages, and one credit each
of physical education, arts and online education. The bills also
are designed so that if a student opts out of class in one
subject he or she would have to make it up with another class in
mathematics, science or language arts.
Mr. Kuipers said the opt-out proposal ironically makes the
curriculum proposal more rigorous.
In the two bills as they passed each chamber, the House had
allowed for an opt-out from Algebra II so long as a personalized
curriculum was created. The Senate wanted all students to "take
a pass" at Algebra II even if it was divided over two years or
combined in other math classes.
According to the source, by Tuesday there seemed to be a
developing sense that the final product would require that a
student take Algebra II but not be required to pass it. The
source said the sentiment caused great problems for the
administration: would the provision be serious enough to
threaten a veto or would Ms. Granholm sign the bill and risk the
public saying the curriculum truly wasn't rigorous because a
student didn't have to pass a critical component?
Ms. Granholm said she didn't want a bill that did not require
passage of a critical course, and the source said the leaders of
both parties quickly concurred. The final details of the bills
were agreed to in a meeting with Ms. Granholm and the leadership
Wednesday.
"Usually, when you get late into the process things get watered
down. Here, they actually got tougher," the source said.
Along with the math requirement, adding the foreign language
requirement was equally important and allowing that to begin in
elementary school was critical, the source said. Besides
research indicating it is easier for students to learn a
language earlier in life, the source said there was a good
chance many districts would have been financially unable to add
the requirement in high school.
Except for the foreign language requirement, which affects
students beginning in the third grade, all the other
requirements affect students in the eighth grade in the fall.
And Mr. Kuipers said one provision he liked best in the package
is that it set standards so that classes across the state would
teach the same content to the same subject.
The bills were reported from conference committees on Wednesday
and the House approved the report on HB 5606 on Wednesday night.
Sen. Liz Brater (D-Ann Arbor) said that while it was important
to pass the bills, the Legislature's work was not done. She
called for lawmakers to adopt a bill prohibiting students from
dropping out until they are 18.
TEACHER LISTS: The Senate also approved the conference report on
HB 5675 setting new requirements for releasing lists of teachers
who have been convicted of felonies. Sen. Alan Cropsey
(R-DeWitt) summed up the bill saying the Freedom of Information
Act should not be used to destroy a person's character.
Anti-bullying Pushed
MIRS, March 28. 2006
A coalition of groups led by the Triangle Foundation of Michigan
put the full court press on senators today to move legislation
to prevent bullying in state schools.
Sean KOSOFSKY from the gay-rights group said the emphasis should
not be on punishment, which is why there is no expulsions clause
in the bill.
"One thing we know about bullies is the hurt, hurt, hurt." He
said many bullies were once bullied themselves and it would not
do any good to kick them out of school. He believes the focus
needs to be on prevention by teaching students and
administrators how to eliminate the problem.
Two students from nearby Eastern High School contended that
bullying is a daily event.
Taffney said she is president of the gay and straight coalition
in her school and she is accused of being gay when she is not.
She said the bullying goes on "to my face and behind my back."
Fellow student, Rod, said students can go to principals to
complain, but "if they did not see it they won't deal with it or
they ignore it."
Kevin EPLING, whose son took his own life after being bullied in
an East Lansing school, said school officials need these
guidelines and he said all the senators he spoke with on Tuesday
were on board.
"Now we are trying to get those who are on the fence," he told
MIRS and he said he is working on that list.
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