Special Report
Education Funding

Michigan Senate Panel OKs Education Law Changes

By The Associated Press — December 01, 2009 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Michigan lawmakers revved up their pursuit of up to $400 million in federal cash for schools Tuesday as a Senate committee approved bills that would allow the expansion of charter schools, create alternative paths for teacher certification and provide a framework for reorganizing failing schools.

The cash may provide the incentive for Michigan to make changes that lawmakers have discussed for years.

The bills could be voted on by the Republican-led Senate later this week. The Democrat-led House, which already has approved some similar measures, also continued discussions Tuesday about what could be done to win Race to the Top money offered by the Obama administration.

The competition will reward states that make significant changes to improve schools. The money is of particular interest in Michigan, which is in the process of cutting state aid to schools by a minimum of $292 per student.

The federal stimulus money would not be used as a direct replacement to the lost state aid, education officials say, but it could boost funding for some school-related projects.

States must apply for the federal funding by mid-January.

“It is an opportunity we cannot afford to pass up, but the due date is quickly approaching,” Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop said in a statement.

Some educators and teachers unions oppose some of the changes the Senate committee agreed to Tuesday, including a proposal that would provide an interim teaching certificate for people coming to schools from other professions with as little as an additional semester of college coursework.

The goal would be to attract top-notch math and science teachers to Michigan schools. But some educators argue the state doesn’t need more teachers, particularly at the elementary school level. Many new graduates of Michigan universities already must move out-of-state to find teaching jobs and thousands more teachers could be laid off next year if state funding cuts take effect.

“We do not have a teacher shortage,” Robert LeFevre, director of legislative and legal affairs for the Macomb Intermediate School District, told lawmakers.

Other measures would allow charter school operators with a good track record to expand in Michigan. Some Democrats opposed that measure in the Senate committee because the legislation does not provide money to cushion the blow for traditional K-12 schools that may lose students to new charter schools.

Legislation that would set up a process for turning around failing schools has been criticized by some educators as too vague or giving too much discretion to the state superintendent of schools or the federal government.

The Senate soon plans to take up bills that would tie teacher evaluation to student performance and test scores as part of the effort to win Race to the Top cash.

The Michigan House has passed legislation with similar themes and more bills are expected in the near future. The House, Senate and Gov. Jennifer Granholm would have to agree on final versions of bills before any changes to state law could be made.

Granholm said the next three weeks are critical in Michigan’s effort and that lawmakers must work together.

“We’ve all got to be on the same page in a very short amount of time,” she said.

Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Events

Student Well-Being Webinar After-School Learning Top Priority: Academics or Fun?
Join our expert panel to discuss how after-school programs and schools can work together to help students recover from pandemic-related learning loss.
Budget & Finance Webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed Practices
Address the whole child using data-informed practices, gain valuable insights, and learn strategies that can benefit your district.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar
ChatGPT & Education: 8 Ways AI Improves Student Outcomes
Revolutionize student success! Don't miss our expert-led webinar demonstrating practical ways AI tools will elevate learning experiences.
Content provided by Inzata

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Funding 'So Catastrophic': How a Debt Ceiling Breach Would Hurt Schools
If federal funding stops flowing to schools before July 1, schools' ability to pay billions of dollars in expenses would be at risk.
8 min read
Photo of piggy bank submerged in water.
E+ / Getty
Education Funding How Much Do School Support Staff Make in Each State? (Spoiler: It's Not a Living Wage)
In some states, education support personnel make below $30,000, new data show.
3 min read
Brian Hess, head custodian at the Washburn Elementary School in Auburn, Maine, strips the cafeteria floors in preparation for waxing on Aug. 17, 2021.
Brian Hess, head custodian at Washburn Elementary School in Auburn, Maine, strips the cafeteria floors in preparation for waxing on Aug. 17, 2021.
Andree Kehn/Sun Journal via AP
Education Funding Schools Could Lose Funding as Lawmakers Spar Over the National Debt Ceiling
House Republicans are proposing federal spending cuts, including to K-12 programs, in exchange for raising the nation's debt ceiling.
4 min read
Illustration of two groups of professionals fighting in a tug of war with a dollar.
iStock/Getty
Education Funding 10 Education Priorities America Could Afford If Everyone Paid All Their Taxes
Universal school meals, school building upgrades, and closing learning gaps each cost less than the annual amount of unpaid federal taxes.
5 min read
Tight crop of a dollar bill puzzle missing one piece
iStock/Getty