This Week in Politics in 5 Sentences (or Fewer)

MPSERS reform stalled again as the Senate sent SB 1040 to conference committee, creating another delay as House and Senate members will now meet to try and hammer out a compromise version of the legislation. The Senate did pass a package of bills that will require schools to develop and implement a policy to address child sexual abuse, but the legislation would still leave districts a great deal of flexibility in how they comply with the new requirement. Finally, in a potentially game changing move, Governor Snyder has commissioned the Oxford Foundation to draft a rewrite of the School Aid Act with an eye toward further implementing his “Any Time, Any Place, Any Where, Any Pace” vision for education in the state. Specific elements of the project include moving to proficiency-based funding rather than focusing on seat-time and a per-pupil system that is “student centered” and allows students greater access to early college attendance, online learning, and inter-district choice. Finally, the Michigan Department of Education put out a memo this week clarifying changes made in this year’s budget that allow non-public schools to request onsite instruction for their students from districts other than the resident district in the event the resident district declines to provide instruction.