Michigan Legislature
The budget would add another $125 million in grants for school districts this year.
The move comes after M-STEP results showed third grade reading proficiency was at an all-time low at the end of last school year.
In a partisan political landscape, these students learn to research issues and make informed choices
The standardized test results offer a first look at how Michigan kids who enrolled in kindergarten and first grade during COVID shutdowns are performing.
Here are the new laws that will go into effect this year and some of the policy issues we’ll be covering.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights said the MDE is not taking accountability for violating protections for students with disabilities.
Statements from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office about the state’s investment in student mental health and school safety this year are at odds with school leaders who say those budgets were slashed.
Administrators want the legislature to restore mental health and safety funding slashed in the state school budget and to make retirement savings permanent.
The cuts to mental health and safety grants will mean cuts to school resource officers, counseling, and other types of social and emotional support, education leaders said.
A potential state school budget plan floated by lawmakers Wednesday could mean massive cuts to mental health funding, layoffs, and other cuts.
Some worry that the legislation is not enough to address disparities in enrollment and performance.
After hearing from victims’ parents, the board called on lawmakers to beef up emergency operation plans, and for more funding for student mental health measures.
Advocates say proposed changes to Michigan’s Great Start Readiness Program would ‘turn back the dial’ on progress.
Some districts had lower per-pupil funding at high-needs schools despite an increase in at-risk funding, according to the analysis.
The bills would make districts screen all students for dyslexia and reading difficulties. Schools would also have to use the ‘science of reading’ to intervene in literacy instruction for those students.
The state superintendent said cuts to staff won’t be prevalent in all districts. But educators say the “fiscal cliff” existed in the state well before federal COVID relief funds.
Students, parents, educators, and advocates have big asks for the 2024-25 School Aid Budget. They worry the state won’t be able to fund them.
Amid a literacy crisis in Michigan, these educators want nearly every public school in the state to have a library and a certified librarian.
The sponsor of the bill says it would create a culture of expectation that formal education must begin early.
The board on Tuesday signaled to lawmakers that they want new laws to reform the state’s charter school system.