Contents of this issue:
Michigan per-pupil expenditure ranks 16th in nation
Education Department eases testing rules for learning-disabled
Bay Mills announces it will open fewer charters than expected
Detroit school officials to investigate financial allegations
Interview with EMU professor covers Michigan education budget
Gov. Granholm proposes interest-free loans to build small schools
ANNOUNCEMENT: Free summer economics seminar for teachers
MICHIGAN PER-PUPIL EXPENDITURE RANKS 16TH IN NATION
LANSING, Mich. — Data from the U.S. Census Bureau show that Michigan
fell from 12th to 16th in total per-pupil education expenditures among
the 50 states and the District of Columbia, according to Booth
Newspapers.
The figures covered the 2002-2003 school year, which is the latest
period for which the numbers have been reported. Michigan's ranking
peaked in 1997-1998 at 6th place, then dropped to 11th and 12th place
in 1999-2000 and 2000-2001, respectively. "This is a very big change,
and all of the change is in one direction," said David Plank, co-director of the Education Policy Center at Michigan State University.
"We're not bouncing around. We're falling pretty much like a rock.
That's something that should get people's attention."
According to Booth, the list is topped by east-coast states including
New Jersey, New York and Connecticut as well as Washington, D.C. The
2002-2003 data for Michigan reflects a $69 cut in per-pupil funding by
the state down to $9,955 and could have been affected by the recession
of 2001, according to Plank. But Jim Sandy, executive director of the
Michigan Business Leaders for Education Excellence, said, "I don't
think this is a scandalous drop. Ten thousand a kid is still a pretty
good amount."
SOURCES:
Booth Newspapers, "Other states surpass Michigan in school funding,"
Apr. 7, 2005
https://www.mlive.com/news/statewide/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1112821801268680.xml
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "School Funding: Lack of Money or
Lack of Money Management?" August 2001
https://www.mackinac.org/3683
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Six Habits of Fiscally
Responsible Public School Districts," December 2002
https://www.mackinac.org/4891
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Michigan's Budget Challenge"
https://www.mackinac.org/4964
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT EASES TESTING RULES FOR LEARNING-DISABLED
DETROIT — New rules concerning learning-disabled students were
announced last week by the U.S. Department of Education, which will
allow states to modify standards for those students and help some
schools meet "Adequate Yearly Progress" under the No Child Left Behind
Act.
Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings said her department would
recognize the fact that students must be treated differently from one
another. "This new approach recognizes that these children should not
all be treated alike," said Spellings. "By relying on the most current
and accurate information on how children learn and how to best serve
their academic needs, this new policy focuses on children."
According to The Detroit News, Michigan officials had already asked the
Department of Education for concessions in AYP enforcement in other
areas. The new rules would allow more students classified as disabled
to take "modified assessments," according to a U.S. Department of
Education press release. "No Child Left Behind is a work in progress,"
Martin Ackley, spokesman for the Michigan Department of Education told
The News. "The U.S. Department of Education recognizes this, too."
SOURCES:
Detroit News, "Rules ease No Child testing plan," Apr. 8, 2005
https://www.detroitnews.com/2005/schools/0504/08/D01-143911.htm
U.S. Department of Education, "Secretary Spellings Announces More
Workable, "Common Sense" Approach To Implement No Child Left Behind
Law," Apr. 7, 2005
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2005/04/04072005.html
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "No Cop-Out Left Behind," March 2005
https://www.mackinac.org/7010
Michigan Education Report, "President signs 'No Child Left Behind
Act,'" Winter 2002
https://www.mackinac.org/4082
Michigan Education Report, "No Child Left Behind law demands 'adequate
yearly progress' and offers school choice options for parents,"
Fall 2002
https://www.educationreport.org/4846
BAY MILLS ANNOUNCES IT WILL OPEN FEWER CHARTERS THAN EXPECTED
LANSING, Mich. — Though both the Detroit Public Schools and the Detroit
Archdiocese have announced the closing of dozens of schools this
summer, Bay Mills Community College said it would open only a few
charters, despite the college being exempt from the statewide cap on
charter schools, reported Booth Newspapers.
Bay Mills' exemption from the cap is being challenged in a lawsuit
brought against the state by the Michigan Education Association, which
has argued that the college should not be allowed to open new charters
anywhere in the state except near its campus in Brimley. The exemption
was determined to be legal in a 2001 opinion issued by then-Attorney
General Jennifer Granholm.
Bay Mills Charter School Office Director Patrick Shannon said his
department is already busy with its current roster of 28 schools. "In
light of what we did last year, three or four schools is a lot of
schools for any authorizer," said Shannon. "This is contrary to the
fear some people had that we were going to be a charter mill. We didn't
even have an application process this year. We're working with those
schools that were approved."
SOURCES:
Booth Newspapers, "Expected charter school explosion reduced to a
fizzle," Apr. 8, 2005
https://www.mlive.com/news/statewide/index.ssf?/base/news-5/111291360167820.xml
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "When Will Conventional Public
Schools Be As Accountable as Charters?" July 2004
https://www.mackinac.org/6684
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Time to Stop Beating Up on Charter
Schools," November 2002
https://www.mackinac.org/4864
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Impact of Limited School Choice
on Public School Districts," July 2000
https://www.mackinac.org/2962
DETROIT SCHOOL OFFICIALS TO INVESTIGATE FINANCIAL ALLEGATIONS
DETROIT — In response to an auditor's 10-page e-mail containing
allegations of misconduct in the Detroit Public Schools, district
officials announced on Friday their intention to investigate the
allegations, reported the Detroit Free Press.
