Community Colleges Millages and Legislation that will Affect Public Schools

Grand Rapids Community College is Considering a millage for capital expenses.  Community colleges have in the past requested millages for Operating Expenses, but now that they are funded through the School Aid Fund, they are not requesting more dollars for this.  We need to be aware of the community colleges because while they have traditionally been public schools allies public schools are now competing with community colleges for state dollars.  Also, from a local control issue, legislation is proposed to remove the geographic catchment area for community colleges which will take local control away from locally elected officials at our local community colleges.







http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2011/10/grand_rapids_community_college_57.html

The Agenda for Advocacy by the Kent County Group, Friends of Kent County

Thank you from Friends of Kent County Schools!

At last evening's grassroots meeting, we developed the following goals for the 2011-12 school year: 1.  Advocate for the School Aid Fund to be            used only for K-12 funding as intended 2.  Lobby legislators to identify replacement          revenue for the personal property tax if          eliminated 3.  Delay 2012-13 implementation of all-day       every-day kindergarten until the school       funding crisis is resolved 4.  Be actively involved in the August 2012       Republican and Democratic primaries 5.  Explore partnership with Michigan       Communities for Local Control (MCLC), a       grassroots organization out of the metro       Detroit area

Sincerely,   Dr. Mike Shibler, Chairperson Friends of Kent County Schools

Charter Schools in Detroit

This article discusses charters in Detroit.  Money is used for marketing the charter schools.  I am very glad that schools are finally courting the Detroit public school students.  I just hope enough money is left over to teach them.  I think each one of us needs to make a decision about public schools.  We need to know how public schools have been funded, how they have been organized and how that is changing in the current legislative session.  Please take the time to read these articles and decide for yourself.

Lucy


http://m.freep.com/localnews/article?a=2011110180335&f=1232

More on lifting the charter school cap and the parental trigger

http://www.mlive.com/education/index.ssf/2011/10/three_state_board_of_education.html

New State Law Linking Teacher Performance with Student Performance

Will the new state law fulfill a promise of evaluating teachers fairly and providing ample and meaningful opportunities for improvement for those teachers deemed "ineffective?"  Or will the evaluations be the end point instead of the starting point?


http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2011/10/new_law_links_teacher_performa.html

Sweeping Changes Proposed in Charter School Bill

The Michigan Senate has passed a bill that would allow parents and teachers to seek authority from a university to convert a failing public school to a charter school.  Will this fix poorly performing schools, or is it another move to take power away from elected school boards and unions?

http://www.mlive.com/education/index.ssf/2011/10/state_senate_committee_approve.html

Update on Charter Legislation from MASB

Senate Pops the Cap off ChartersThe Senate voted on Thursday to pass SB 618. The bill passed the full Senate 20–18, with six Republicans joining the Democrats to attempt to block the unprecedented expansion of university-authorized charters. Below are the key provisions of the legislation: Permits authorizers to allow charter schools to operate at more than one site under one board. Exempts charter school property from real and personal property taxes. Deletes geographical boundaries for community college-authorized charter schools. Removes the current 150 school cap on university-authorized charter schools. Eliminates the number and geographical limits for urban high school academies. Removes “Schools of Excellence” graduation rate and conversion stipulations. Removes the requirement that a charter authorized by a local district maintain the labor agreements of that district.

The legislation did include a provision that would have allowed school districts the ability to privatize instructional staff. This was removed with a floor amendment, a move MASB supported. MASB has constructed a list of our main issues and areas of concern with the legislation; please refer to this list when communicating with your community and members of the legislature. Removing community college authorizing boundaries dilutes local college board oversight and is unnecessary with universities already having statewide authority. Allowing multi-site schools under one charter contract could create a statewide school district, resulting in thousands of students with no locally elected board or citizens’ oversight. Eliminating the cap on university-authorized charters removes the current incentive for charters to show academic success before allowing school expansion. Eliminating the current provision that only allows additional charters in school districts that have a graduation rate of 75.5 percent or lower is counter to the argument that competition drives success. This change appears aimed at boosting charter performance by allowing chartering in an already successful district. Exempting property leased to charter schools from property taxes will undermine the community and School Aid Fund. Removing the requirement that authorizers limit their 3 percent oversight activities fee will allow them to co-mingle funds and result in weakened charter school monitoring and oversight and creates a financial incentive to authorize charters as a way to increase revenue. Retaining current law requiring cyber schools to report to the state superintendent and legislature regarding student participation and performance is critical to monitor this, as of yet, unproven educational model.

Friends of Kent County Schools Meeting Thursday, October 13 at 7pm at the KISD Building, 2930 Knapp St. NE, GR, 49525 Coldwater Room

Our upcoming Friends of Kent County Schools Grassroots meeting is scheduled for this Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at the Kent ISD Educational Service Center in the Coldwater Room.

Dr. Mike Shibler will be discussing our 2011/2012 grassroots goals and objectives, and Bob Emerson will be giving a legislative update. Meeting Agenda.

 

Spread the word and bring a friend to our next meeting.  We look forward to growing our grassroots network this year.  If you have any questions or concerns please contact us at friendsofkentcounty@gmail.com.

