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Gov. Rick Snyder describes his education reform proposal.

SCHOOL FUNDING: Gov. Snyder's Education Reform Act Divides State Leaders

Arguments Mount Over Plans Opponents Attack as Privatization

March 6, 2013       Leave a Comment
By: Dave Rogers

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Michigan parents and taxpayers: be prepared to be courted by both sides of a brewing argument over school funding.

The battle began last year with Gov. Rick Snyder's education reform proposal, drafted by the Oxford Foundation think tank and aiming "to lessen the burdens of government."

Now the leadership has shifted to the Michigan Public Education Finance Act Project (www.pefaproject.wordpress.com).

The Michigan Education Finance Project's "Michigan Public Education Finance Act of 2013" would replace the School Aid Act of 1979.

The project rewrote the School Aid Act based on Michigan Governor Rick Snyder's Education Message Proposals that includes:

  • Proposing a new -- Any Time, Any Place, Any Way, Any Pace public school learning model.

  • Performance-based funding rather than seat time requirements.

    "Michigan's state foundation allowance should not be exclusively tied to the school district a child attends. Instead, funding needs to follow the student," PEFA contends.

    The plan would provide:

  • A high school education in Michigan would be disaggregated to a level where an individual student could shop for courses in her own district, in neighboring districts, at online academies, at community colleges or at state universities.

  • No district would ever own a student, but full funding would follow the student to her destination of choice

  • Any student could access all public school online-learning opportunities, even those offered in districts that are outside the student's home district, and the state would cover the cost.

  • Funding would be based on performance, partially at first, but proportionately more over time.

  • The school year would remain at 180 days, but would be spread over twelve months, not nine.

  • Post-secondary scholarships would go to students who graduate from high school early.

    Peter B. Ruddell writes in Bridge Magazine an article headlined "Why Is Education Establishment Resisting School Reform?":

    "The education establishment continues a barrage of distortions regarding the actual proposed language of the Michigan Public Education Finance Act (PEFA).

    "Despite the Center for Michigan's recent report and Michigan's mediocre (but improving) education achievement, the entrenched education establishment is arguing the status quo is good for kids. This time the arguments come high atop the traditional education establishment's ivory tower -- from David Arsen at Michigan State University's College of Education."

    "Every reader of our preliminary reports and bill draft, who truly believes that all students should learn at high levels and be fully prepared to enter the work force or attend college, rejects the hyperbole and misstatements by those readers whose opinions are paid for by education interest groups."

    Glenn Gilbert of the Oakland Press writes:

    "The Oxford Foundation proposal would reform Michigan's school finance system, but Oakland Intermediate School officials say the funding issue should be the subject of a comprehensive study first. No such study has been carried out in 43 years, they say.

    "Among variables that can make the average costs irrelevant are numbers of at-risk students per district, special education, cost-of-living and size of district. Also, it is less costly to serve elementary students than students in higher grades.

    "Actual costs need to be taken into consideration, Oakland school officials say."

    The Center for Michigan presents study data, entitled "the shrinking school year," including both traditional public schools and charter schools, showing:

    1) Only six of 755 school districts and charters actually held 180 days of instruction in 2008-09.

    2) 140 school districts and charters scheduled 170 or fewer days, which is two weeks less instruction than state law required until 2003-04. A total of 283 districts actually held 170 or fewer days of instruction due to snow days and other cancellations.

    3) Fifty-six school districts and charters lopped off at least a week of scheduled school days between the 2007-08 and 2008-09 school years. Altogether, 277 cut at least a half a day from the calendar of the year before.

    4) The majority of Michigan school districts and charters held more days of school in 2008-09, but that was only because fewer days were canceled. More districts (277) reduced their school calendars of scheduled days than expanded them (211).

    ###

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    Dave Rogers

    Dave Rogers is a former editorial writer for the Bay City Times and a widely read,
    respected journalist/writer in and around Bay City.
    (Contact Dave Via Email at carraroe@aol.com)

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