In the unfortunate game of "Let's Make a Budget Deal," no matter which door you choose, community schools lose

(courtesy of Steve Norton, Michigan Parents for Schools)

Door # 1

Snyder Plan

Districts LOSE between $2 and $32 per pupil

Claimed 2% increase is mostly money taken from a "cookie jar" which had been diverted earlier when cuts were even bigger

Sneaks in parts of the "Oxford report" by forcing districts to pay for up to two online courses per semester with no say over the provider, what "successful completion" means, or what kind of credit to award.

Commits an extra $10 million to Michigan Virtual University, and basically makes an $8 million "gift" to the EAA to support "student centered learning"

Door #2

House Plan

Districts LOSE between $18 and $52 per pupil

Eliminates best practices grants, which went to most districts

Gives more money for performance and tech grants, which serve many fewer districts

Penalizes districts which recently opened their contracts

Cuts the increase to Great Start, making 4,200 fewer openings

Also sneaks in the "Oxford report" provisions

Door #3 

Senate Plan

Districts LOSE between $18 and $102 per pupil, on average

Eliminates help to local districts with their pension system costs, and uses a smaller amount to give a foundation increase to all districts - which is a windfall for charter schools, which mostly are not in the pension system (they'll get an increase)

Puts $22 million in an "education reserve fund" instead of giving it to our students

Eliminates both best practices and technology grants

Also sneaks in the "Oxford report" provisions

Total spending even less than the Governor!

Letter to Governor Snyder and our legislators

Parents and friends:  Please send this letter (or make it your own) to Governor Snyder and your representative (for EGRPS parents, in most cases, that would be Rep. MacGregor) and then, if you can, follow up with a phone call to their offices.  That info is posted on the right hand side of the homepage of this blog.

The Michigan House Appropriations Committee moved House Bill 4228 which includes the School Aid budget for 2013-14. It will be debated by the full House soon. I am requesting you to fight to make two immediate changes and be opposed to this bill if they are not fixed.

It is unacceptable that House Bill 4228 again cuts the classroom dollars available for next year compared to the current year and should be unacceptable to you, too. As you know, two years ago the Legislature cut per pupil funding by nearly $500 per pupil and schools have yet to recover from such a drastic blow. Programs and teachers have been cut across the state and they will continue to be slashed under House Bill 4228. There is enough money in the School Aid Fund to restore these cuts and actually invest in public education if you have the political will to stop raiding it for other purposes.

I am also very concerned that a voucher provision has been included in Section 21f. My public tax dollars meant for public schools should not flow to private, for-profit vendors who are academically unaccountable. This and other Oxford Foundation gimmicks should not be a part of the budget and you need to work to delete that language.

Michigan citizens deserve a school aid budget that treats public education as an investment, not a punching bag. I expect you to oppose House Bill 4228 until at least the above changes are made.

Thank you. I look forward to hearing your response.

[name
address
phone number]

EAA passes House

[Gongwer, 21 March 2013]
EAA Passes House With Big Changes

The House passed a bill today that would codify the Education Achievement Authority and allow it to handle 50 low-performing schools throughout the state, but also provides schools with an option to come under the oversight of their intermediate school district instead.

The bill (HB 4369*) narrowly passed 57-53, and would expand the current 15-school program in Detroit to 50 of the lowest-performing schools throughout the state.

Three Republicans voted no: Rep. Jon Bumstead (R-Newaygo), Rep. Ben Glardon (R-Owosso) and Rep. Peter Pettalia (R-Presque Isle), and all Democrats voted no. Rep. John Olumba (I-Detroit) joined 56 Republicans in support of the bill after a lengthy speech denouncing his former Democratic colleagues as captive to special interests and ruing a change to the bill that phases in the expansion to 50 schools instead of immediately going to 50.

House Minority Leader Tim Greimel denounced the expansion of the Education Achievement Authority, which Rep. Lisa Posthumus Lyons defended.

It marked a big step forward for an issue that failed to get off the ground in the 2011-12 term despite a big push from Governor Rick Snyder, who again has made it a top priority. The EAA currently functions through an interlocal agreement between Eastern Michigan University and the Detroit Public Schools, but officials want it in statute with additional features.

Clearly, House Republican leaders were determined to get a bill passed Thursday because the House unexpectedly remained in session for more than seven hours trying to find language that would enable them to find enough votes for passage. Finally, just before 6 p.m., the House adopted three amendments.

