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Legislative Priorities-Workforce Development & Student Achievement
Issue: Educate a Superior Workforce and Reform
Michigan’s Education System
CHAMBER MEMBERS ADVOCATE:
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Full implementation of the high school graduation
requirements and holding schools accountable for teaching the content
expectations, including the 21st Century Learning Core.
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Promoting competition and choice by eliminating the
arbitrary cap on the number of public school academies that can be chartered
by state universities.
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Using taxpayer dollars in a more efficient and effective
manner by:
-- Seeking operational efficiencies
-- Containing pension & healthcare costs
-- Getting more funding directly to classrooms
-- Promoting an outcome-based funding formula for higher education
-- Fighting efforts aimed at eroding the principles of Proposal A
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Consolidating all non-instructional services within
counties or intermediate school districts, but allow local school boards to
retain control and focus on academic matters.
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Opposing any further expansion of school sinking fund
taxes unless all commercial and industrial property is exempted from new or
increased sinking fund taxes and school elections are consolidated.
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Promoting alternative routes to teacher certification and
working to remove obstacles within the current system that limit the
transition of business leaders to education.
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Holding state universities that operate Schools of
Education more accountable for the quality of teachers and education
administrators they graduate and credential.
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Ensuring that a functional data system to track, monitor
and report academic progress in Michigan’s education system is designed as a
tool for improvement and is user friendly for parents and the general
public.
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Supporting initiatives that effectively reduce the dropout
rate in Michigan.
WHY?
In 1994, voters overwhelmingly approved Proposal A to amend
the State Constitution to provide for permanent property tax relief and school
finance reform. While Proposal A is not perfect, overall it served the state
well. From 1994 until 2007, the state saw a period of stable enrollment and low
inflation. At the same time, school operating revenues increased 79 percent and
revenue from school infrastructure taxes (debt, building and sinking funds) grew
234 percent. Michigan taxpayers pay more for education (K-12, community college
and state universities) than any other item within the state budget. Meanwhile,
even with a good effort by many individuals and groups, student scores on
academic assessments remained flat or declined, the dropout rate increased
slightly, and there was a minimal increase in the number of Michigan high school
graduates admitted to college. More recently, despite years of effort and tens
of billions of dollars in government spending, in January 2009, Michigan
received a grade of only C+ for overall educational value and a student’s
chances of success in Education Week magazine’s 13th annual Quality Counts
report. These facts clearly demonstrate the need for dramatic change in
Michigan’s education system. Students, parents and employers all deserve better.
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