The e-mail was written in June by a school district auditor one week
after being laid off from the district, according to the Free Press.
The writer accused Title I office head James Humphries of hiring
friends and family to perform jobs for which they were not qualified;
allegations of high fees paid to consulting firms and temporary workers
for unnecessary work were also made. The Title I office handles federal
grants totaling $139 million annually; those funds are used for
programs targeted at low-income children.
"It's important to note that this is just a set of allegations at this
point," explained district spokesman Ken Coleman, though state and
district auditors have "repeatedly raised questions about how the
district spends and monitors its Title I funds," according to the Free
Press. In addition to the latest allegations, the Free Press reported
that at least two anonymous letters concerning misappropriation of the
district's Title I funds have been forwarded to the state for
investigation.
SOURCES:
Detroit Free Press, "Schools' auditor says cash misspent," Apr. 9, 2005
https://www.freep.com/news/education/skul9e_20050409.htm
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Government Encouragement,"
February 2005
https://www.mackinac.org/6988
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The $200 Million Question,"
January 2005
https://www.mackinac.org/6947
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Ironic Choices," November 2004
https://www.mackinac.org/6895
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Playing Monopoly With Detroit's
Kids," July 2004
https://www.mackinac.org/6688
INTERVIEW WITH EMU PROFESSOR COVERS MICHIGAN EDUCATION BUDGET
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — In an interview with the Ann Arbor News, Eastern
Michigan University Professor Bill Price answered questions concerning
an expected increase in per-pupil funding, legislation that could alter
Proposal "A," and rising overhead costs in districts.
According to Price, Gov. Jennifer Granholm has proposed a $175 increase
in the state per-pupil grant to districts, as well as an additional $50
earmarked for each high school student to help schools implement
standards and curriculum reforms. Some legislators might want the $50
increase to be part of the total $175 amount, said Price. Price expects
the schools to receive the $175 if state revenue results are positive.
Many districts are faced with rising overhead costs, including health
care and pension costs. Districts have little control over such costs,
and are "often locked into collective bargaining agreements that can be
costly," said Price. Price also outlined legislative proposals to
change parts of Proposal "A" by increasing caps on local and state
millages or tying education funding increases to inflation.
SOURCES:
Ann Arbor News, "Chances good for increase in school funding,"
Apr. 10, 2005
https://www.mlive.com/news/aanews/index.ssf?/base/news-12/1113127811178690.xml
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "School Budgets: A Crisis of
Management, Not Finance," February 2005
https://www.mackinac.org/6980
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "School Funding: Lack of Money or
Lack of Money Management?" August 2001
https://www.mackinac.org/3683
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "Michigan's Budget Challenge,"
February 2005
https://www.mackinac.org/4964
GOV. GRANHOLM PROPOSES INTEREST-FREE LOANS TO BUILD SMALL SCHOOLS
DETROIT — Gov. Jennifer Granholm announced her intention to push for
districts with high dropout rates or poor academic results to be
eligible for interest-free loans to build small high schools with
student populations under 500, according to the Detroit Free Press.
The loan pool, which would total $180 million, would be available to 27
qualifying districts in the state to create high schools that would be
reflective of the student populations at existing schools. "Many
districts know they have to make changes at the high school level,"
said Granholm deputy chief of staff, Chuck Wilbur. "The thing that's
missing for some kids is that reinforcement at an adult level that
creates a value system that helps them achieve."
If approved, districts smaller than 20,000 students would be able to
borrow up to $15 million, and districts larger than 20,000 could borrow
up to $30 million. Repayment would be deferred for five years without
interest. "Small schools can be very powerful," said Mike Schmidt,
contributions director for education at the Ford Motor Co. Fund, which
works with the Henry Ford Academy in Dearborn. "In these giant high
schools, kids can get lost. Here, there are a lot more adults per kid.
The teachers all know the kids."
SOURCES:
Detroit Free Press, "Granholm has plan to offer interest-free money to
build small schools," Apr. 11, 2005
https://www.freep.com/news/education/granholm11e_20050411.htm
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "The Six Habits of Fiscally
Responsible Public School Districts," December 2002
https://www.mackinac.org/4891
ANNOUNCEMENT: FREE SUMMER ECONOMICS SEMINAR FOR TEACHERS
The Foundation for Teaching Economics is sponsoring a free summer
seminar, "The Gillette Company Economics for Leaders Program," July 17-23, 2005, in Hillsdale, Michigan. The seminar is open to any teacher
who teaches economics; it is especially suited for teachers of social
studies, civics and history. Dr. Gary Wolfram, Munson Professor of
Political Economy at Hillsdale College is the lead faculty member. The
program is based on the National Voluntary Standards in Economic
Education.
Each participant who completes the program will receive a $150.00
stipend. Free room and board is provided on the campus of Hillsdale
College. All curriculum materials and lesson plans are free of charge.
Reasonably priced credit hours are available, and three SB-CEUs are
available free of charge to Michigan public school teachers.
For more information and to register, go to the Foundation for Teaching
Economics at
www.fte.org/teachers/programs, or call
(800) 383-4335.
MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST is a service of Michigan Education
Report (
https://www.educationreport.org),
a quarterly newspaper
with a circulation of 130,000 published by the Mackinac Center
for Public Policy (
https://www.mackinac.org),
a private,
nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational institute.
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