And the big change was to allow the school board that oversees a school in the bottom 5 percent of schools to instead put that school under the oversight of its regional intermediate school district to handle the responsibilities and functions the EAA otherwise would have. Depending on the circumstances, the school eventually could still wind up in the EAA if insufficient progress occurs under the ISD.

Another key amendment would ensure if the EAA hires a public school employee who is part of the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System that the employee will remain in MPSERS. That addresses a concern about destabilizing the system.

Another amendment would require notification of schools that the state school redesign officer decides to put into the EAA during the first week in January of that school year.

Rep. Lisa Posthumus Lyons (R-Alto), sponsor of the bill, said when she walks through her children's school, she knows her children are receiving a good education.

"All across this state many parents can say the same of their kids' schools, and sadly many cannot," she said. "Nothing, nothing breaks my heart more than to see students trapped in schools that fail them year, after year, after year."

Ms. Lyons also said to those opposing the legislation because of lack of evidence proving the EAA works, "there is plenty of evidence showing the status quo does not work."

More than 10 Democrats spoke in opposition to the bill, including Rep. Nathan (D-Detroit).

"What disturbs me is we have not taken the time to determine whether or not this particular model works," he said. "If it does, I'll be the first one to say let's do it. But given the temperature in this room today, how this legislation has moved through the House this session, tells me this is not about making sure these children have the opportunity, this is about much more. It tells me it is about control, it is about wanting to see a certain group of folks in these schools."

Rep. Aric Nesbitt (R-Lawton) said the issues in these low-performing schools include third- and fourth-graders who cannot read and trash that rarely gets taken out.

"I've come to conclusion that something has to be done," he said. "The children in these schools cannot wait any longer."

But Rep. Ellen Cogen Lipton (D-Huntington Woods) said evidence shows the EAA is a "failed experiment." She said the failures need to be examined and "provide the leadership and guidance to input changes that actually fix the problem."

Rep. Margaret O'Brien (R-Portage) countered the speeches from House Democrats were "distracting at best, and dishonest at worst."

Rep. Tom McMillin (R-Rochester Hills) said he gets emotional when discussing the topic, because children are being forced to stay in failing schools. He criticized the Democrats for offering the solution of "more money."

"There has been plenty of money," he said.

House Minority Leader Tim Greimel (D-Auburn Hills) said Thursday morning that Democrats will be announcing education reform bills of their own, with a specific timeline coming during the spring recess.

"This EAA bill is being passed off by Republicans as supposedly meaningful education reform," Mr. Greimel said. "That is not what it is. We as Democrats believe in education reform and we believe we need to do more as a state to turn around our struggling school districts, but the EAA will not do that."

The American Federation of Teachers-Michigan released a statement shortly after the bill passed saying the EAA will not help students learn.

"Lansing politicians have shown once again that they have the wrong priorities when it comes to public education," said David Hecker, president of AFT Michigan. "The EAA's limited history provides no evidence that being thrown into a state-run district is beneficial to schools. In fact, the EAA's own data presented to the Legislature show that most of their students are falling further behind their peers this year - why would we rush to expand this system?"

• 
  

More per-pupil cuts proposed! Call legislators today!

Tell Representative MacGregor to vote NO on HB 4227 until K-12 is funded at least at current levels! See the action alert from the Michigan Association of School Boards below:  The House K12 subcommittee on appropriations will be voting on HB 4227 Tuesday morning with the full House expected to vote on it later this week.  This bill is the House’s recommendation for the new school aid act that will fund schools for the 2013-14 school year.  Although it may seem early in the process, this will be only time the full House will vote on the school aid act until final passage of a bill in late May.  If we have any ability to impact what this bill will look like, and in turn funding for schools next year, this is the time to act.  Please take the time to contact your legislator through the evocate system and let them know your thoughts. We have all heard about the 2% increase that you are supposedly getting from the state and that is the first myth you must dispel.  Even though we are appreciative of the total increase in spending, all of that is going to pay down the retirement rate for next year and for an expansion of early childhood programs.  Every district in this state will see a reduction in per pupil discretionary funding.  This is a difficult concept for voters to understand as they have already read about the “2% increase.”  The House should not pass a bill that does not keep you at this year’s funding level.  We are also seeing a change in categorical funding in the House version, which while not specifically a problem, looks like we are going to a more grant funded basis that requires staff time and expertise to access rather than general categoricals.  This will likely exacerbate the funding disparity for some districts from this year to next.  If the amount of foundation money a district is receiving remains at last year's level these changes are not a problem, but if not, again it sets up the public to not understand what is happening. At these reduced funding levels you will continue to reduce programs and lay off staff while the public thinks you are better off this year.  Your costs continue to go up while revenue continues to go down or be placed in projects that are legislative initiative rather than locally driven programs. Please contact your legislators and tell them to vote NO on HB 4227 until schools are funded at current levels.

