Michigan Legislature
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.
Home-schooling advocates in Michigan say requiring registration would be the first step toward government interference.
The legislation was inspired by the “heartbreaking” stories of Michigan foster youth.
On Wednesday, groups that support students considered to be at-risk asked legislators to continue to increase funding for programs that benefit children with high needs.
Two years after first introduced, lawmakers began considering bills aimed at preventing violence in Michigan schools.
The majority of states in the U.S. don’t require kindergarten attendance.
The state has allocated $328 million to improve student mental health in 2024, but school mental health workers say it’s not enough.
As the state works to solve the ongoing teacher shortage, advocates are asking legislators to fund retention efforts in addition to educator pipelines.