Privatizing Public Schools in Michigan?

I never thought we would be having this conversation in Michigan.  Lucy

http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2011/10/privatization_of_michigan_publ.html

Repeat Blast Asking for you to Call your Senators About the Unfettered Expansion of Charter Schools

FROM YOUR EGRPS PTA LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE

SENATE PLAN WOULD ALLOW UNLIMITED NUMBER OF CHARTER SCHOOLS

CONTACT YOUR SENATOR TODAY!

The Senate Education Committee approved legislation (a bundle of bills collectively called, “The Parent Empowerment and Education Reform Package”) to remove the overall cap on charter schools in the state; to create a new class of charter schools -- "conversion schools" -- which can be created at the instigation of the teachers or parents of a traditional public school; to remove limits on the number of recently-introduced "cyber schools"; and to require all school districts to accept non-resident students under "schools of choice" if they have the capacity (EGRPS already accepts schools of choice students who make up about ten percent of the total student body).  Capacity is not defined, which means that Lansing could decide that all schools districts must increase classroom size to accommodate more schools of choice students.  This legislation will  have even more devastating economic effects on public schools and it is another assault on local control.  Furthermore, it does nothing to improve education in our state.  This legislation is on the fast track.  Please contact your senator  (for EGR residents, Senator Mark Jansen (SenMJansen@senate.michigan.gov  ph.: 517-373-0797) and ask him not to support this package of bills.  Tell him that in combination with the 2011-13 state budget, this legislation threatens the state's promise to provide youth with a quality education. TAKE ACTION and contact your lawmakers.  If you do not know who your senator is, you can look it up at http://senate.michigan.gov/ and click on the “Find Your Senator” link  on the left hand side of the page.  For more information, please check www.egrpseducationadvocates.blogspot.com.

School of Choice Article Misinforms that EGRPS takes no School of Choice!

I am very supportive of the Schools of Choice program.  This article gave misinformation regarding EGRPS.  Our school district has 10% of the student body which are Schools of Choice children.

Lucy

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2011/10/record_number_of_students_on_m.html

PTA Blast Action Alert on MI Senate Charter Schools Vote

FROM YOUR EGRPS PTA LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE

SENATE PLAN WOULD ALLOW UNLIMITED NUMBER OF CHARTER SCHOOLS

CONTACT YOUR SENATOR TODAY!

The Senate Education Committee approved legislation (a bundle of bills collectively called, “The Parent Empowerment and Education Reform Package”) to remove the overall cap on charter schools in the state; to create a new class of charter schools -- "conversion schools" -- which can be created at the instigation of the teachers or parents of a traditional public school; to remove limits on the number of recently-introduced "cyber schools"; and to require all school districts to accept non-resident students under "schools of choice" if they have the capacity (EGRPS already accepts schools of choice students who make up about ten percent of the total student body).  Capacity is not defined, which means that Lansing could decide that all schools districts must increase classroom size to accommodate more schools of choice students.  This legislation will  have even more devastating economic effects on public schools and it is another assault on local control.  Furthermore, it does nothing to improve education in our state.  This legislation is on the fast track.  Please contact your senator  (for EGR residents, Senator Mark Jansen (SenMJansen@senate.michigan.gov  ph.: 517-373-0797) and ask him not to support this package of bills.  Tell him that in combination with the 2011-13 state budget, this legislation threatens the state's promise to provide youth with a quality education. TAKE ACTION and contact your lawmakers.  If you do not know who your senator is, you can look it up at http://senate.michigan.gov/ and click on the “Find Your Senator” link  on the left hand side of the page.  For more information, please check www.egrpseducationadvocates.blogspot.com.

Fewer Guidance Counselors in a State that is Trying to Get More Kids to College

We are seeing changes happening in schools as a result of budget cuts.  One of the previous articles was about the use of Lead Teachers and Interventionists (certified but daily wage teachers with no benefits) in elementary schools.  This article is about the shortage of High School Guidance Counselors in a state that is trying to get more kids to college.  Lucy



http://bridgemi.com/2011/09/students-left-with-little-guidance-in-high-schools/

More Competition? More Administrative Expenses!

With all of the other legislation affecting local control issues (changing the schools elections to November, mandating Schools of Choice and All Day Kindergarten) as well as charter schools (under Parent Empowerment, charters under universities would be opened up and cyber schools would be encouraged) it is hard to see why additional legislation is needed to "open up" Michigan to potentially for profit national charter school companies.  We see this as undermining the public schools infrastructure and locally elected school boards.  We also see this as a lack of fiscal constraint because parallel administrative services would siphon off money intended to go to educating children.  Lucy Lafleur

http://www.mlive.com/education/index.ssf/2011/09/lawmakers_hope_to_lure_success.html

UPDATE FROM FRIENDS OF KENT COUNTY SCHOOLS

The Senate Committee has already voted on this issue, please contact your Senator and ask them to oppose the legislation on removing the cap on charter schools when it comes to a full vote in the Senate.

 

Contact your Senator today!