HOUSE ED COMMITTEE APPROVED THE EAA BILL

http://www.mlive.com/education/index.ssf/2013/03/education_achievement_authorit_1.html#incart_river_default

Now it goes to the floor.  If you haven't already done so, please call and/or email your Representative right away and urge a NO vote!

Don't know who your representative is?  Go here: http://www.house.mi.gov/mhrpublic/

Highland Park Senator Bert Johnson speaks out against the EAA

http://www.mlive.com/opinion/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2013/03/guest_column_failed_educationa.html

URGENT! WRITE OR CALL OUR LEGISLATORS TODAY!

Parents and Community Members:
We urgently need you to email or call the following legislators regarding the Education Achievement Authority!  This needs to be done this week (March 11-15) at the latest.  The bill is being taken up in committee on Wednesday, March 13 at 2:30, after which it is a near certainty that it will be referred to the floor.
PLEASE CALL:

Peter MacGregor
Phone: (517) 373-0218
Toll Free: (855) 347-8073
Email: PeterMacGregor@house.mi.gov

Mike Calton
Phone: (517) 373-0842
Toll Free: (855) 373-0842
Email: MikeCallton@house.mi.gov


Rob VerHeulen
Phone: (517) 373-8900
FAX: (517) 373-8697
Email: RobVerHeulen@house.mi.gov
   
Here are the main points to include in your call or email:

1.  Vote no on the EAA bill (HB4369)
2.  EAA is still experimental and we don't expand programs that are still in the experimental stage
3.  Although many schools in the state require urgent change, that change must be based on sound pedagogical principals, not ideas that the EAA currently espouses which are either unproven or have been proven ineffective or even detrimental to learning and student growth.
4.  The process is as important as the policy.  Do not allow this bill to be pushed through in the manner so many bills were pushed through during the lame duck session, with no opportunity for citizens to have their concerns heard.

Here is a sample letter that you may feel free to cut, in whole or in part, and paste into your own email:

Dear Representative  ______,

I am writing to urge you to vote against the education achievement authority bill (HB 4369). Even in its current form, this bill impermissibly wrests control of public education from local, democratically elected school boards. It amounts to nothing less than a giveaway to private charters, and it is premised on an unproven experiment. This bill undermines community schools and threatens the very communities themselves. It erodes the integrity of education by putting students in front of computers for the bulk of their learning and by authorizing charters to take public dollars to do no more than the community-governed schools could do with the same resources and support.

In addition to requesting that you oppose HB 4369, I urge you to ensure that the bill enjoy the full deliberative legislative process and not allow it to be "fast-tracked" as it almost was last session, so that the people have time to have their concerns heard.. Last session, over 40% of all the legislation that was passed was passed during the 10-day Lame Duck session. That process is an affront to the democratic principal of a legislature of, for, and by the people.  

Sincerely,

Name
Address
Phone number


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But wait!  There's more!

The Governor is proposing that the state eliminate the gasoline tax.  The revenues generated from that tax that go to the school aid fund amount to $900 million.  While Senator Roger Kahn, the chair of the Senate Infrastructure Modernization Committee, assures us that they hope to have voter approval for a 1% sales tax increase to replace that money, there is no plan if voters do not approve a 1% sales tax increase.  (An interesting aside: Senator Kahn believes that people will vote for that sales tax increase if it is marketed as "for the schools," rather than "for the roads."  People clearly think highly of funding schools and Lansing knows it.  Nevertheless the Governor and the Legislature continue to defund and defund K-12 public education.)

 Here is a sample letter you can use to write to Senator Kahn (senrkahn@senate.michigan.gov) (or you can call him at 517 373-1760) and Senator Mark Jansen (SenMJansen@senate.michigan.gov) (517-373-0797)
Dear Senator ____: 

In making your determination regarding the elimination of the gasoline tax, I urge you to strongly consider the fact that no real alternative to the gas sales tax has been proposed. If the $900 million that came from gasoline sales taxes in the last year is diverted to roads without alternative revenue, this will be yet another deep cut to our public schools that we can not weather. We know from the Center for Michigan conversation about education that most people do respect their local school system. We need to increase funding of our local, community public schools in order to support those very communities. This shell game with the School Aid Fund is counterproductive for our schools, further impairing them from getting to the important business of educating our children.

Sincerely,

Name
Address
Phone number 



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