(MPRN-Lansing) A day before the new legislative session starts lawmakers, business experts and people in the education community are getting serious about changing K through 12 schools in Michigan.
The School Finance Research Collaborative launched Tuesday. Business and education experts will reexamine the state’s approach to funding kindergarten through twelfth grade schools.
At a press conference announcing the launch, members said the collaborative will help all Michigan students are prepared for jobs and success no matter where they live.
Wanda Cook-Robinson is the Oakland Schools superintendent and member of the research collaborative. She said the new study will build on the findings of the 2016 study on school financing.
“The newly formed School Finance Research Collaborative will build on those findings by conducting a truly comprehensive school study,” she said. “And this is something that has not been done in our state before.”
Republican Senator Phil Pavlov also announced Tuesday that he plans to introduce a bill to get rid of Michigan’s so-called “failing schools” law during the first day of session on Wednesday. The law determines Michigan’s worst-performing schools and puts them under the supervision of a state school reform officer.
Pavlov said the current law was passed with good intentions, but hasn’t worked.
“We want to put together a system that’s fair and balanced,” he said. “A system that districts understand where the goal post is, what the metrics for defining a failing school is.”
Pavlov’s announcement comes as Governor Rick Snyder’s administration works to finish up plans to close what they classify as chronically underperforming schools.
Cook-Robinson said she supports Pavlov’s bill and hope to work with him and the legislature on finding a better replacement.
“Bringing in a CEO, bringing in someone from outside the district that has to try to learn the district, hopefully has the skill set to implement those things – you lose time,” she said. “And that has not been helpful.”
