This week, two more Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) reform bills were introduced in the House, bringing the total number of MMC reform bills for this year to eight. However, unlike their predecessors, this legislation was a collaboration by the various sponsors of the other MMC bills and represents a collective effort to push for one specific set of changes to the state's curriculum. The bills are HB 4465, sponsored by Rep.

This week, legislation to expand the Education Achievement Authority (EAA) passed the House Education Committee on a 9-5 vote. This vote is the first step in the legislative process. The bill, HB 4369, now moves to the full House of Representatives.

During her testimony to the House Education Committee on Wednesday, Dr. Deborah Loewenberg Ball, chair of Michigan Council for Educator Effectiveness, spent a great deal of time emphasizing to legislators that the goal of the MCEE is to develop an evaluation system that focuses on educator improvement, not penalties.

"We could build a system where most of the emphasis is on compliance, and that's where all the time would go and all the money would be spent and we would all be embarrassed," she said.

Did you know that March is National Middle Level Education Month? With this in mind, MASSP would like to recognize and thank all of our middle level members for your effort and dedication to serving the needs of young adolescents (ages 10-15) who attend middle schools in our state every day.

An important legal update from our friends at the Clark Hill law firm:

By: Sarah Geddes

Schools have an obligation to investigate reports of bullying incidents directed toward students, and to respond to discriminatory harassment toward students with disabilities, as well as other protected classes of students. Several recent legal cases provide guidance for schools when responding to bullying and discriminatory harassment directed toward students with disabilities.