From the Executive Director: Principal’s State Capitol Update

By Jim Ballard
MASSP Executive Director

The Michigan Legislature waited until after Labor Day to come back to work. Two things will occupy their time during the fall:
1. Redefining A First Class District
2. Opening the door to expansion of charter schools

First Class School District and Charter Schools: Current law defines a First Class District as a district of over 100,000 students. In reality, that definition only fits Detroit. There are several restrictions and opportunities given to a First Class District that differ from other Michigan school districts. Detroit Public Schools enrollment is expected to fall below 100,000 this school year.

Some legislators mostly want to keep things just as they are but change the new defining number to 65,000. Others want restrictions lifted on who can charter schools such as community college in a first class district. A partisan battle is underway as one side won’t redefine the first class district number unless the prohibition comes off charter schools. This battle should make for a lot of news copy in the next few months. This really is the big education policy story for the fall.

Personal Curriculum Legislation: There will be a spotlight for your attention put on House Bill 6247. This is a bill to make improvements in the options found in Personal Curriculums. Our attention will be drawn to this legislation like a moth to a light. But it is very unlikely this bill, and its companion Senate Bill 834, will ever see the Governor’s desk.

This summer, a sub-committee of the House Education Committee held some hearings regarding the high school graduation requirements. Even though there are more public hearings scheduled surrounding HB 6247 it was voted out of the House Education Committee on September 16, 2008.

What does HB 6247 do? Well, its focus is on math, and math only. In the personal curriculum section of the current law, the first time a student can alter the math requirements is after they complete 2.5 math credits (or two math credits if the student enrolls in a two-year CTE Program). As a result of this stipulation, the student can’t adjust their requirements until their junior year. This amendment allows the PC for math, to be created after the first semester after the 9th grade (the original bill had 10th grade) so that it could begin in the first semester of the 10th grade.

This bill also adds to the PC language that would allow a teacher or counselor to initiate a PC for a student. The law as it now reads only allows a parent or an emancipated student to initiate a PC.

Senate Bill 834 adds a class title (personal finance) to the long list of classes that should count for the math content credit. The big amendment is allowing Algebra II when taken over a two-year period to be given two credits.

Does MASSP have a game plan? Yes. We have told the sponsor of the above that we support the changes to the Personal Curriculum Planning and the two credits for two years of Algebra II. But here’s the danger. If these bills were to be passed it would be a very uphill battle to get any new legislation to amend the MMC.

So, in other words, we’re going to get at least one revision to the MMC requirements. So, you better get all you want, because it is unlikely you’ll get a second chance. If we spend all of our political capital on math, what will we do when the reality of chemistry and physics come into sight?

By the way, MASSP also asked for an additional amendment. For the Class of 2016 and beyond, we advocated that students should be allowed the option of either to two credits of foreign language OR two credits of CTE. There was agreement that this consideration was needed. We’ll just have to wait to see if it gets into play.

Again, if you get sucked into dealing with this legislation, I caution you not to waste all your political capital on it.