MASSP News Center

Kalamazoo Promise Goes Statewide

The chair of the House Education Committee wants to replicate the so-called Kalamazoo Promise by creating local promise committees and funding them in part with state education dollars.

Rep. Tim MELTON (D-Auburn Hills) looks at the highly successful guaranteed college tuition program for school kids in Kalamazoo and wants to do the same thing in 41 other Michigan counties.

Melton’s legislation would allow “any urban or rural school district with students 18 and younger who are under the poverty level” to establish their own authority to encourage students to attend college. Each authority would establish its own ground rules including where the students could go to college and whether they have to stay in Michigan.

Once the by-laws are in place, each entity would have two years to raise the capital to fund the program at which point the state would step in with its part of the agreement.

Using the SET, or State Education Tax with $13 billion in its coffers, Melton says local authorities could get half of the growth revenue in that fund to apply to the tuition grants. Each district’s SET would grow at different levels depending on economic growth in that county.

“The idea is to change the mindset of students who might not think they can go to college,” Melton explains. This assistance is targeted at about 11 percent of the students who live in disadvantaged districts.

While the Kalamazoo program was fully funded by a local donor, Melton says other districts can use that approach or other means to raise the capitol to get the program off the ground.

The real estate and business climate in Kazoo is booming thanks to the free college program. Melton figures and hopes if it can happen there, why not in Detroit, Pontiac, Bay City, Saginaw and other needy portions of the state.

Senate OKs Teacher Registry/Fee Bill

Teacher certification fees would go up anywhere from $20 to $35 under a bill the Senate approved 29-7 today. The increase would pay for a $2.1 million update to the seven-year-old central database, which tracks how many professional development and continuing education hours teachers are taking.

Once the on-line registry is completed, teachers would be able to renew their teaching certificates on-line and pay for them with a credit card, according to HB 4591, sponsored by Rep. Hoon-Yung HOPGOOD (D-Taylor).

The state’s 34 teacher prep courses and specialty courses also would need government approval under the bill. In order to be state-certified, the small institutions of less than 2,000 students would pay $2,000 and larger institutions of more than 2,000 would pay $3,500. From there, they’d be required to pay a periodic $300 fee to be reviewed periodically.

Of the $1.7 million these fees are expected to generate, a chunk will go to pay for the new database. Another $200,000 would support teacher certification programs run through Central Michigan University and Wayne State University.

The bill marks the first time in 20 years teacher certification fees have been raised.