legislationandregulation

(July 17,08 - Gongwer News) On a 31-4 vote the Senate approved the 2008-09 K-12 School Aid budget, despite some bipartisan hesitation on a change in the bill to the definition of Detroit's status as a first-class school district.
The budget provides for per-pupil funding increases of between $56 to $112 per pupil with the state's poorer districts getting the larger increases.
And the measure includes $15 million to help finance the start of Governor Jennifer Granholm's proposal to tackle dropout rates by creating smaller high schools.

With a conference committee meeting scheduled for Thursday, Michigan schools will come a step closer to finding out what their per pupil allotments will be for the 2008-09 fiscal year. Indications are schools can expect increases in the range of $56 to $112 for each student, and there will be some funding set aside for Governor Jennifer Granholm's proposal to combat school dropouts by building smaller high schools.

Michigan AYP makes changes, progress counts
By FRANK KONKEL
Sentinel-Standard writer
Published: Wednesday, July 9, 2008 1:09 AM CDT
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IONIA - In the past, test scores were the primary factor determining whether Michigan students met federally-defined Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).
Not anymore.

Court: Mich. schools forced to bear reporting costs
BY DAWSON BELL • FREE PRESS LANSING BUREAU • JULY 7, 2008
LANSING – Michigan state government has been shortchanging local school districts millions of dollars a year by failing to reimburse the cost of enhanced reporting requirements under education reforms enacted in the last decade, the state Court of Appeals ruled today.

Change is slow in coming to teachers' health-care reform
Posted by anixon July 06, 2008 00:01AM
This was to be the year that Michigan school officials mounted an aggressive attack on health-care costs.
As it turns out -- not so much.
Last fall, state lawmakers approved reforms designed to make it easier for school districts to shop for health insurance, one of their fastest-growing expenses.

Establishes a student's absence due to parent's being deployed or return from active duty as excused absence.
Public Act 141

View here or download pdf below.

Detroit News - Monday, June 2, 2008
Amber Arellano
Say no to core curriculum naysayers
The naysayers are having their turn.
"Not everyone can learn algebra skills," they say. "Not everyone should have to."
Don't let them fool you.
When the Michigan Legislature passed the state's heralded high school curriculum to prepare every Michigan child to compete in the global economy, everyone knew it was going to be challenging. The idea that all students must and can learn tough math skills challenges notions of class and what it takes to get a good job.

STATE FACES YET ANOTHER REVENUE SHORTAGE – Going into Friday’s Revenue Estimating Conference, both the House Fiscal Agency (HFA) and the Senate Fiscal Agency (SFA) have predicted the state will face a deficit in the 2008-09 Fiscal Year that will approach $500 million. The numbers from the May Revenue Estimating Conference establish the income levels that legislators will use in both adjusting the current fiscal year’s spending and in developing the budget for the next fiscal year.

MASSP 2008 Spring Law Update Recap

Let's face it...graduation time is like a capstone project for the high school principal. On commencement day the school community sizes up the student graduates and also the work of the principal and staff.

State restructuring efforts for NCLB often take a back seat to the more comprehensive reforms. Look for State Superintendent Mike Flanagan’s remarks in the last paragraph of this Wall Street Journal article.  READ MORE